- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 15 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what the legal set-back distances are for the construction of wind turbines from (a) individual properties and (b) settlements.
Answer
There are no legal set-back distances. Scottish Planning Policy recommends a 2km separation distance between areas of search for wind farms and the edge of cities, towns and villages. The Scottish Parliament''s Public Petitions Committee has supported this position as a guide rather than a rule in closing petition PE1328; the petition summary can be accessed on the Scottish Parliament''s website:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/petitions/docs/PE1328.htm.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to increase the use of insulin pumps as a treatment for type 1 diabetes to bring Scotland into line with the European average of 20% of such patients using an insulin pump
Answer
We continue to encourage NHS boards to increase access to insulin pumps, in line with current guidance.
Our Diabetes Action Plan, published in August, sets out a series of actions designed to support NHS boards make significant and sustained progress in improving pump provision. The action plan also contains details of each NHS board''s plans to improve access to intensive insulin pump therapy, and associated structured education, up to 2012-13.
The Scottish Diabetes Group will continue to monitor progress on this issue on behalf of the Scottish Government. Information on pump availability, on a board-by-board basis, is also now included in the annual Scottish Diabetes Survey.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 14 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to address diabetes-related excess mortality among women in the most deprived areas
Answer
The Keep Well and Well North programmes continue to deliver inequalities targeted health checks to those living in Scotland''s most deprived communities. Those patients found to have diabetes are provided with treatment, and added to the diabetes register, and as a consequence followed up, at a minimum, every 15 months, as required by the Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF).
Those people, identified through Keep Well, who are found to be at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including diabetes, are provided with appropriate treatment and where appropriate referred to further services aimed at reducing the risks to their health and promoting healthier lifestyles.
To date, over 91,000 individuals have received a Keep Well health check. The Scottish Government plans to mainstream the Keep Well and Well North programmes from April 2012.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 13 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to address the impact of diabetes on women’s health across Scotland
Answer
Diabetes, both type 1 and type 2, affects slightly more men than women, but both are equally susceptible to the complications associated with diabetes.
Our Diabetes Action Plan draws attention, however, to the fact that the relative risk of cardiovascular disease is particularly high in women with type 1 diabetes diagnosed under the age of 40, and we would expect those caring for these women to bear that in mind.
The action plan also draws attention to the recommendations in Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guideline 116 dealing with the management of pregnancy in women with diabetes, including the need to recognise women with gestational diabetes, the prevalence of which is increasing.
The Scottish Diabetes Group, on behalf of the Scottish Government, will monitor NHS boards'' progress with the actions in the plan over the next three years.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 13 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost is of a hospital admission for a hypoglycaemic emergency for a patient with type 1 diabetes
Answer
This information is not centrally held.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 13 December 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the cost of treating a person with type 1 diabetes with insulin pump therapy compared with a multiple daily injection regime
Answer
A cost template report, developed by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, has been made available as a companion document to Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guideline 116 on the management of diabetes. The template provides estimates of the costs and associated resources required to provide insulin pump therapy, as well as estimates of the costs and associated resources required to provide insulin by multiple daily injection.
The template is available at http://www.sign.ac.uk/guidelines/fulltext/116/index.html .
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 9 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it anticipates an increase in repossessions as a result of the announcement by the Department for Work and Pensions that it is reducing income support mortgage interest payments from 6.08% to 3.63% per annum.
Answer
We believe that the recent changes to Support for Mortgage Interest will increase the number of home owners in Scotland facing financial difficulty and, potentially, at risk of repossession. However, we have put in place a number of measures to protect home owners in Scotland who are at risk of repossession.
Firstly, we provide funding for the provision of debt advice, to try and help people in financial difficulty at an early stage. Secondly, we operate the Home Owners'' Support Fund, which includes the Mortgage to Rent and Mortgage to Shared Equity schemes, for those who are at risk of repossession and are unable to trade down. Home owners receiving support from UK schemes, and who are still at risk of their homes being repossessed, are entitled to apply for assistance. Thirdly, we have implemented the Home Owner and Debtor Protection (Scotland) Act 2010, which ensures that all repossession cases are subject to court scrutiny (except in cases of voluntary surrender); requires lenders to show in court that they have considered every reasonable alternative to repossession; and allows home owners to be represented in court by approved lay representatives.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 9 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it anticipates a significant increase in demand on the Home Owners’ Support Fund following the announcement by the Department for Work and Pensions that it is to reduce income support mortgage interest payments and, if so, how it plans to cope with this.
Answer
It is recognised that Support for Mortgage Interest may not remove the threat of repossession for some homeowners, and there may be an increase in the number of homeowners facing financial difficulty. £20 million has been allocated to the Home Owners'' Support Fund this financial year to support the most vulnerable households. Home owners receiving support from UK schemes, and who are still at risk of their homes being repossessed, are entitled to apply for assistance. Decisions on future funding have not yet been made.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 9 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take action to prevent repossessions as a result of the decision by the Department for Work and Pensions to cut income support mortgage interest payments by approximately 40%.
Answer
We believe that the recent changes to Support for Mortgage Interest will increase the number of home owners in Scotland facing financial difficulty and, potentially, at risk of repossession. However, we have put in place a number of measures to protect home owners in Scotland who are at risk of repossession.
Firstly, we provide funding for the provision of debt advice, to try and help people in financial difficulty at an early stage. Secondly, we operate the Home Owners'' Support Fund, which includes the Mortgage to Rent and Mortgage to Shared Equity schemes, for those who are at risk of repossession and are unable to trade down. Home owners receiving support from UK schemes, and who are still at risk of their homes being repossessed, are entitled to apply for assistance. Thirdly, we have implemented the Home Owner and Debtor Protection (Scotland) Act 2010, which ensures that all repossession cases are subject to court scrutiny (except in cases of voluntary surrender); requires lenders to show in court that they have considered every reasonable alternative to repossession; and allows home owners to be represented in court by approved lay representatives.
- Asked by: Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 9 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to increase the amount available to home owners through the Home Owners’ Support Fund in order to offset the reduction in income support mortgage interest payments announced by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Answer
It is recognised that Support for Mortgage Interest may not remove the threat of repossession for some homeowners, and there may be an increase in the number of homeowners facing financial difficulty. £20 million has been allocated to the Home Owners'' Support Fund this financial year to support the most vulnerable households. Home owners receiving support from UK schemes, and who are still at risk of their homes being repossessed, are entitled to apply for assistance. Decisions on future funding have not yet been made.