- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 7 December 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to issue guidance to education authorities on the provision of facilities for young asthma sufferers to access to medication at school and, if so, when.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has established a working group to develop good practice guidance on the administration of medicines in schools in general. Voluntary groups including the National Asthma Campaign for Scotland are represented on the Group. It is expected that the good practice guidance will be published early in 2000.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 5 November 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce static permanent speed cameras on the A77 to improve road safety for users.
Answer
There are no plans to install static permanent speed cameras on the A77. The provision of such equipment is on a priority basis for locations where there are speed related safety problems. In other locations, including on the A77, the police monitor the situation and enforce the speed limit using mobile VASCAR equipment.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 2 November 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what is the length of time it takes to process a traffic regulation order to change the speed limit on A, B and C roads and what plans it has to reduce this period.
Answer
The procedure for making traffic orders by local authorities relating to local roads, regardless of classification, is prescribed in The Local Authorities' Traffic Orders (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 1999. The procedure for making traffic orders relating to trunk roads is prescribed in The Secretary of State's Traffic Orders (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 1987.
The 1999 Regulations introduced a requirement for local authorities to complete the traffic order process within 2 years from the date on which the notice of proposals is first published. There is no corresponding requirement in the 1987 Regulations. There are no plans to amend either set of Regulations.Information is not available centrally on the time taken to process local authority traffic orders. Speed limit orders in respect of trunk roads are normally completed within 22 weeks. In both cases, the procedures are designed to ensure that the interests of all those likely to be affected by the proposals are properly taken into account. The period required to complete the procedure depends on the complexity of the proposals and the number of representations received.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 27 September 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 26 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1120 by Iain Gray on 14 September, whether it will provide details of its plans for the establishment of a Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care, in particular as regards the financing, management and staffing of the new organisation and any implications which its establishment will have for the staff of the organisations currently involved in the registration and inspection of residential and nursing homes.
Answer
We are currently working up the details of implementing the proposals for a Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care. A seminar with a wide range of interested parties was held on 24 September, and a consultation paper is to be issued in November.
Some resources will transfer from local authorities and health boards to the Commission, reflecting the shift of responsibilities. While there will be some provision for central funding of the start up costs of the Commission, the aim is for the cost of regulation to be largely paid for by regulated care providers.Some staff currently employed by local authorities and health boards are likely to transfer to this new body. Any such transfer will take account of the principles of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 (as amended)(TUPE). We are preparing a newsletter in consultation with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to keep staff informed.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 4 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the partnership which East Ayrshire Council has developed with Kilmarnock Football Club and individuals such as Scottish Internationalist Samantha Dal'iel to promote women's football and what plans it has to build upon such work to create equality of opportunity for women footballers in terms of provision of training and facilities.
Answer
sportscotland has played a part in Kilmarnock Football Club's positive attempts to establish links with women's football. It has invested approximately £375,000 in women's and girl's football nationally as part of the Team Sport Scotland initiative. It is also currently investing £539,000 in a number of programmes to put the necessary infrastructure in place to provide greater opportunities for girls and women.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 14 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to create a one stop registration for nursing homes and residential establishments.
Answer
Following on from the White Paper
Aiming for Excellence: Modernising Social Work Services in Scotland, we intend to legislate to set up an independent body, the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care, to register and inspect all residential and nursing homes, as well as a range of other care provision.
Registration and inspection functions, currently undertaken by local authorities for private and voluntary sector residential homes and by health boards for nursing homes, will therefore pass to the new body. In addition, the new body will register and inspect local authorities' own provision. The Commission will both assist to raise actual standards of care and address consistency of service quality across Scotland.We are about to consult on the detail of these proposals, which have been well received in principle. This consultation will include a seminar for over 70 interest group representatives on 24 September 1999, and a consultation paper to be issued later this year. There will then be further consultation on a draft Bill. I hope that we will be able to include the Bill in our legislative programme for the second session. Subject to successful completion of Parliamentary stages it is our aim to have the new Commission operational by 1 April 2001.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 September 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 9 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that all pupils who have entered Primary 1 will remain in class si'es of fewer than 30, at least until Primary 4.
Answer
Yes, regulations made in April this year supported by new resources provided through the Excellence Fund ensure that we will meet our key commitment to reduce class sizes for P1-P3 pupils by 2001. A small number of schools have applied for temporary exemptions from the regulations while building work is completed but every school will meet the 2001 target.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 9 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that all pupils who have entered Primary 1 will remain in class si'es of fewer than 30, at least until Primary 4.
Answer
Yes, regulations made in April this year supported by new resources provided through the Excellence Fund ensure that we will meet our key commitment to reduce class sizes for P1-P3 pupils by 2001. A small number of schools have applied for temporary exemptions from the regulations while building work is completed but every school will meet the 2001 target.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 31 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what its view on funding of a Scottish sentinel audit into epilepsy related deaths is.
Answer
The Scottish Executive are proposing to fund a bid by the charity Epilepsy Bereaved to extend the national sentinel audit they are undertaking into epilepsy deaths in England, to cover cases of epilepsy related deaths in Scotland.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 July 1999
-
Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 23 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the criteria being applied to the review of Cochlear Implant Services by the National Services Division of the NHS in Scotland.
Answer
The criteria being applied to assess the different options for the future configuration of cochlear implantation services in Scotland are: clinical effectiveness; comprehensiveness of treatment services; the choice of care available to referring clinicians, patients and parents; access and non-clinical support; flexibility; and overall value for money.