- Asked by: Michael Russell, 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 Jack McConnell on 12 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what average time elapsed between the issue of invoices to local authorities by the Scottish Qualifications Authority and payment of such invoices in this financial year and in each of the last two financial years.
Answer
This is an operational issue for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. I have asked the Chair to reply to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Health and Community Care will reply to my letter of 26 October 2000 regarding the provision of residential care for the elderly in the Scottish Borders.
Answer
A reply was issued on 1 December 2000.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 4 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what medical advice it has received and what medical advice it has disseminated to schools regarding treatment of children with headlice by parents.
Answer
Each health board is responsible for developing and implementing, in conjunction with other interested bodies, a policy for dealing with headlice infestation. The policies are aimed at ensuring that schools, General Medical Practitioners, Community Pharmacists and the general public have a good understanding of their roles in tackling the problem of headlice.
The Scottish Executive will be working with health boards to develop a national leaflet to provide advice to schools and parents on the treatment of headlice infestation.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, 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 Jack McConnell on 29 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with the Scottish Qualifications Authority regarding its finances over the last two financial years and in this financial year.
Answer
The regular Liaison Group meetings involving Scottish Executive and Scottish Qualifications Authority officials discuss various matters, including their financial implications where appropriate. In addition, meetings were held in July 1999, to discuss the funding of the development of the Higher Still programme, and in October 2000, to discuss entry charges. Discussions between officials also take place as part of the annual approval by Ministers of the SQA's budget.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, 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 Jack McConnell on 29 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the Scottish Qualifications Authority first indicated that it was expecting to accumulate a deficit during the current financial year, each of the two previous financial years, and what reasons were given for anticipating such deficits.
Answer
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is obliged to inform the Executive if it is likely that its expenditure on any individual accounts will exceed agreed estimates by more than £50,000. The SQA notified us in September of a likely deficit in this financial year due to additional work undertaken to resolve the problems with Diet 2000. The full financial implications are currently being quantified and will be discussed with SQA in detail.
Deficits were projected in the annual budget estimates exercise in December in each of the two previous financial years. The establishment of SQA in 1997 and the associated costs of merging the Scottish Examination Board and the Scottish Vocational Education Council led to a substantial deficit in the first year of operations which the organisation has since gradually reduced.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 28 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what audit criteria will be applied in the forthcoming national audit of museums and, in particular, how will these be applied to industrial museums.
Answer
The procedures and criteria for the national audit are currently being developed on behalf of the Executive by the Scottish Museums Council. These procedures and criteria will be applied to industrial museums as the first priority.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 28 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what priority will be given to dealing with industrial museums in the forthcoming national audit of museums and when it anticipates the audit of the main industrial museums will be completed.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-11201 on 28 November 2000.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 21 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive why it took 16 weeks to answer parliamentary questions S1W-7616 and S1W-7618.
Answer
Although data was not held centrally, and could have been answered immediately to this effect, Departmental officials explored with the Scottish Arts Council what information could be identified to assist answering the member's questions. After detailed consideration it was concluded that the data could not be assembled without infringing the unreasonable costs criterion.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 20 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people in the South of Scotland experiencing mental health problems which require hospitalisation have to share adult wards.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 20 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people in the South of Scotland experiencing mental health problems which require hospitalisation have drug related problems.
Answer
The first table below shows episodes of inpatient care, based on admissions to non-psychiatric hospitals, of those up to the age of 19, with a mental and behaviour disorder, where there is also a mention of drug misuse.The second table shows episodes of inpatient care, based on admissions to Mental Illness Hospitals/Psychiatric Units, of those up to the age of 19, with a mental and behaviour disorder, where there is also a mention of drug misuse.Table 1: Admissions to Non-psychiatric Hospitals (Aged under 20)
| | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 |
Ayrshire & Arran | 66 | 64 | 66 |
Borders | 10 | 8 | 7 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 13 | 12 | 11 |
Lothian (East) | 2 | 7 | 5 |
Total | 91 | 91 | 89 |
Table 2: Admissions to Mental Illness Hospitals/Psychiatric Units (Aged under 20)
| | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 |
Ayrshire & Arran | 25 | 25 | 31 |
Borders | 8 | 2 | 6 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 5 | 5 | 1 |
Lothian (East) | - | - | 3 |
Total | 38 | 32 | 41 |
Notes:
1. "Episodes" refers to the admission of a patient. Since the same patient may be admitted to hospital more than once during the course of one year, the number of individuals admitted may not be the same.
2: The tables are not mutually exclusive, as a patient may be admitted to an acute general hospital then, in a subsequent episode, may be admitted to a psychiatric unit. Such patients will appear as episodes in both tables.
