- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 6 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it estimates the cost of gaining the Chartered Teacher qualification has on discouraging teachers from commencing and continuing with the modules.
Answer
Progression on the six-pointChartered Teacher salary scale typically involves one-off costs of around 拢1,200in return for an automatic increase of between 拢774 and 拢1,436 per annum inpensionable salary - overall 拢7,161 above the top of the unprompted teachers鈥檚cale. While no comprehensive survey has been conducted into the relativeimpact of cost or other factors in relation to uptake, Audit Scotland(2006) found that 74% of recently qualified teachers said they were likely toparticipate in the scheme.
Cost issues will beconsidered as part of the current review of the Chartered Teacher project.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 6 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be the reason that applications to fill vacant head teacher posts have declined in recent years and what action it will take to encourage more applications for such vacancies.
Answer
The recruitment of head teachers is a matter for local authorities asemployers, however the changing demographics of the teaching profession and thesocietal expectations of public sector leaders will both have been contributoryfactors in changing levels of applications for head teacher posts.
All head teachers andprospective head teachers need to demonstrate they are performing in line withthe standard for headship (SfH).). The most common means of demonstratingperformance in line with the SfH is via the Scottish Qualification for Headship(SQH). The 2006 teacher census shows that there were 310 non head teachers whohad gained the SQH compared with 248 in 2005. There were also another 390 onthe programme.
The Scottish Executiveprovides local authorities with 拢4 million a year to help teachers achieve theSfH and also funds more general leadership programmes and activities tosupplement funding which local authorities target to this area.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of eligible cancer patients in the west of Scotland are being treated with Herceptin; how this compares with other regions of Scotland, and what steps it will take to (a) end any area-based disparity and (b) monitor the outcome of any such action.
Answer
Information on the use of specificdrugs in individual patients or patient groups is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 6 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to open a paediatric spinal assessment facility or recruit specialist staff to the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injury Unit at the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow.
Answer
The Queen Elizabeth NationalSpinal Injury Unit is able to assess and manage children aged 12 or over whoare admitted with acute spinal injuries. It also offers support, through itsliaison and outreach services, to all children in Scotlandwith spinal injuries.
The evidence suggests thatthe number of children in Scotland with highly complex spinal injuries is so small thata Scottish equivalent of the National Spinal Injuries Centre at StokeMandeville would not be viable.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 6 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what disruption it considers is caused to the families of children sent from Scotland to Stoke Mandeville Hospital for treatment.
Answer
The Government is well awareof the difficulties families experience when a seriously ill or injured childis treated at a considerable distance from home. Everything possible is done toensure that the disruption caused is kept to a minimum. An initial assessmentat the National Spinal Injuries Centre can last up to eight weeks, but ifannual reviews are arranged, these are for a much shorter period. As much of the child鈥檚 rehabilitation as possible should be provided locally.
Children and their parentscan also benefit from referral to the centre, particularly through peer supportgained from the other children and their parents attending the centre.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 6 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive why there is no spinal assessment facility in Scotland for young people under the age of 14.
Answer
Children under 12 with acutespinal injuries but no neurological damage are managed either in the RoyalHopsital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, or the Royal Hospital for Sick Childrenat Yorkhill, Glasgow, with input from the Queen Elizabeth National SpinalInjuries Unit at the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow.
Children under 12 with bothacute spinal injuries and neurological damage are managed at Yorkhill, againwith input from the National Spinal Injuries Unit.
Children aged 12 or overwith acute spinal injuries can be admitted to the Queen Elizabeth NationalSpinal Injuries Unit.
In each of these cases, anassessment can be made of whether the children would benefit from referral tothe National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital,Buckinghamshire. The centre provides not only initial assessments but can alsoundertake annual reviews, depending on the child鈥檚 progress and clinical needs.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 6 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of sending young people under 14 years to Stoke Mandeville Hospital for treatment was in the last financial year, including the cost of flights, meals and accommodation, and how much it would have cost to provide specialist paediatric staff at the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injury Unit at the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow.
Answer
The clinical costs of such referrals in 2006-07 was 拢18,909. Information on the associated costs of travel, meals and accommodation is not available centrally, as it is the responsibility of the NHS board of residence of each child to fund these costs.
The most recent review of the spinal injuries service in Scotland did not suggest any extension of its services to cover those currently provided by the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville. No estimate has therefore been made of the cost associated with employing the specialist staff who would be required.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 6 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were used in the decision that children younger than 14, as opposed to any other age, must be sent to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire for treatment of their spinal injuries.
Answer
Since its designation as anational service in 1992, the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit hasbeen able to admit children aged 12 years or over. This may be related to themove from primary to secondary education. It may also avoid any difficultieswhich might otherwise arise later if there were a need to make a transitionfrom paediatric to adult services.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 6 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to direct monies saved by any generic substitution of branded drugs into the provision of drugs for the treatment of cancer, such as Herceptin.
Answer
NHS boards are able to deploytheir overall revenue allocations to the best advantage of their local population.This includes any savings resulting from generic prescribing.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 6 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact its policy of inclusion is having on mainstream pupils and whether it will undertake a re-assessment of its policy and, if so, when.
Answer
The Scottish Executivecommissioned the Scottish Centre for Research in Education to evaluate theimpact of the legislation. Their report, which was published in 2006, found noevidence that mainstreaming has a negative effect on pupil attainment and that,with proper preparation and support, inclusion is beneficial for all.
We are committed to ensuringthat all children receive the support they need in our schools and we will takewhat steps are necessary to ensure we achieve this. These steps includeconsideration of an inquiry into the operation and implementation ofmainstreaming policy.