- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executivehow many officers were deployed by constabularies across Scotland to police official visits by the Home Secretary in each year since 1999.
Answer
The third sectorprovides a unique contribution predominantly at the point of early engagementwith young people who are, or are not at risk of being not in education,employment or training.
We have askedlocal partnerships delivering our more choices, more chances agenda to worktowards better engagement of the third sector, and to make better use of allexisting resources so that employability provision joins up with widerprovision.
We recognisethere are barriers, for example around funding arrangements and engagement instrategic planning activity, to more effective engagement of the third sector.We are considering how we can tackle those barriers, both generally and withspecific reference to young people who need more choices and chances.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 13 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to ensure that terminally ill patients have the choice to die at home.
Answer
NHS boards have arole to ensure a care package is provided which offers appropriate medical careand support for every patient, including end of life services. As far as possible,they should ensure that the needs and wishes of the patient and their family aremet. The Scottish Government fully supports and endorses the principle of choiceand welcomes initiatives that increase and support the choices of patients. We haveindicated our support for the voluntary sector involvement in caring for patientswith life ending illnesses. The Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care providesa unique forum for the development and implementation of palliative care strategyand good practice, a comprehensive communication network, and a source of expertadvice and guidance for practitioners, service managers, planners and policy managers.Many charities and voluntary organisations are active in this area including MarieCurie Cancer Care. Its work in NHS Tayside through the Delivering Choice Programmehas the potential to identify further opportunities specifically to support patientswho wish to die at home. We await with interest, the results of this programme, which is currently being piloted. However, the choicehas to be properly informed so that patients who opt to die at home do so in thefull understanding of the support they may need.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 12 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1239 by John Swinney on 13 July 2007, whether there is a mechanism for local authorities to apply for specific funding for burial facilities such as crematoria and, if so, which local authorities have applied for such funding in each year since 1999.
Answer
There is noseparate mechanism for local authorities to apply for specific funding. the Scottish Government provides general financial support for Scotland’s local authorities’ core services, including burialgrounds and crematoria, but it is the responsibility of each individual localauthority to allocate its total resources, including the locally collectedcouncil tax, on the basis of local needs and priorities.
In 2007-08, thecore local government funding provided by the Scottish Government will amountto over £8.7 billion.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 12 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cremations there have been in each year since 1999, broken down by crematorium and expressed also as a percentage of deaths in each year.
Answer
This informationis not held centrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 12 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many crematoria there are in Scotland; where these are located, and when they became operational.
Answer
This informationis not held centrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS staff have had to complete a job analysis questionnaire in each year since the outset of Agenda for Change, broken down by NHS board and health profession.
Answer
This level ofdetail is not held centrally. However, from information to hand I can confirmthat in the region of 7% of the NHSScotland staff covered by Agenda for Changedo not match to existing job profiles and therefore require to fill out a jobanalysis questionnaire as part of the assimilation process.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates it holds on the number of staff hours spent in NHS boards across Scotland (a) administering the Agenda for Change recommendations, (b) filling out job analysis questionnaires and (c) administering job matching panels in each year since 2004.
Answer
This is not somethingon which work has been undertaken centrally. The Agenda for Change system was agreedin partnership at a UK level between NHS employers, trades unionsand professional organisations and the UKhealth departments. All sides recognise the benefits of the new system and it isfor NHS boards and staff-side representatives working in partnership locally toensure that the implementation process is as quick and efficient as possible withoutsacrificing the integrity of the system.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 12 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the maximum fine is for those convicted of selling tobacco products to underage customers.
Answer
The maximum finefor those convicted of selling tobacco to underage customers shall not exceedlevel 4 on the standard scale which currently equates to £2,500.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 12 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the penalty was for each conviction for the sale of tobacco products to underage customers since 2000.
Answer
Proceedings wereraised against six people for making underage tobacco sales between 2000 and2005-06, one of whom was admonished. The fine levels imposed averaged £188,with a range from £75 to £300.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS staff have been evaluated as not matching any of the national job matching profiles, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) health profession.
Answer
This level of detailis not held centrally. However, from information to hand I can confirm that in theregion of 7% of the NHSScotland staff covered by Agenda for Change do not matchto existing job profiles and therefore require to fill out a job analysis questionnaireas part of the assimilation process.
