- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of ambulance provision was for the Vale of Leven Hospital catchment area prior to 1 October 2003, showing the number of vehicles and crewing levels; whether any increases have been made to this position to reflect changes in service patterns since that date and, if so, by what level.
Answer
This is primarily anoperational matter for the Scottish Ambulance Service. I know that the ScottishAmbulance Service has been in discussion with NHS Argyll and Clyde aboutthe implications of the changes to clinical services at the Vale of LevenHospital and I understand that funding has been secured for extra ambulanceresources. I have asked the general manager of the Scottish Ambulance Service’ssouth west division to contact you with the details.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding was awarded to NHS Argyll and Clyde to assist the implementation of the recommendations of A Clean Bill of Health? and how this additional money was spent, broken down by geographical location.
Answer
As part of the AuditScotland review process on hospital cleaning, NHS trusts in Argyll and Clyde agreedaction plans to help them meet the recommendations. Spending on these plans isa matter for NHS Argyll and Clyde but progress is monitored by the auditors. The Scottish Executive has not allocated specific funding for cleaning services but theoverall allocation to NHS Argyll and Clyde has increased by 7% on average over the last threeyears. This is additional funding of £76.9 million.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 29 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Eaga Partnership is charging pensioners #40 to lodge an appeal against a decision to refuse an application for the installation of central heating under the central heating installation programme and, if so, what its position is on the matter.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:
Applicants who apply forfree central heating are visited by one of Eaga’s surveyors. If there is anexisting central heating system and it is not clear that it is broken andbeyond repair, a further specialist surveyor inspects the system. If thatinspector determines that the system can be repaired the householder is offeredthe right of appeal against the decision. If they take up that right they areasked to pay £40 towards the cost of another inspection of their system. If theappeal is successful the £40 is returned. The estimated appeal fee is estimatedto be one third to one half of the actual cost of an inspection.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 23 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what implications the new regulations to amend the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 will have for Scotland.
Answer
The regulations (SI2003/2457) to amend the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations1999 and the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 were made by the UKGovernment on 24 September 2003 and will come into force on 27 October 2003.Scottish ministers agreed previously that these regulations should be amended forScotland, and they will now come into force here as in the rest of the UK.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 22 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it envisages a role for community councils within local planning forums, as referred to in Your Place, Your Plan, and what the nature of that role will be.
Answer
We are looking to localplanning forums to encourage discussion and build up local interest andexpertise in planning. The constitution and remit of such forums has yet to befinalised. We may look to the proposed National Consultative Group to have arole in developing this measure.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 21 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a breakdown by postcode of the number of central heating systems installed in private sector properties in the Dumbarton constituency since the commencement of the central heating installation programme.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:
The managing agents for theprogramme in the private sector, Eaga Partnership, collect cumulativestatistics on the number of installations by main postcode area. There are noplans to collect statistics by constituency areas.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 21 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many central heating systems have been installed in private sector properties in the (a) West Dunbartonshire and (b) Argyll and Bute local authority area since the commencement of the central heating installation programme.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:
Information is not kept inthe form requested but by postcode area. In the postcode area 292 systems wereinstalled in 2001-02, 473 in 2002-03, and 389 so far in 2003-04.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 20 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the process and timescale will be for ministerial consideration of the decision by Argyll and Clyde NHS Board on 29 July 2003 to reorganise maternity services.
Answer
As with any proposals for significant service change or closure approved by NHS boards, I would only make a decision on whether to endorse the preferred option or not following careful consideration of the relevant local review.
In the case of maternity service proposals, I would have to be satisfied that the preferred option is consistent with A Framework for Maternity Services inScotland (February 2001) and the recommendations of the Expert Group onAcute Maternity Services (December 2002). These policy documents set out clear action points and recommendations intended to ensure that NHS Scotland provides modern, safe and sustainable maternity services that are appropriate to the needs of women and families in Scotland.
In the case of NHS Argyll and Clyde’s maternity service proposals, I have taken the time to both carefully consider all the available information and to meet with local representatives and campaign groups.
I consider that NHS Argyll and Clyde’s proposed model of maternity services is the best available option for providing high quality, safe and sustainable maternity services that are consistent with national guidelines. As such, I can confirm that the plans will see a consultant-led maternity unit at the Royal Alexandra and new midwife-led community units in Greenock and Vale of Leven. However, I have asked NHS Glasgow and NHS Argyll and Clyde to do more detailedwork on the pattern of patient choice between Glasgow and Paisley and to submit a report to me by April 2004.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 20 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will identify the ‘risks', as referred to by executive directors at the Argyll and Clyde NHS Board meeting on 29 July 2003 in the context of justification of the siting of consultant-led maternity services at Paisley as an alternative to enabling women to access consultant-led services in Glasgow, particularly in the Queen Mother Hospital, and whether such ‘risks' are clinical or administrative
Answer
Argyll and Clyde NHS Boardoutlines their view of the risks attached to providing Glasgow basedconsultant-led maternity care to their residents who live north of the RiverClyde on page VII of the executive summary in their
Report on the Review andConsultation of Maternity Services (July 2003).
I have asked for a moredetailed report by April 2004 on the pattern of patient choice between Paisley and Glasgow. I stressthat women who choose to have their babies in Glasgow will continue to havethat choice.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 15 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will involve appropriate trade unions in the discussions on the formation of the Strategic Transport Authority, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.
Answer
The consultation on the proposednew transport agency and regional transport partnerships will continue until 17December. The consultation paper Scotland’s Transport, Proposals for a New Approach to Transportin Scotland is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre, fromthe Scottish Executive and on the Scottish Executive website. It is important thatas many individuals and organisations as possible with an interest in improvingtransport delivery in Scotland - including appropriate trade unions - contributeto the consultation. I had a useful discussion with the Scottish Trades Union Congresson a range of transport issues including the proposed strategic transport authorityon 4 September.
