- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 17 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to monitor and protect against the illegal importation of radioactive scrap metal into Scotland.
Answer
It is the general policy of theUK Government and the Scottish Executive not to import radioactive waste, exceptfor the recovery of re-usable material, where that is the genuine prime purpose,or for treatment to ensure the future safe management of the waste, where such processwould be impracticable in the country of origin. The Executive cooperates with othergovernment departments.
The Home Office has lead responsibilityfor the implementation of programme Cyclamen, a three year programme managed byHM Revenue and Customs with full co-operation from the Police, to introduce radiationdetection equipment at ports and airports to support counter-terrorism measures.
Radiation screening equipment,fixed and mobile radiation detection units, have been introduced at UK ports andAirports to routinely screen UK bound goods vehicles and passengers for the illicit importationof radioactive materials.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 17 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the case for improved radiation detection devices in the scrap metal industry.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-27552 on 17 August 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.In addition, the Health and SafetyExecutive has issued a Sector Information Minute which serves as guidance for theindustry and its inspectors, and the British Metals Recycling Association has producedguidance and information for its members. Moreover, the major purchasers of scrapmetal require the supplier to declare that the consignment is free of radioactivecontamination and this has resulted in the installation of monitoring systems atvarious stages in the supply chain.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 25 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has funded in the last six years involving Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Answer
The Chief Scientist Office (CSO)within the Scottish Executive Health Department has responsibility forencouraging and supporting research into health and healthcare needs in Scotland.CSO has not funded any research projects in the last six years into Duchennemuscular dystrophy, but would be pleased to consider proposals for research in thisarea which would be subject to the usual peer and committee review.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 25 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to disseminate information throughout the NHS on current advances in research into, and treatment of, Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Answer
Research results wouldnormally be published in peer-reviewed journals. Health professionals areexpected to keep abreast of all such publications as part of their continuing professionaldevelopment. The Scottish Muscle Network, which is funded as a national ManagedClinical Network by NHSScotland, has a key role in the dissemination ofinformation and the education of health professionals about conditions such asDuchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 25 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding streams are available for research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy and what action it will take to encourage research in this area.
Answer
Details of the supportprovided by the Scottish Executive through the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) forresearch into health and health care needs in Scotland are available from theCSO website at:
www.show.scot.nhs.uk/cso. Directsupport for research is available through CSO’s grant schemes. CSO primarilyresponds to requests for grant funding for research proposals initiated by theresearch community in Scotland. There are no specific plans to encourage researchinto Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but CSO would welcome research proposals inthis area which would be subject to the usual peer and committee review.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 14 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children are estimated to have additional support needs.
Answer
The term additional support needsnow applies to children and young people who, for whatever reason, require additionalsupport, long or short-term, in order to help them make the most of their schooleducation. Therefore, it is not possible to estimate accurately the number of pupilswith additional support needs at any given time.
However, the 2006 pupil censuswill collect statistics on the number of pupils with additional support needs whohave co-ordinated support plans and/or individualised educational programmes. Informationwill also continue to be collected on those pupils with a Record of Needs.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 14 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many copies of the code of practice under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 have been (a) published and (b) distributed to parents of children with additional support needs.
Answer
The code of practice was producedto provide guidance to local authorities and other agencies with functions underthe Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. The ScottishExecutive published 13,000 copies of the code of practice and 10,000 these weredistributed to a wide range of professionals including those who work in education,health and social work. The remaining number has been distributed on request. However,it is not known how many of these were provided to parents.
Parents may access the code ofpractice on the Scottish Executive website for information and advice on exercisingtheir rights under the act. It can be viewed at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/08/15105817/58187.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 14 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that parents of children with additional support needs can access the code of practice under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 so that they have the same information available to them as the appropriate agencies in exercising their rights under the Act.
Answer
The code of practice was producedto provide guidance to local authorities and other agencies with functions underthe Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. Parents mayaccess the code of practice on the Scottish Executive website for information andadvice on exercising their rights under the act. It can be viewed at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/08/15105817/58187.However, the Scottish Executivecommissioned Enquire, the national advice service for families of children who requireadditional support for learning, to produce a guide on the provisions of theact specifically for parents. As of 5 July 2006, 11,670 copies of the parents’ guide had been issued.
Enquire also produced a youngpersons’ guide to the act. As of 5 July 2006, 17, 399 copies of the young persons’ guide had beenissued.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 13 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any work has been undertaken to assess the danger posed to motorists by roadside hoardings and trailer advertising on major roads.
Answer
The Scottish Executive commissionedresearch in 2003 into the effect of external-to-vehicle driver distraction. Thisconcluded that advertising hoardings and signs placed near junctions or other visually“cluttered” environments can cause driver distraction. Similarly drivers can becomedistracted by roadside hoardings on long monotonous sections of road. Both of thesesituations may have adverse effects on road safety. Roadside hoardings and traileradvertising are not permitted within the trunk road boundary.
Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 13 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to monitor and regulate the volume of roadside hoardings and trailer advertising on major roads in Scotland.
Answer
Roadside hoardings and traileradvertising are not permitted within the trunk road boundary. The trunk road OperatingCompanies, in the course of routine safety inspections, monitor unauthorised advertisingsigns and initiate such enforcement action as may be required to have the signsremoved.
Advertising hoardings erectedon private land adjacent to the trunk road normally fall within the terms of theTown and Country Planning (Scotland) Act, 1997, subject to local authority enforcement. However,in some circumstances, section 69 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 empowersthe roads authority to require the owner of land on which there is an advertisingsign (whether fixed or portable) to remove it. If the landowner fails to comply,the roads authority may take appropriate enforcement action to remove such a sign
Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.
