- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 14 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the announcement of funding for autism initiatives by the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care on 3 March 2004, it will consider funding a one-stop shop for adults with autistic spectrum disorder and their family members in the Inverness area, given the incidence of autism in the Highland Council area as detailed in the September 2002 school census.
Answer
There are no plans to fund aone-stop shop in the Inverness area. All of the innovative projects that are fundedhave been specifically targeted to improve services nationally, with some beingbased initially on local pilots. Officials are currently in discussion with HighlandCouncil about developments that are needed to assist the transition from children’sto adult’s services.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 14 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to paragraph 7.15 of the Scottish Ministerial Code regarding adequate notice to MSPs of ministerial visits to their constituencies, what period constitutes such notice; if there is no minimum notice, whether it will now introduce one, and whether it considers (a) 24 and (b) 48 hours notice to be sufficient in terms of adequate notice.
Answer
Ministers attach a great dealof importance to ensuring that constituency and list MSPs and MPs receive earlynotification of ministerial visits. There is no minimum period of notice, sinceministerial plans may change at short notice. Ministers appreciate the value thatthe involvement of local members can bring to ministerial visits and staff haverecently been reminded of the need to provide as early notice as possible.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 13 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Deer Commission for Scotland (DCS), or those acting under their authority, is legally entitled to use any type of rifle other than bolt action rifles in the culling of deer and, if so, what types of rifle it is entitled to use.
Answer
Yes. The Deer (Firearms etc.)(Scotland) Order 1985 identifies the types of rifle DCS and those acting under itsauthority are legally entitled to use.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 13 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2064 by Allan Wilson on 11 September 2003, who the consultants appointed by the European Commission to audit LIFE projects are.
Answer
The independent consultants referredto in question S2W-2064 are Nature Link International. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 12 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in respect of its initial response to the Finance Committee's 2nd Report 2004 (Session 2) Report on Scottish Water (SP Paper 125), the current Water Industry Commissioner will be replaced when his current contract expires; on what date the contract expires, and whether there will be an open competition for any new commissioner.
Answer
The Executive’s intention isthat the post holder of the Office of Water Industry Commissioner will assume theresponsibility of chief executive upon the establishment of the new commission.The appointment of the chief executive and the commissioners of the new Water IndustryCommission will take place entirely within the Public Appointment Framework as laiddown by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
The terms of the Water IndustryCommissioner’s appointment are contained within the Scottish public bodies directoryon the Scottish Executive website.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 12 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any form of legal action has been taken, or threatened, by the Water Industry Commissioner against Scottish Water and, if so, what any such legal action or threat of legal action was.
Answer
The powers of the Water IndustryCommissioner are set out in the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002. The use of suchpowers is an operational matter for the Commissioner.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 12 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what sum (a) has been spent on legal expenses and (b) is due in respect of legal expenses as yet uninvoiced by the Water Industry Commissioner and whether any of that sum has been in relation to employment tribunal cases raised against the commissioner.
Answer
The Water Industry Commissioneris entitled to seek such legal advice as he feels necessary in the discharge ofhis functions, including issues relating to the employment of his staff. His officeinformed me that it incurred total legal costs of £52,948 during the financial period2003-04, covering all aspects of its work.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1972 by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 September 2003, whether it has received the findings of "The Temple Review" led by Professor Sir John Temple and, if so, on what date they were received; what the implications of these findings will be for the review of the provision of acute medical services in the west highlands, presently under consideration by NHS Highland and NHS Argyll and Clyde, and when MSPs and the public will be given access to the findings of the review and what the reasons are for its position on the publication of the findings.
Answer
A preliminary report on the findingsand recommendations within the “Temple Review” was submitted by Professor Sir John Temple on 17 December 2003.
The formal report will be publishedshortly. The Scottish Executive will also be issuing a separate report, which willprovide its response to the recommendations. When published, the report will bein the public domain.
The report should inform anychanges in the delivery of services across NHSScotland. The primary responsibilityfor service reform and redesign rests with individual NHS boards.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 11 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the advice received by the First Minister in respect of whether he would give oral evidence to the Holyrood Inquiry will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
It was a matter forthe inquiry to decide whether to ask the First Minister to supplement his writtenevidence by attending the inquiry in person. As was made clear in their statementof 25 March 2004, they decided not to do so on grounds thatall the relevant issues they wished to ask the First Minister about had been answeredin his letter to the Inquiry of 23 March. A copy of that letter has already beenpublished on the Holyrood Inquiry website, as has the inquiry’s response.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what requests it has received from NHS Highland, or its predecessor body, with regard to the review the board is currently conducting with NHS Argyll and Clyde into the provision of health services in the west Highlands; in particular, whether it has received any request for advice, information or policy direction in respect of (a) training consultants, (b) the application of clinical standards, (c) the working time directive and its application, (d) importing elective surgery from outwith the NHS Highland area and (e) rural general specialism, and whether the Executive will provide any advice or assistance to the boards in respect of these matters.
Answer
There have been no specific,formal requests from NHS Highland for advice or direction on health services inthe West Highlands. The Executive’s policies are clearly set out in the WhitePapers Our National Health (December 2000) and Partnership for Care(February 2003), as well as in Health Department Letters. There are frequentopportunities for NHS board members and executive staff to discuss policyissues, including those listed in the question, with ministers and officials inthe Executive.
