- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 23 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10384 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 27 October 2000, whether it will make available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre the homelessness applications data referred to.
Answer
The information has already been made available to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, Document Supply Centre in the following Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin
Operation of the Homeless Persons Legislation in Scotland 1988-89 to 1998-99: National and Local Authority Analyses: HSG/2000/5. This bulletin is also available from the Scottish Executive website:
www.scotland.gov.uk. Table 20 of the bulletin details the information to which the answer in question S1W-10384 refers.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 23 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10386 by Mr Frank McAveety on 27 October 2000, whether it will include on the implementation group on the central heating installation programme representatives from grassroots fora for pensioners.
Answer
Age Concern Scotland and Help the Aged are both represented on the group. We look to them to consult as appropriate and convey the results to other pensioner interests.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 20 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review its assessment of the likely estimated level of cardiomyopathy in the light of the letter to the Minister for Health and Community Care of 26 May 2000 from W J McKenna, Professor of Cardiac Medicine at St George's Hospital Medical School in London given the difference in estimated level between this letter and the Executive's press release SE01054/2000 on 11 April 2000.
Answer
The comments in Professor McKenna's letter have been drawn to the attention of the Chairman of the Child Health Sub-Group of the National Screening Committee. The Sub-Group is keeping this issue under regular review, as it does with any other topic where the evidence base is still evolving.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Sunday, 12 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 20 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what concerns it has regarding the continued provision of consultant-led specialisms at the Borders General Hospital.
Answer
The Borders General Hospital is an essential part of healthservice provision in the Scottish Borders and it continues to provide highquality consultant-led services. In recent months new consultants have beenappointed in anaesthetics, radiology and haematology services.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 20 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9968 by Mr Jack McConnell on 19 September 2000, of the five responses concerning better provision for pensioners, how many of those advocated implementation of the Sutherland recommendations with regard to personal care "in full" and, with regard to the issues raised at away days regarding "properly funding care in the community", what the majority view was on the funding of personal care and which organisations' representatives supported this view.
Answer
Five of the 172 written responses received to the Executive's consultation document
Investing in You concerned better provision for pensioners. Of these, one suggested the full implementation of the Royal Commission on Long Term Care for the Elderly recommendations. The other responses raised a range of issues including increased financial support to local authorities to enable them to provide better support for care for the elderly and care in the community; and provision of free long-term care for the elderly.
The views expressed at the away days suggested that increased funding to provide better support to look after older people in their own homes and support for carers should be a key priority. These views were supported by representatives from the Prince's Trust, Elderly Forum and Community Care Forum.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 16 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any concerns about the security of employment of the 1,000 Burton's Biscuits employees in Edinburgh following the sale this week to the venture capital firm Hicks, Muse, Tate and Furst, the same investment firm that financially backed Viasystems.
Answer
The Scottish Executive always takes an interest in any take-over which may have employment consequences in Scotland. The new owners of Burton's Biscuits have stated that they intend to rationalise production across various sites, following merger with another biscuit company. We shall therefore monitor developments closely.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 14 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any jobs were lost and, if so, how many as a result of the transfer of Sea-cats operations from Stranraer to Troon; whether job losses are projected as a consequence of the further relocation from Troon to Belfast in 2001, and if so, how many, and what steps are being taken to prevent the loss of any jobs to Northern Ireland.
Answer
I understand that there were no overall job losses associated with the relocation of Seacat's operating base from Stranraer to Troon in July this year. Similarly, none are planned as part of the relocation of the company's operational base to Belfast. The relocation to Belfast is a commercial decision by Seacat.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 8 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a commitment to the reinstatement of a railway through the Scottish Borders from Edinburgh to Carlisle in order to address the impact of any future main line rail closures.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is currently considering an application from Scottish Borders Council for support from the Public Transport Fund (PTF) to meet the costs of securing the necessary parliamentary permissions for reopening the line from Edinburgh to the Central Borders. I hope to make an announcement on this and 25 other PTF applications in the near future.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 7 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the letter of 4 October 2000 from Ross Finnie to me regarding the Climate Change Levy (CCL) and the Scottish tomato industry, whether, given that the CCL discount amounts to 50% whereas Dutch tomato growers are to receive 100%, it is making representations to Her Majesty's government with regard to this differential and whether any assessment has been made of the impact of this differential discount on the viability of the Scottish tomato industry.
Answer
The 100% exemption from the energy tax enjoyed by the Dutch horticulture sector ended in 1999 and only covered natural gas, LPG, semi-heavy oil and gas oil. They still benefit from a much reduced rate for these fuels, but this is balanced by the fact that they pay the full rate for electricity, and receive no special treatment under other taxes on energy products.
The Scottish Executive's position on greenhouse gas reductions is that every energy user in every sector and geographical area in Scotland should contribute to meeting the UK's Kyoto commitments. However the UK Government has recognised the special position of horticulture as an energy intensive sector, exposed to international competition but not eligible for a negotiated agreement. In addition to the 50% discount, which applies for five years not only to gas and oil but also to coal and electricity, the package of benefits to the horticulture sector will also include:
- targeted support from the climate change levy energy efficiency fund;
- an extension to the list of investments qualifying for enhanced capital allowances to include thermal screens.
It is extremely difficult to make a meaningful comparison between the horticulture sectors in different countries because several other factors affecting costs need to be taken into account in addition to Climate Change Levy arrangements, including the relevant rates of other forms of taxation.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether charging older people for personal care through compulsory sale of their home accords with Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10578.
