- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 27 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to examine teachers' pensions and exit strategies with a view to allowing teachers to leave the profession.
Answer
Following the publication of the McCrone Committee's Report, I announced that over the summer months a series of bilateral meetings are scheduled with the key parties leading to implementation discussions in the autumn. During this period a number of issues arising from the report will be considered, including the recommendations on early retirement.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 27 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost is for a child to receive free school milk throughout the school year.
Answer
Information on the cost of providing free school milk in schools is not collected centrally.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 27 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure all new homes built in Scotland are fitted with smoke alarms.
Answer
The Technical Standards for compliance with the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations 1990 (as amended) require that all new homes are fitted with smoke alarms.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 27 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that a representative of Glasgow's owner-occupiers, who share buildings and factoring services with local authority properties, is appointed to the board of the Glasgow Housing Association.
Answer
The Interim Management Committee of the Glasgow Housing Association is being established taking account of the framework document,
Better Homes Stronger Communities, which was published on 10 April. The committee will be composed of tenants, councillors and independents. However, owner-occupiers will be consulted as a transfer proposal is developed. There will also be opportunities for owner occupiers to participate in Neighbourhood Forums and in Area Housing Partnerships.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 27 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage local authorities to provide free school milk to (a) all schoolchildren whose parents are in receipt of either income support or working families tax credit and (b) other schoolchildren.
Answer
Under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, as amended, all local authorities must provide free milk, meals and other refreshments to children whose parents are in receipt of income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance or support provided under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. They have a discretionary power to provide milk, meals and other refreshments to other children but must charge for such provision.
Local authorities are aware of their responsibilities and the Scottish Executive has no plans to take specific steps in this area.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 27 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to the impact of the Glasgow Housing Stock Transfer on owner-occupiers who occupy buildings which are also partly tenanted.
Answer
The framework document, Better Homes Stronger Communities, which was published on 10 April, outlined a package of initiatives which could be developed to promote owner occupation and to assist existing owners. These will be considered further as a transfer proposal is developed.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 27 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have indicated that they will consider possible use of the proposed powers on road user charging and workplace parking charges.
Answer
The City of Edinburgh Council have indicated that they are considering using the proposed powers on road user charging. Glasgow City Council and Aberdeen City Council have also expressed an interest more generally in seeing if the powers may be suitable for their areas.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 26 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve outcomes for babies born prematurely.
Answer
The Public Health White Paper
Towards a Healthier Scotland addresses some of the antecedent causes of low birth weight and prematurity including smoking.
The Scottish Executive together with the Scottish Programme for Clinical Effectiveness in Reproductive Health (SPCERH) the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives is taking forward a number of studies into issues around prematurity. These include: the Scottish Still Births and Infant Deaths survey to look at the incidence and any antecedent causes of prematurity and the Confidential Enquiry into Sudden Deaths of Infants study into babies born at 27 and 28 weeks. SPCERH have produced guidelines on the management of pre-term foetus, pre-eclampsia and non-proteinuria hypertension, all of which can be associated with premature delivery.
The Chief Nursing Officer is chairing a Maternity Services Reference Group which is looking at the development of a National Services Framework for the delivery of maternity services in Scotland and this will look at all aspects of maternity care and will report in autumn 2000.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 26 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6113 by Susan Deacon on 8 May 2000, whether it can explain why #164.508 million was transferred from capital expenditure to revenue expenditure in the NHSiS from 1994-95 to 1999-2000 inclusive.
Answer
As explained in the answer to question S1W-6114, capital to revenue transfers were made annually to enable health boards and NHS Trusts to meet the costs of minor projects and non-added value elements of capital schemes. In addition, some resources were transferred to provide revenue support to assist NHS Trusts meet their financial targets.
From 2000-01 onwards, all capital funds must be spent on capital items.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 26 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what mortality and morbidity rates are for infants born prematurely, by health board, for the last years for which figures are available.
Answer
The table below shows the mortality rates for infants born prematurely. Information on morbidity for all pre-term infants is not available from current data sources.
| | Pre-term Livebirths1, 2 | Pre-term Infant Deaths1, 2 | Pre-term Infant Death Rates 1 2 3 |
Health Board of Residence | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
| Argyll and Clyde | 330 | 338 | 339 | 24 | 16 | 18 | 72.7 | 47.3 | 53.1 |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 292 | 304 | 261 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 44.5 | 32.9 | 38.3 |
| Borders | 72 | 74 | 66 | 2 | 3 | 5 | * | * | * |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 107 | 90 | 85 | 8 | 3 | 3 | * | * | * |
| Fife | 260 | 256 | 298 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 57.7 | 39.1 | * |
| Forth valley | 196 | 193 | 208 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 71.4 | * | 62.5 |
| Grampian | 385 | 386 | 433 | 13 | 16 | 25 | 33.8 | 41.5 | 57.7 |
| Greater Glasgow | 801 | 832 | 815 | 47 | 38 | 34 | 58.7 | 45.7 | 41.7 |
| Highland | 128 | 161 | 163 | 7 | 4 | 9 | * | * | * |
| Lanarkshire | 475 | 446 | 446 | 32 | 27 | 15 | 67.4 | 60.5 | 33.6 |
| Lothian | 656 | 646 | 563 | 31 | 21 | 30 | 47.3 | 32.5 | 53.3 |
| Orkney | 8 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shetland | 16 | 21 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | * |
| Tayside | 303 | 307 | 305 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 33 | * | 39.3 |
| Western Isles | 10 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Scotland | 4,039 | 4,073 | 4,021 | 216 | 162 | 183 | 53.5 | 39.8 | 45.5 |
Notes.
1. Pre-term is defined as less than 37 weeks gestation.
2. Infant deaths are live-born who die within the first year of life.
3. Rate per 1,000 pre-term live births.
* Rates are not shown for less than 10 deaths
