- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 June 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 19 July 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will support students wishing to enrol in roof slating and tiling courses who must travel to the central belt for college training.
Answer
Support for individuals on a modern apprenticeship programme is a matter for Skills Development Scotland. I have asked its Chief Executive to write to the member.
Financial support for other students is a matter for the college concerned, with which enquiries should be made direct.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 June 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 19 July 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been in communication with the North Highland College regarding proposals to stop the roof slating and tiling course at the college's Alness campus.
Answer
The courses offered by colleges are a matter for their board of management which is responsible for securing the best overall value from the public resources at its disposal. Ministers, in line with the policy of successive administrations, do not seek to influence decisions on the provision offered by a college.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 June 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 19 July 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether additional funding can be made available to North Highland College should the college continue to run the roof slating and tiling course at its Alness campus.
Answer
Funding of individual colleges is a matter for the Scottish Funding Council and not Ministers. I have asked the Chief Executive of the Funding Council to write to the member.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 June 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the projected staff reduction by NHS Highland of 108 jobs, which includes 30 nurses, nursing support staff and midwives, 58 administration workers and 14 administrative support staff, will have a detrimental effect on patient care.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34542 on 23 June 2010. All the answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 June 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many short-term contracts are not being renewed in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Western Isles and whether this includes (i) doctors, (ii) nurses, (iii) nursing support staff, (iv) midwives, (v) administration workers, (vi) administration support staff and (vii) other employees.
Answer
This information is not centrally available.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 June 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake a review to establish how decisions are taken when staff numbers are reduced in an NHS board area; what impact this will have on patient care; when these decisions are taken outwith the partnership arrangements, and how many staff have or will be involved.
Answer
The National Scrutiny Group, as announced on 3 June 2010, will subject board workforce plans to ongoing scrutiny to ensure that they do not impact adversely on the quality of patient care. This group will liaise closely with local Area Partnership Forums and raise any issues of concern with the Scottish Partnership Forum and directly with me.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 June 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Western Isles will have or have had their contracts terminated in order to reduce staff numbers in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09; (iii) 2009-10 and (iv) beyond 2010.
Answer
While boards receive more funding than ever before, it is right for them to look critically at service delivery to ensure efficiency and best value for taxpayers money, and to consider how services should be staffed as patterns of care change for the good (e.g. more day care; more community based care; shorter hospital stays).
All boards have confirmed that they would expect to manage the bulk of any workforce reductions through normal turnover and that there will be no compulsory redundancies.
There are of course a number of situations where staff will have their contract terminated, and not receive redundancy pay, as part of normal management practice by NHS boards. These situations will include staff coming to the end of their fixed term contract, staff who have been subject to disciplinary proceedings or staff who have volunteered to leave the organisation.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 June 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of NHS boards terminating employee contracts in order to reduce staff numbers.
Answer
While boards receive more funding than ever before, it is right for them to look critically at service delivery to ensure efficiency and best value for taxpayers money, and to consider how services should be staffed as patterns of care change for the good (e.g. more day care; more community based care; shorter hospital stays).
All boards have confirmed that they would expect to manage the bulk of any workforce reductions through normal turnover and that there will be no compulsory redundancies.
There are of course a number of situations where staff will have their contract terminated, and not receive redundancy pay, as part of normal management practice by NHS boards. These situations will include staff coming to the end of their fixed term contract, staff who have been subject to disciplinary proceedings or staff who have volunteered to leave the organisation.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 June 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, of the projected 108 job losses within NHS Highland, how many staff will be redeployed to alternative posts.
Answer
This information is not available centrally.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 June 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff who will have their contracts terminated as a result of the projected reduction in the NHS workforce are not eligible for a redundancy payment.
Answer
I refer to the member to the answer to question S3W-34538 on 23 June 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
