Scottish Parliament Questions and Answers.
Questions for answer 9th March 2010
Asked by Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD)
S3W-31892 To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has raised in the (a) Joint Ministerial Committee and (b) British Irish Council the proposals of the UK Government to terminate the reciprocal health agreement with the Isle of Man.
Ms Nicola Sturgeon :
The Scottish Government has not raised the UK Government’s decision to terminate the reciprocal health agreement with the Isle of Man with either the Joint Ministerial Committee or the British Irish Council.
S3W-31891 - Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD) (Date Lodged Tuesday, February 23, 2010): To ask the Scottish Executive what reciprocal health agreements it has with the (a) Isle of Man and (b) Channel Islands and whether it plans to change such agreements.
Ms Nicola Sturgeon :
The Scottish Government has no reciprocal health arrangement with the Channel Islands. That arrangement came to an end on 31 March 2009, when the UK Government terminated its reciprocal health agreement with them.
Our reciprocal health arrangement with the Isle of Man will come to an end on 31 March 2010, when the reciprocal health agreement is terminated by the UK Government.
S3W-31890 - Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD) (Date Lodged Tuesday, February 23, 2010): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with other devolved administrations on reciprocal health agreements with the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
Ms Nicola Sturgeon :
Scottish Government officials have had detailed discussions with their counterparts in Wales and Northern Ireland about the UK Government’s decisions to end the reciprocal health agreements with the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands and the limited impact that this will have on our respective countries.
S3W-31889 - Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD) (Date Lodged Tuesday, February 23, 2010): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the governments of the (a) Isle of Man and (b) Channel Islands on reciprocal health agreements.
Ms Nicola Sturgeon :
In April 2009 I was approached by Edward Teare, the Minister for Health and Social Security in the Manx Government, about the possibility of entering into a health agreement with the Isle of Man.
At that time I said that I would be interested to learn more of this proposal, with the understanding that any treatment provided would be on the basis of need which arose during a visit to the Isle of Man or Scotland, and that no exchange of public funds could take place. The Manx Government has not been in contact since then.
Scottish Government officials were contacted by officials in Guernsey before the Channel Islands agreement ended, when it was agreed that a reciprocal agreement between Guernsey and Scotland was not a viable proposition.
S3W-31888 - Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD) (Date Lodged Tuesday, February 23, 2010): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government on reciprocal health agreements with the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
Due for answer Tuesday, March 09, 2010 at present no answer received.