- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 March 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 21 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive why the Scottish Ambulance Service is not subject to a regular inspection of its functions and performance in the same way as prisons, police forces and schools.
Answer
The Scottish Ambulance Service issubject to regular inspection of its functions and performance, as are all otherhealth boards across Scotland.
The Scottish Ambulance Service producesa Local Delivery Plan each year which is agreed with the Health Department and setsout the performance targets for the year. Progress against this plan is monitoredby the Health Department and is discussed by the Ambulance Service Board at itsmeetings throughout the year.
In addition, I chair an annual reviewmeeting with the ambulance service’s chairman and members of the management team.This meeting is held in public and is about supporting the ambulance service indelivering the functions and responsibilities delegated to it using a process whichenables the Health Department and Scottish ministers to determine how effectivelythese are being discharged.
The ambulance service is also subject to regular inspection bythe Health and Safety Executive and review by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 March 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 21 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what input frontline ambulance staff had in setting the existing performance indicators for the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Answer
The current performance indicators for responding to 999 emergencycalls were originally identified when the ambulance service was putting forwardits proposals for introducing priority based dispatch in 2001-02. The ambulanceservice engaged with stakeholders, including staff, over a two year period and therewere staff representatives (paramedics and technicians) on the project team. Thisprocess of engagement has continued each year as the ambulance service has developedits key performance management document which is, since 2006, the Local DeliveryPlan.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 16 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to power companies and Virgin Media regarding additional charges applied to customers who do not, or cannot, use direct debits and the impact that this has on those who are most financially vulnerable.
Answer
Our financial inclusionstrategy acknowledges that people who have no access to a bank account sufferundue hardship. The UK government has agreed with banks to work towards thegoal of halving the number of adults in households without a bank account, andto make significant progress against that target within 2 years. Four creditunions in Scotland are now offering transaction services to theirmembers as part of a Banking Services initiative which will assist those creditunion members who are currently without a bank account and thereforefinancially excluded.
My predecessor MalcolmChisholm met with energy companies in September and November last year. Variousmeasures to protect vulnerable customers from rising prices were discussed butthe specific issue of additional charges to customers not using direct debitwas not discussed. We have made no representations to Virgin Media.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 March 2007
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Current Status:
Awaiting answer
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the criteria for measuring response times for 999 calls for ambulances across Scotland to demonstrate that the criteria are standardised, in a recent article in the British Medical Journal.
Answer
Awaiting answer
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 March 2007
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Current Status:
Awaiting answer
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the criteria for determining whether a 999 call made for an ambulance is an emergency call to demonstrate that the criteria are standardised and are not subject to any “fiddling”, as alleged in a recent article in the British Medical Journal.
Answer
Awaiting answer
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 12 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct the Social Work Inspection Agency to inspect Scottish Borders Council’s Social Work Department, particularly in respect of changes to its assessment criteria for care packages which initially led to the hours of care provided to some vulnerable adults being reduced by half and then increased when the changes became public.
Answer
No. The Social Work InspectionAgency will carry out a full performance inspection of social work services at ScottishBorders Council in 2008.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 2 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to commission, roll out and support e-learning lesson modules covering the (a) manufacturing, (b) construction and (c) services sector to ensure genuine choice for pupils in the context of the announcement by the Ministry of Defence of the “Defence Dynamics” e-learning lesson modules.
Answer
It is for schools andeducation authorities to decide the management and delivery of the curriculumin Scottish schools.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 2 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it is offering education departments across Scotland in respect of the use of the new e-learning lesson modules operated by the Ministry of Defence entitled “Defence Dynamics”.
Answer
I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-31860 on 2 March 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 2 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on what proportion of school pupils were recruited into the UK armed forces from Scottish schools following a visit by a tri-service recruitment team.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does nothold information on school leaver destinations or on armed forces recruiting activitywhich could provide the analysis requested.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 2 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it offers to pupils and schools in contact with Ministry of Defence recruitment and military career teams to ensure that they are aware of children's rights under UN protocols and UK-signed treaties with regard to the rights of the child, to ensure that no Scottish pupils under the age of 18 are deployed to frontline operational duties in Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere.
Answer
The Scottish Executive doesnot offer such guidance to pupils and schools in contact with Ministry ofDefence recruitment and military career teams. Recruitment of those under theage of 18 by the British armed forces is voluntary with the informed consent of the volunteer and his/her parents.
