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The salary for the Chief Executive of Healthcare Improvement Scotland advertised in August 2010 was in the range approved by Ministers for Executive Grade F (£84,411 - £115,046).

The salary for the Chief Executive of Healthcare Improvement Scotland is in the range approved by Ministers for Executive Grade F (£84,411 - £115,046). The post is currently filled on an interim basis through a secondment of the former Medical Director of NHS Fife on her existing terms and conditions. The remuneration paid to NHS Fife for the full cost of the secondment is in the range of £170,000-175,000, which includes all taxable benefits and employer pension contributions.

The role of Healthcare Improvement Scotland Chief Executive is being filled on an interim basis through a secondment of the former Medical Director of NHS Fife.

As stated in my answer to question S4W-05591 the Scottish Government has held back around £20 million of Resource DEL consequentials available in 2012-13 in view of risks presented by the current economic and financial climate including, in particular, those presented by UK welfare reform and the unpredictability surrounding the eurozone.

As the full extent of the implications of the UK Welfare Reform Bill is still unknown I cannot confirm, at this stage, how much of the available consequentials will be allocated in response to the impact of the bill.

Council tax benefit payments for 2010-11 in Scotland totalled £387.4 million with entitlement depending on a variety of circumstances, including unemployment. Council tax benefit is also paid to pensioners, those on low pay and those unable to work because of disability or caring commitments.

The UK Government’s Welfare Reform Bill will, if enacted, abolish council tax benefit from April 2013, removing this support from the social security system altogether. Responsibility for helping people meet their council tax liabilities will then fall to the Scottish Government, although UK Government has confirmed the budget transferred to Scotland will be reduced by 10%.

Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans for living expenses will also be abolished in April 2013 and the Scottish Government will receive the amount spent in Scotland at this point. While DWP anticipate this will be lower than spend in 2010-11, spend on Community Care Grants in Scotland in 2010-11 was £20,813,600 and on Crisis Loans for living expenses £8,597,800. The Scottish Government is considering successor arrangements in discussion with stakeholders.

Where a proposal made by the Scottish Government requires it, the Member State notifies the European Commission of its terms.

On current evidence, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) considers women with Poly Implant Prothese (PiP) silicone breast implants to be eligible to donate blood, provided that they meet all of SNBTS’s donor selection criteria.

I met the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli on 7 February 2012. During the same visit I also met with senior officials from DG Enterprise and Industry. I was accompanied by Donald Henderson, Head of Public Health Division, Scottish Government.

The primary responsibility for ensuring that a local authority monitors welfare guardianships effectively lies within the authority itself. Under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 a local authority is required to do various tasks including supervising welfare guardians, consulting with the Mental Welfare Commission (MWC) and the Office of the Public Guardian on issues of common interest, investigating complaints and providing guardians with information and advice. The Care Inspectorate is responsible for regulating and inspecting social work services.

The MWC has responsibility under the 2000 Act for a variety of protective functions in respect of adults who are subject to welfare guardianship. The MWC visits a sample of adults. Where not visiting, the MWC writes to guardians and asks guardians to advise the MWC about any change of circumstances or concerns they may have. The MWC will also investigate a complaint relating to a welfare guardian where the local authority fails to investigate the complaint or where the MWC are not satisfied with the local authority’s investigation.