- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 January 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 15 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of reports in The Herald on 2 and 3 January 2003 that nearly one third of its suppliers are not paid within its target period of 30 days, what the precise reasons are for this; what steps it has taken, and what further steps it will take, to address this situation; what estimate it has made of the impact of late payments of these bills on businesses in Scotland, and whether any late payments have resulted in interest being added onto such unpaid bills and, if so, at what rate and in what proportion of cases.
Answer
Irecognise the importance to business of prompt payment of invoices. This is whyour policy is to aim for payment within 30 days. The Scottish Executive’s 2002-03 accounts reported that 68.5% of invoices were paid within thetarget period that year. This reflected difficulties some staff had in makingpayments following the introduction of a new computerised financial andaccounting system. The Executive acted promptly to deal with the difficulties,and continues to take specific action when particular problems arise. As theaccounts record, performance had improved to almost 80% by March 2003, and hassince improved further, with over 87% of invoices paid within 30 days inDecember, very similar to the average performance in 2001-02. I am keen toimprove the performance even more.
It is not possible to assessaccurately the impact of delays on business, because of the variability in thenature of the businesses, and the different delays that might be encountered.No late payments resulted in interest being added to unpaid bills.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 14 January 2004
To ask the Presiding Officer whether members of the Holyrood Progress Group will offer to give evidence to the Holyrood Inquiry and whether non-MSP members of the group will provide a statement or precognition of their evidence to the Holyrood Inquiry.
Answer
I am informed by theConvener of the Holyrood Progress Group that all members of the group haveindicated their willingness to provide evidence to the Fraser Inquiry.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 January 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 14 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the civil service advice to ministers in respect of the relocation of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), with particular reference to the choice of Inverness as the location for the new headquarters for SNH and the input of SNH and its consultants in connection with this matter.
Answer
The advice given to ministersis exempt from disclosure under Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information (Internal discussion and advice). This is in line with thelong standing convention that it is in the public interest to maintain theconfidentiality of exchanges between officials and ministers concerning policyadvice and to protect the processes by which government reaches a collectiveview.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 January 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 14 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-919 on 1 August 2003, by Allan Wilson and S2W-1693 by Ross Finnie on 1 and 26 August 2003, whether it will reconsider its decision not to publish the cabinet papers and other documents requested.
Answer
No. The position remains asset out in the answer given to question S2W-919. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive which hospitals in each NHS board area have an (a) general paediatric and (b) specialist paediatric (i) department or (ii) unit, showing the specialism undertaken.
Answer
The Royal Hospital forSick Children Edinburgh, the Royal Hospital for Sick Children Glasgow and the Royal AberdeenChildren’s Hospital provide specialist services on a regional and nationalbasis whilst providing a general paediatric service to their local population.NHS board areas in Scotland that have a general paediatric unit are listed intable 1.
Table 1: General PaediatricMedical Units by NHS Board Area and Hospital1
| Area | Hospital |
| Argyll and Clyde | Inverclyde Royal Hospital Royal Alexandra Hospital Vale of Leven District General Hospital |
| Ayrshire and Arran | Ayrshire Central Hospital Crosshouse Hospital The Ayr Hospital |
| Borders | Borders General Hospital |
| Dumfries and Galloway | Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary |
| Fife | Forth Park Hospital Victoria Hospital |
| Forth Valley | Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary Stirling Royal Infirmary |
| Grampian | Aberdeen Maternity Hospital Dr Gray’s Hospital Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital |
| Greater Glasgow | Queen Mother’s Hospital Royal Hospital for Sick Children Southern General Hospital The Princess Royal Maternity Unit |
| Lanarkshire | Monklands Hospital Wishaw General Hospital |
| Lothian | New Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Royal Hospital for Sick Children St John’s Hospital At Howden |
| Tayside | Ninewells Hospital Perth Royal Infirmary |
| Western Isles | Western Isles Hospital |
Note:
1. As at March 2003.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive which hospitals in each NHS board area are exclusively involved in paediatric medicine.
Answer
There are three hospitalsexclusively involved in paediatric medicine:
Royal Aberdeen Children’sHospital – NHS Grampian
Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow - NHS Greater Glasgow
Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh - NHS Lothian
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds are assigned to paediatric services in each NHS board area, broken down by hospital and detailing any specialisms in paediatric medicine assigned to those beds.
Answer
Information on averageavailable staffed medical and surgical paediatric beds for the year ending 31 March 2003 isshown in Table 1.
The information forspecialisms in paediatric medicine assigned to those beds is not heldcentrally.
Table 1: NHSiS - Average AvailableStaffed Beds; by Health Board Area and Location: Year Ending 31 March 2003 (Provisional)
| Area | Medical Paediatrics | Surgical Paediatrics |
| Scotland | 738 | 125 |
| Argyll and Clyde | 59 | - |
| Inverclyde Royal Hospital Royal Alexandra Hospital Vale of Leven District General Hospital | 19 | - |
| 34 | - |
| 6 | - |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 62 | - |
| Ayrshire Central Hospital Crosshouse Hospital The Ayr Hospital | 25 | - |
| 26 | - |
| 11 | - |
| Borders | 17 | - |
| Borders General Hospital | 17 | - |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 14 | 8 |
| Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary | 14 | 8 |
| Fife | 48 | 2 |
| Forth Park Hospital | 20 | - |
| Victoria Hospital | 28 | 2 |
| Forth Valley | 48 | - |
| Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary | 14 | - |
| Stirling Royal Infirmary | 34 | - |
| Grampian | 78 | 18 |
| Aberdeen Maternity Hospital | 38 | - |
| Dr Gray's Hospital | 7 | 4 |
| Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital | 33 | 13 |
| Greater Glasgow | 142 | 71 |
| Queen Mother's Hospital | 28 | - |
| Royal Hospital for Sick Children | 64 | 71 |
| Southern General Hospital | 16 | - |
| The Princess Royal Maternity Unit | 34 | - |
| Highland | 33 | - |
| Raigmore Hospital | 33 | - |
| Lanarkshire | 63 | - |
| Monklands Hospital | 6 | - |
| Wishaw General Hospital | 58 | - |
| Lothian | 105 | 18 |
| New Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh | 44 | - |
| Royal Hospital for Sick Children | 36 | 18 |
| St John's Hospital At Howden | 25 | - |
| Tayside | 69 | 8 |
| Ninewells Hospital | 58 | 8 |
| Perth Royal Infirmary | 11 | - |
| Western Isles | 1 | - |
| Western Isles Hospital | 1 | - |
Source: ISDScotland [Form ISD(S)1.
Reference:ISD/ACIG/IR2003-01684.
Date:22-12-03.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 13 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to establish an autism-specific medical facility at a hospital to address the medical needs of those with autism.
Answer
The Scottish Executive hasno such plans. We are committed to improving services for people with autisticspectrum disorders through improved assessment and diagnosis, more informationand training for a range of professionals, and better inter-agency working.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what ongoing training is available to NHS staff in hospitals in each NHS board area in respect of paediatric intensive care.
Answer
This information is not heldcentrally. However, there is a recognised Specialist Practitioner Qualificationfor Paediatric Intensive Care available through Glasgow Caledonian University. Overthe past five years, 42 students started the course, 26 have completed, 15 arein the process of completing, and one person has withdrawn.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 13 January 2004
To ask the Presiding Officer what budget is available to meet the cost of the opening of the new Parliament building, showing costs of transport, security, hospitality and other components; how these costs were calculated, and what steps the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will take to avoid any unnecessary expense.
Answer
No decision has been madeyet on the nature of the opening ceremony and therefore no specific budget hasbeen allocated for this purpose. The Clerk/Chief Executive stated in evidencehe gave to the Finance Committee on Tuesday 25 November that any fundingrequired would be met from the contingency budget for 2004-05. The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body would always seek to avoid any unnecessaryexpense.
