- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 14 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it will give to former World War Two prisoners of war residing in Scotland and claiming compensation from Her Majesty's Government for suffering endured whilst captives of the Japanese.
Answer
These are matters reserved to the UK Government. They are included in the Scottish Government's continuing liaison with the UK Government on all relevant matters.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 13 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure minimum nutritional standards for school meals.
Answer
Each education authority is responsible for the nutritional standards in the school meal service which they administer.The Scottish Diet Action Plan Eating for Health made a large number of recommendations and included nutritional guidelines for catering specifications for the public sector, targeted primarily at pre-school and school age children. The Scottish Executive has initiated discussions with Directors of Education and progress in this area is being monitored through inspections by HM Inspectors of Schools. We will be considering the need for any further action in the light of inspection reports.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 13 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop nutritional education in schools.
Answer
Responsibility for the delivery and management of the curriculum rests with education authorities and school managers. Advice is provided by the Scottish Executive which seeks to ensure that health education, including nutritional education, has a secure place within the curriculum and is included in all schools.HMI monitor school and pre-school provision and their published reports cover health education as well as various aspects of health promotion within the school. The report Drug and Nutrition Education A Study of Provision in Schools and Community Education published in January 1999 identifies good practice and areas where action is needed.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 13 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to maximise the take-up of free school meals.
Answer
Maximising the take up of free school meals by entitled children is for each local authority to pursue in the light of local needs and circumstances.There may be a variety of reasons why entitled children do not take up the free meal offered. Each local authority or the schools themselves are best placed to investigate and rectify problems within their area.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 10 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria will be used in deciding the future of the Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Service in Scotland; who will be advising it on this issue; with whom consultation on this issue has taken or will take place, and when a final decision on the Service's future will be made.
Answer
The main criterion is to reach the decision which produces the highest quality of service for those children who require cardiac surgery. The other factors which we shall want to take into account are the effect of the decision on the range of other services currently provided at each hospital, as well as on the pattern of tertiary paediatric services in Scotland as a whole.
Advice on the issue is being formulated by the Chief Executive of the NHS in Scotland and the Chief Medical Officer, based on work already carried out by National Services Division of the Common Services Agency and jointly by Greater Glasgow and Lothian Health Boards. The NSD work canvassed a broad range of opinion, including users of the service. To ensure that their advice is based on the clearest possible understanding of all the issues, the Chief Executive and CMO have recently met senior representatives of both Trusts and the Medical Schools in Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as the 2 Health Boards.I expect to receive a report on this matter shortly and will announce my decision at that time.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 9 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to use its planning powers to introduce a national moratorium on the erection of mobile telecommunication masts on school grounds and within densely populated areas such as multi-storey flats in line with the policy of "prudent avoidance" as recommended by Friends of the Earth.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no such planning powers.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 9 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to use its planning powers to introduce a national moratorium on the erection of mobile telecommunication masts on school grounds and within densely populated areas such as multi-storey flats in line with the policy of "prudent avoidance" as recommended by Friends of the Earth.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no such planning powers.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 8 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of Scottish Exports to European Union and non European Union destinations is exported directly from Scottish ports.
Answer
Latest figures from Customs and Excise show that, in 1997, some 90% of Scottish Exports to non-European Union destinations came from Scottish ports, including seaports and airports.Since the completion of the Single Market figures are not collated for exports to European Union countries.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 6 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what support and advice it will give to Strathclyde Passenger Transport to ensure that there is no repetition of the Glasgow Underground shutdown on 31 July.
Answer
The operation of the Glasgow Underground is a matter for the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 6 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce the incidence of suicide in Scotland.
Answer
We have a range of initiatives, which are designed to tackle some of the factors, which can contribute to suicide. For example, as part of our policy to encourage social inclusion, we have announced the funding of numerous social inclusion partnerships around Scotland. The Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland remains the basis for Health Boards, together with their planning and commissioning partners, to provide appropriate mental health services locally.
In addition, legislation has been introduced governing the pack sizes of some paracetamol and aspirin products available over the counter, following evidence that many people who intentionally overdose use products that are readily available in their homes. The new measures are designed so that customers can still have easy access and sufficient quantities to treat short episodes of minor illness without leaving large residual amounts in the home.
We are also funding a National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness. The study is examining health records of all individuals who committed suicide or homicide and had been in contact with mental health services in the period leading up to the suicide or homicide. The aim is to identify common patterns of behaviour, symptoms etc, and to use this information to provide guidance to medical practitioners to enable them to identify at an early stage symptoms which indicate that an individual's mental state has the potential to lead to their committing suicide or homicide. Early identification may lead to timely intervention and diagnosis, and it is hoped that this may result in a reduction in the rates of suicide and homicide.Further, the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has had a Suicide Prevention Strategy in place for some years, with a revised strategy introduced as recently as 1998. Key features include reducing isolation to a minimum, providing a safe social environment and engaging families in the care process.
