- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 6 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it offers financial support to Scottish students studying in England under the Dance and Drama Awards Scheme.
Answer
Assistance is available for Scottish domiciled higher education students in receipt of such an award to study in England, from the Student Awards Agency in Scotland.Until last summer Scottish domiciled further education students in receipt of an award had to apply to their home local authority for assistance with living costs. But from the start of the current academic year, last August, the Scottish Executive has entered into an agreement whereby the Department for Education and Skills provides help with living costs directly to Scottish students in receipt of an award, on the same basis as for both English and Welsh students. The Scottish Executive then reimburses the department the relevant costs.A copy of the DfES booklet entitled "Dance and Drama Awards 2001-02", giving details of the new arrangements for Scottish students, has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20685 by Mr Jim Wallace on 28 December 2001, what progress it has made in considering the advice given by the Government Actuary on determining the rate of return to be expected from the investment of sums awarded for damages and when the order prescribing an assumed rate of return on the investment of damages to ensure that victims of personal injury in Scotland are not disadvantaged in comparison to victims in the rest of the United Kingdom will be brought forward.
Answer
Having now considered the advice of the Government Actuary, the Scottish ministers have now made the Damages (Personal Injury)(Scotland) Order 2002, setting the discount rate at 2.5%. This is the same rate as in England and Wales. The order enters into force on 8 February 2002, so that victims of personal injury do not have to delay court proceedings or settlements in order to get the benefit of the new rate. We intend to consult shortly on questions relating to future changes to the discount rate.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 4 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice, guidance or instructions it has given North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust and Greater Glasgow Health Board on planning for handling the caseloads of the clinical oncologists retiring from the Glasgow cancer service and what reports it has received from the trust and the board on their planning for handling these caseloads.
Answer
This is the responsibility of Dr Adam Bryson, Director of the Beatson Oncology Centre who announced on 18 January 2002 the revised arrangements being put in place to secure continuity of outreach specialist services across the west of Scotland.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 4 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19757 by Susan Deacon on 21 November 2001 and the announcement of Dr Adam Bryson's appointment to the Beatson Oncology Centre, whether guidance will be issued by it or on its behalf regarding the numbers of new patients to be accepted for referrals for each whole-time equivalent NHS consultant oncologist at the Centre.
Answer
I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-20750 and S1W-20757 on 4 January 2001.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 4 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19757 by Susan Deacon on 21 November 2001 and the announcement of Dr Adam Bryson's appointment to the Beatson Oncology Centre, whether it is seeking information from the managers of the North Glasgow University Hospitals Trust or the Greater Glasgow NHS Board regarding the levels and trends of new patient referrals accepted or planned for each whole-time equivalent NHS consultant oncologist in the Trust and board areas.
Answer
This information will derive from on-going monitoring of the situation.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 30 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact that any current shortage of nurses may have on the delivery of (a) health care in general, (b) care for elderly people, (c) services for elderly people provided by long-term care facilities and (d) home health care services for elderly people.
Answer
No such assessment has been made. The current vacancy rate for all qualified nurses remains low at 0.5% for vacancies over three months. Facing the Future, the report of the 19 November 2001 Convention on Recruitment and Retention in Nursing and Midwifery was published in November 2001 along with an action plan to address long standing and emerging recruitment and retention issues at all grades and across all specialties within the nursing professions.I am personally chairing the Implementation Group which had its first meeting on 22 January 2002 and expect progress reports from the group members at the next meeting on 4 March 2002.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it is giving, or planning to give, to increasing denominational schools' provision for minority faiths.
Answer
Under statute, provision of schools - including denominational schools - is a matter for each education authority.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 23 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made, or is making, of the funding consequences for higher education institutions arising from the results of the Research Assessment Exercise.
Answer
The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council has submitted advice to the Scottish Executive in the light of the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, and we are considering this.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it is giving, or planning to give, to improving the organisation of the school year.
Answer
We are currently considering whether there is merit in promoting greater harmonisation of the school year. I hope that parents, pupils, teachers and everyone with an interest will discuss this and other issues related to the organisation of the school year during the National Debate on Education later this year.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the contribution made by denominational schools to academic achievement in areas of social deprivation.
Answer
As I indicated in my answer to question S1W-21629 we do not specifically analyse information on academic achievement in terms of the contribution of denominational schools. This includes academic achievement in areas of social deprivation.
