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This information is not held centrally. However, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland published Clinical Standards on Food, Fluid and Nutritional Care in Hospitals in September 2003. These were developed in response to research which showed that patients in hospital could be at risk of malnutrition. The standards cover patient assessment on admission to hospital; the delivery of food and nutrition, and education and training of staff. The standards are published at: www.qualityimprovementscotland.com/nhsqis/files/Food,%20Fluid%20Nutrition.pdf.

The Chief Scientist Office (CSO), within the Scottish Executive Health Department, has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland.

Since 1999, the CSO has funded one research project in 2002 on the impact of malnutrition in Scottish school children and adolescents at a cost of £16,748.

In this time, the CSO has also funded a number of research projects on nutrition and nutrient deficiencies in groups of people at risk from malnourishment. In particular, the CSO has funded four research projects on nutrition in older people at a total cost of £424,502 including a recently funded trial on whether oral nutritional supplements to malnourished older people after hospital discharge can reduce disability.

Centrally held information can provide details for patients where malnutrition is identified on their hospital records. These figures may represent an undercount of the true number of cases because malnutrition could be an underlying reason for admission to hospital and, as such, will not always be recorded.

The Scottish Parliament Information Centre holds tables (Bib. number 38937) which present the number of patients discharged from acute hospitals in Scotland with a diagnosis of malnutrition broken down by NHS board of residence (table 1) and Scottish Parliamentary Constituency (table 2). Patients with more than one discharge in a year are only counted once.

Figures are given in the following table:

Numbers of Sewel/Legislative Consent Motions Passed

Session 1
12 May 1999 – 11 May 2000	7
12 May 2000 – 11 May 2001	16
12 May  2001 – 11 May 2002	7
12 May 2002 – 31 March 2003	9
Total Session 1	39
Session 2
7 May 2003 -6 May 2004	13
7 May 2004– 6 May 2005	9
7 May 2005 – to date	6
Total Session 2	28
Total to date	67

 

Further information can be found in these SPICe Factsheets, which are available on the Parliament’s website:

Sewel Motions: Session 1:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/research/factsheets/documents/SewelMotionsSession1.pdf.

Sewel Motions/LCM: Session 2:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/research/factsheets/documents/SewelMotionsandLegislativeConsentMotionsSession2.pdf.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

Scottish Borders Housing Association (SBHA)’s performance in investing in its stock is being monitored on ministers’ behalf by Communities Scotland within a regulatory framework that puts tenants’ interests at its heart. This includes: frequent liaison meetings; inspection; monitoring of SBHA’s business plan, and assessment of its capacity to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard.

SBHA is due to be inspected by the regulation and inspection division of Communities Scotland this year with the on-site period scheduled for mid-summer. Its performance against business plan assumptions, the physical quality of housing and areas, progress in delivering planned maintenance and area renewal and arrangements for meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard will be examined as part of this inspection.

The Fuel Poverty Forum met on 24 February 2003, 17 June 2003, 17 September 2003, 16 December 2003, 30 March 2004, 15 June 2004, 15 September 2004, 7 July 2005 and 4 October 2005.

The Scottish Executive Fuel Poverty Forum meets quarterly to work collectively towards delivering the Scottish Executive fuel poverty target. Fuel prices are reserved to the UK Government and as such have not constituted a formal agenda item. However the Forum regularly discusses what can be done to protect those most vulnerable to price increases.

There have been only two whole stock transfers in Scotland since the transfer of Scottish Borders Council’s stock to Scottish Borders Housing Association. The price paid for Dumfries and Galloway Council’s housing stock was an average of £2,767 per unit and the price paid for Glasgow City Council’s housing, before grant, was £310 per unit. A small number of partial transfers have taken place at nil price mainly because of the high element of demolition and new build involved in these estate based regeneration projects.

The valuation prepared by the independent valuer sought to achieve a price which delivered fair value to the public purse and which would enable the purchaser to prepare a fundable business plan. On this basis, the Executive was satisfied that the purchase price of £23.3 million represented value for money.

As previously stated, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the detail of the claim currently being pursued by Scottish Borders Housing Association. However, I do not believe that it will undermine public confidence in the stock transfer process. It is clear that across Scotland transfers to community ownership are now delivering substantial new housing investment, rent guarantees and much more say for tenants in the management of their homes and estates.