- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set up a dedicated hepatitis C telephone helpline.
Answer
The UK Health Departments fund the National AIDS and Drugs Helplines, which already provide callers with information on hepatitis C where this is sought. The Executive proposes to review, with other UK Health Departments, whether there is a need to put a greater emphasis on hepatitis C in the services provided by these helplines.Information about hepatitis C is also provided by the NHS Helpline in Scotland and by services provided by voluntary organisations involved in hepatitis C issues, such as Mainliners.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 12 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide alternative employment opportunities in Lanarkshire, particularly in the event of any further closures of steelworks.
Answer
The Scottish Executive and its agencies support job creation and training for new employment through a variety of programmes. In the event of significant redundancies, a team of local agencies is quickly brought together under the Executive's Partnership Action for Continuing Employment framework to support all those affected find new work. I was pleased to note that in the recent restructuring announcement by Corus there were no plans to close or make significant job cuts at the company's steel works in Lanarkshire.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 9 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it notified the media on 25 January 2001 that the Minister for Parliament would be making a ministerial statement on long term care and, if so, at what time.
Answer
No.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 9 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it consulted Her Majesty's Government on 25 January 2001 prior to the Minister for Parliament's ministerial statement on long-term care and, if so, whom it consulted and on what basis.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues, including long-term care for the elderly.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 9 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it now has to support and promote credit unions.
Answer
The Executive has been working in partnership with the credit union movement in Scotland, and other interested parties, to develop a national development strategy for credit unions, which will be produced by April this year. The strategy will identify the action required to remove the current barriers to growth and will ensure that all credit unions have access to support and development services.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 8 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a budget of #500,000 will become available for national training organisations in April 2001 and, if so, whether it will clarify what the targets and objectives will be in relation to this fund.
Answer
£500,000 will be made available to National Training Organisations by the Executive in each of the financial years 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04 to assist with the development of the network in Scotland. The focus will be on promoting workplace learning, assessing skills needs and gathering labour market intelligence.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 8 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the value of the surplus of the Scottish Transport Group pension fund currently is.
Answer
The most recent annual report of the Scottish Transport Group showed the value of the surplus at 31 March 2000 to be approximately £146 million (net of tax).
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 7 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to carry out a Scottish labour market survey similar to that being carried out by National Electrotechnical Training on behalf of the Department for Education and Employment.
Answer
As employer-led organisations, all National Training Organisations are expected to gather labour market intelligence relating to their sector as part of their normal responsibilities. There are no current plans for the Executive to commission a labour market survey for the electrotechnical industry. It will be the role of the new Future SkillsUnit in the first instance to identify the need for such surveys.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 7 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to protect the interests of (a) smaller clubs and (b) youth development in any discussions about the future of the football transfer system.
Answer
The main parties to the current negotiations relating to FIFA's international transfer regulations are FIFA, UEFA and the European Commission. We have made clear that we hope an early solution acceptable to all parties can be negotiated which achieves the aims of promoting youth development and assisting smaller clubs. We are keeping in regular touch with the SFA who are monitoring closely the progress of the negotiations.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 6 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to discipline civil service staff.
Answer
Disciplinary arrangements are a matter for the Scottish Executive within the framework set out in the Civil Service Management Code. The code is available at www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/civilservice/managementcode/csmc.pdf.
