- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what research is being undertaken either in Scotland or in the United Kingdom to examine the interaction between norovirus and Clostridium difficile.
Answer
The HAI Task Force has commissioned the West of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre to study the relationship between norovirus, other gastroenteritis viruses and Clostridium difficile. This is a detailed and lengthy study which is ongoing, but it is anticipated that work will be completed by summer 2011.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many wards were closed in what hospitals in the winter of (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009.
Answer
Information on the numbers of wards closed to admissions or visitors in general is not available centrally.
Health Protection Scotland monitors ward closures due to norovirus outbreaks via point prevalence management information however:
This does not include counts of wards with visitor restrictions
The data is not collected at individual hospital level.
Norovirus point prevalence reporting commenced on 7 January 2008.
The numbers of wards closed in NHSScotland due to presumed or confirmed Norovirus outbreaks, broken down by individual health boards, for each Monday in 2008, 2009 and to week 10 (01 March) of 2010 (Monday Point Prevalence) are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 50374).
It should be noted that:
Norovirus prevalence reporting is voluntary and not all single ward outbreaks are necessarily included in the tables.
The prevalence data is management information and relates to the number of wards closed at any time on a Monday.
Outbreaks resulting in ward closure starting on a Tuesday (or later) and finishing on a Sunday (or earlier) are not included in the prevalence data.
Ward closures occurring on a Monday that are still ongoing the following Monday will be counted twice even though they relate to a single outbreak.
It is not possible, therefore, to aggregate the provided data into an annual total of ward closures.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 3 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009 the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland was requested to give advice on issues affecting vulnerable or mentally ill prisoners in HMP Cornton Vale.
Answer
I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:
The Mental Welfare Commission has been contacted on two occasions in the last three years. Additionally the Mental Welfare Commission has visited Cornton Vale for a routine visit in each of these years.
12.0p
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the new Upper Forth Crossing name of Clackmannanshire Bridge is inserted on all signage in a 10-mile radius of the bridge as well as at the bridge itself.
Answer
We are satisfied that the signage already in place is sufficient to guide road users to the upper Forth crossings and have no plans to change signage to include the Clackmannanshire Bridge.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 2 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason Historic Scotland did not attend the public inquiry for the Beauly to Denny power line.
Answer
Historic Scotland did not attend the Beauly to Denny public inquiry because they did not object to the application. Although Historic Scotland did not attend and give oral evidence, they did submit written evidence which was accepted by the reporters.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 2 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the overhead power line costs used in reaching its decision on the Beauly to Denny power line included the cost of mitigation measures.
Answer
The approval in 2004 by Ofgem for the Beauly-Denny 400kV overhead line was informed by a cost benefit analysis, which was based upon a comparison of network capital and operation costs over time. The developers will be required to obtain approval from Ofgem for the additional expenditure before enacting the various mitigation measures secured by the conditions of consent. I do not consider that such expenditure will prove an obstacle to ensuring that the visual and environmental impacts of the 400kV line are acceptably mitigated.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 2 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria will be for assessing the effectiveness of proposed mitigation measures in connection with the Beauly to Denny overhead power line.
Answer
Measures for mitigating the impact of the Beauly to Denny upgrade on communities, on visual amenity and landscape, on the environment, on cultural heritage and on tourism are defined in the developer''s application, and in the conditions of the consent. It is against the application as proposed, and against the additional conditions imposed upon the developers in the letters of consent, that mitigation measures will be assessed.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 2 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what costs (a) per kilometre of undergrounding and (b) of the overhead power line, including lifetime maintenance, were used in reaching its decision on the Beauly to Denny power line.
Answer
An analysis of the economic case for the Beauly to Denny overhead line, and a number of alternative solutions including undergrounding, was undertaken by the Technical Assessor appointed to the Public Local Inquiry. I refer the member to the Technical Assessor''s report, a copy of which is available in The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 50006).
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 2 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considered evidence on the impact on health in reaching a decision on undergrounding sections of the Beauly to Denny power line and, if so, whether this should have led to an application of the precautionary principle as set out in the Rio Declaration and the Maastricht treaty.
Answer
The possible health risks associated with exposure to electric and magnetic fields have been addressed in the report of the Technical Assessor appointed to the Beauly Denny Public Inquiry. I refer the member to the Technical Assessor''s report, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 50006).
This report notes that: The European Commission has concluded, with respect to EMF, that the precautionary principle should not be invoked because there are no clear scientific indications that the possible effects on human health may be potentially dangerous. The World Health Organization supports this interpretation advising that only very low-cost measures will be justified.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 2 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considered examples of undergrounding power lines in other European countries when making its decision on the Beauly to Denny power line.
Answer
The issue of undergrounding was fully considered by the Technical assessor appointed to the Public Inquiry. I refer the member to the Technical Assessor''s report, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 50006).
