Chamber and committees

The information requested is not available centrally. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has confirmed that, as of 22 November 2013, of the 599 outpatient appointments postponed, 48 patients have still to be seen but that all have dates scheduled.

As mentioned in the answer to question S4W-18006, Scotland is at the forefront of trying to introduce a pricing control such as minimum unit pricing of alcohol in order to protect public health. The Scottish Government has had discussions regarding minimum unit pricing of alcohol with a range of countries in the European Economic Area over the last few years. The discussions have been both informal and formal and have been wide ranging, including consideration of the evidence-based information available.

This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

However, there has been no cost to crofters in relation to mandatory registration on the Crofting Register in the last five years as the requirement to register croft land as a result of a ‘trigger’ contained in the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 only commenced on 30 November 2013. In order to allow crofters time to prepare for the introduction of the requirement to register croft land in the event certain regulatory applications, the Scottish Government introduced the Crofting Register provisions on a voluntary basis from 30 November 2012, for the first year of the Crofting Register.

In relation to the costs of regulatory applications, these will vary between applicants, depending on, for example, any legal or other professional advice incurred prior to submitting a regulatory application.

<>In July 2013, the Scottish Government published A Donation and Transplantation Plan for Scotland 2013-2020. This plan sets out the ways in which we hope to improve donation and transplantation in Scotland. The plan builds on the very good progress made over the last five year period during which Scotland achieved a 74% increase in deceased organ donations as well as a 36% increase in transplants with deceased donor organs. The plan can be viewed in full on the Scottish Government website at: www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/07/7461

The A819, A822 and A708 are classed as local roads and are, therefore, the responsibility of those local authorities through whose area the routes run.

The Scottish Government is providing local government in Scotland with over £10.3 billion in 2013-14. Decisions about local road investment are a matter for individual councils.

No specific work on the income of crofters has been commissioned by the Scottish Government at this time.

However, this information may be considered for the next Scottish Government report to the Scottish Parliament on the economic condition of crofting, etc, under section 51 of the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.

Section 51 requires the Scottish Ministers to report once every four years. The first such report, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib. Number 52273), was laid in Parliament on 23 December 2010 and the next report is due to be laid by 1 January 2015, covering the period 2011 to 2014.

There is a shortage of clinical oncologists across the UK but there are specific issues in the North of Scotland.

Through the North of Scotland Planning Group, which comprises NHS Highland, Grampian, Tayside, Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland, immediate work is underway to ensure patients who require highly specialised clinical oncology expertise continue to be receive high quality effective treatment, which may see some patients travelling to Edinburgh and Glasgow in the short to medium term.

The National Planning Forum (a joint body of Scottish Government and NHS boards) has established a working group to look at radiotherapy needs in the short, medium and longer term and to make recommendations on how best to ensure the availability of safe, effective, person centred and sustainable services for patients. That work is being supported by the Radiotherapy Programme Board who are working with cancer centres to agree sustainable care pathways and by the Scottish Cancer Task Force to ensure NHS Scotland has the required capacity and workforce to meet the current and any anticipated increases in demand over the coming years.

The Scottish Government is committed to promoting a multi-faith and multi-cultural society based on mutual trust, respect and understanding.

The Scottish Government funded the Scottish Working Group on Religion and Belief Relations to write and publish Belief in Dialogue: Religion and Belief Relations in Scotland Good Practice Guide (2011), which provides guidance (including examples of successful activities) in bringing together people of different faiths and beliefs to develop and engage in dialogue and relationship building.

We have also allocated over £1 million (2012-2015) to support faith-based projects to create, among other things, opportunities for the development of interfaith and cross-cultural awareness and understanding, including raising awareness of the dietary needs of some people because of their religious beliefs.

In school education, religious and moral education enables children and young people to explore the world’s major religions and to develop their own beliefs and values. Through Curriculum for Excellence, from the early years to level four, the experience and outcomes for religious and moral education include strands that enable children and young people to develop their knowledge and understanding of a variety of practices and traditions associated with world religions, including dietary requirements.

This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

However, a number of issues relating to the economics of crofting were covered in the independent Committee of Inquiry on Crofting’s Final Report, published on 12 May 2008. This can be viewed at:

http://www.croftinginquiry.org/Resource/Doc/0/0000405.pdf

The contribution of crofting to Scotland’s economy will also be considered for the next Scottish Government report to the Scottish Parliament on the economic condition of crofting, etc, under section 51 of the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.

Section 51 requires the Scottish Ministers to report once every four years. The first such report, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib. Number 52273), was laid in Parliament on 23 December 2010 and the next report is due to be laid by 1 January 2015, covering the period 2011 to 2014.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-18385 on 28 November 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.