- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 21 June 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-07401 by John Swinney on 31 May 2012, how much has been paid out in council tax discounts through energy efficiency schemes and how many properties are receiving these in each local authority, broken down by (a) type of dwelling and (b) mode of ownership.
Answer
The collection of council tax statistics from local authorities is ongoing. This data will inform the Scottish Government鈥檚 report to Parliament during the summer on energy-efficient discount schemes, as required under section 66 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 21 June 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it remains its plan to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016.
Answer
In my Statement to Parliament on 6 June 2012 I confirmed our plans for a National Retrofit Programme to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions. This government remains committed to eradication of fuel poverty, as far as is reasonably practicable.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 20 June 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive what organisations companies need to notify who their responsible person is regarding responsibility for managing Legionella control schemes.
Answer
The responsible body for matters relating to health and safety in the UK is the Health and Safety Executive and such matters are reserved to the UK Government. There is no requirement for a company to notify their responsible person to any organisation.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 20 June 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the sites in Edinburgh that have been treated for Legionella have previously reported the existence of the bacteria.
Answer
Currently there is no requirement by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for a company, or the person in control of any premises, to notify anybody of the results of any sampling that is undertaken.
Matters relating to the HSE are reserved to the UK Government.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 19 June 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the outbreak of Legionella in Edinburgh will have on NHS Lothian's ability to meet its waiting time targets.
Answer
The effect of the Legionella outbreak has brought a significant increase in the number of people requiring investigation and treatment in both primary and secondary care. However, NHS Lothian has confirmed that the actual number of elective procedures cancelled as a result of the impact on critical care has been minimal and the board will continue to monitor the impact until the end of the outbreak has been confirmed.
During the course of the week commencing 4 June NHS Lothian cancelled eight elective procedures, all of which have already been rescheduled.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 June 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the outbreak of Legionella in Edinburgh, whether an outbreak control team has been established to protect public health and prevent further infection.
Answer
An Incident Management Team (IMT) was set up by NHS Lothian on 3 June when the fourth case of Legionnaires disease was confirmed. The IMT is led by NHS Lothian, and involves the Environmental Health Service of Edinburgh City Council, the Health and Safety Executive and Health Protection Scotland. Others are engaged as necessary in the work of the group, for instance the Met Office regarding weather patterns.
An Incident Management Team and Outbreak Control Team perform the same function - the terminology is interchangeable.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 June 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will allocate additional resources to NHS Lothian to deal with the outbreak of Legionella in Edinburgh.
Answer
The Scottish Government Resilience Committee has considered NHS resource issues at every meeting. NHS Lothian is reporting that it is coping with the current pressures. Should the position change then the Scottish Government would ensure the required resources were available.
Additional specialist public health resources have already been provided to NHS Lothian from other boards, on a mutual aid basis.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 June 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive what organisations are responsible for carrying out further research regarding the identification of the source of the Legionella outbreak in Edinburgh.
Answer
The City of Edinburgh Environmental Health team and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), working as part of the Incident Management Team (IMT), are actively investigating the source of the current outbreak.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 June 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 June 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive what form the assessment will take to learn lessons from the Legionella outbreak in Edinburgh as referred to by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy on 7 June 2012 (Official Report, c. 9816).
Answer
It is standard procedure in all public health incidents and outbreaks such as this for a report to be produced at the end of outbreak by the lead NHS Board Incident Management Team. This is set out in guidance published in October 2011 Management of Public Health Incidents: Guidance on the Roles and Responsibilities of NHS led Incident Management Teams. This report, including its lessons learned, will inform handling of future public health incidents.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 May 2012
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 13 June 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS Lothian regarding the continued provision of acute children鈥檚 services at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Sciennes during the delayed construction of the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children.
Answer
None. The Scottish Government remains fully committed to the delivery of the project on the Little France site.