- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 09 February 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that clinicians are involved in the process of regional planning at NHS board level.
Answer
The Scottish Executive’s guidanceto NHS boards on regional planning makes it clear that it is vital to engagesenior clinical staff in the process. I fully expect that the need to involveclinicians will be part of the framework for regional planning currently beingdrawn together by NHS board Chief Executives.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 4 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with the establishment of an independent inspectorate for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
Answer
The proposal to establish aninspectorate for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) was thesubject of consultation at the end of 2003. The outcome of this consultationwas a broad welcome for these proposals. I have published a summary of the responsesat
www.crownoffice.gov.uk.Following this positive response, the Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotlandstarted work at the end of December 2003, under the leadership of an interiminspector.
The Scottish Executive will this week advertise the post of Chief Inspector of Prosecution ofScotland. The creation of the inspectorate is an important step for the COPFSas it strives to build its reputation as an open and accountable public serviceand secure the public’s confidence in its ability to prosecute crime.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 29 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult with communities in relation to the proposed powers of dispersal contained within the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
Yes. Myministerial colleagues and I spent considerable time over the summer of 2003consulting with communities across Scotland about antisocial behaviour. Problems with groups of people causingalarm and distress were raised many times and we found widespread support forour proposals to strengthen the powers of the police to deal with such groups.That dialogue with the people affected by antisocial behaviour has continuedand will continue throughout the progress of the bill and beyond.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what importance is attached to the views of GPs and local communities in determining the boundaries of community health partnerships.
Answer
We attach the highest importanceto gaining the views of all professional staff and local communities inevolving community health partnerships (CHP) and this includes the issue of boundaries.The consultation paper on the development of CHPs issued on the 18 Julyemphasised that NHS boards must ensure that local authority partners are fullyinvolved in the development of CHPs and that all proposed schemes should bedeveloped through a bottom up inclusive process and demonstrate that the viewsof all stakeholders have been taken into consideration.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the broad criteria are for the designation of community health partnerships.
Answer
The main aims of community healthpartnerships (CHP) were described in the white paper Partnership for Care.Further information on the broad criteria is contained in the NHS Reform Billand is underpinned by the recent consultation process on CHP guidance whichdescribes the proposed form and function of CHPs.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what process should be followed to reach agreement over the boundaries of community health partnerships.
Answer
Health boards should workwith all stakeholders to agree the boundaries which are in the best interest oflocal communities and partner organisations. Where a community health partnershippotentially crosses into two health board areas the respective boards shouldinvolve and agree the boundaries with their local authority partners.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 19 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4498 by Ross Finnie on 10 December 2003, whether it will now comment on the Water Customer Consultation Panel's report Affordability of Water and Sewerage Charges for Low Income Households and specifically on the recommendations that the Executive's current water and sewerage charges reduction scheme, due to expire in April 2004, should be extended in scale, scope and time, that Scottish Water should consider assuming responsibility for collecting water and sewerage charges and that the policy of selective household metering should be pursued with more vigour across the country.
Answer
The Executive is committedto securing substantial efficiency savings at Scottish Water as the principalmeans of easing pressure on water and sewerage charges for all customers,including those in low income and vulnerable households. In addition,particular assistance to low income households is provided through the linkbetween water charges and the council tax banding and discount arrangements.
TheExecutive is assessing the impact that ending the current Water and SewerageCharges Reduction Scheme will have in light of harmonisation of charges. Adecision on whether any further action is required will be made in light ofthis assessment.
In terms of collecting waterand sewerage charges, local authoritiesare currently responsible for collecting charges for domestic customers. Thisis an efficient and customer friendly way of charging. It enables customers to payfor two services with one bill; and it avoids them having to meet, throughhigher water bills, the costs that otherwise would arise from having toestablish and maintain a separate billing system for water and sewerageservices.
Thepractice of local authorities collecting water and sewerage charges is also thebasis of the crucial link between charges and the council tax banding anddiscount arrangements. Giving Scottish Water responsibility to collect chargeswould not only result in increased bills for customers, it would undermine thesearrangements to the detriment of low income and vulnerable households.
The Executive has no plansof directing Scottish Water to pursue a policy of household metering.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether community health partnerships should, where possible, reflect natural communities.
Answer
Community health partnerships(CHP) should, where possible, reflect natural communities. They must be fit forpurpose and the size should be based on the principle of co-terminosity betweenCHPs and local authorities and natural communities. Consideration must also begiven to the minimum population size required to deliver a wide range ofservices for local people.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 January 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 19 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the availability is of thrombophilia screening across Scotland.
Answer
In December 2000 the UKNational Screening Committee recommended that there was no evidence to supportthe introduction of a population-based thrombophilia screening programme.Screening for individuals considered to be at high risk is available throughoutNHSScotland.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 January 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is specialist deep vein thrombosis (DVT) provision for any DVT cases whether air-related, pregnancy-related or other; what the nature of this provision is, and where such provision is located.
Answer
All acute hospitalsthroughout Scotland will be able to treat DVT. The treatment is not normallycomplicated, however, and many cases are managed by the patient’s GP orself-managed by the patient after instruction. In cases of recurrent DVT, whichrequire investigation for an underlying predisposition to form clots(thrombophilia), screening is widely available across NHS Scotland.
