Question no
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 23 MAY 2008
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- (2) what is the current length of time a person has to wait for each operation or procedure at each hospital
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 23 MAY 2008Mr G G Boinamo (DA) to ask the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development: Whether a magistrate may strike a case off the roll as a result of the absence of the prosecutor in a matter, as in the case of two learners of a certain school (name furnished) in Tshwane, who were stabbed by fellow learners that was before the court; if not, what punitive measures are in place to act against such a magistrate; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1498E REPLY For a criminal court to operate (for example to strike a case off the roll), it must be properly constituted. In other words, the State must be represented by a public prosecutor. However, nothing in principle prevents a court from striking a case off the roll in the absence of the prosecutor prosecuting in that particular matter. I however fail to see the relevance of this part of the question within the broader scenario of the case in question. In the case concerned, I am advised that on 2 February 2008, the accused appeared in the Pretoria-North Magistrate’s Court on a charge of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm. Because of the age of the offenders, the prosecutor considered alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. The accused were sent on a diversion course which they successfully completed. The social worker recommended on 3 April 2008 that the criminal matter be withdrawn. The matter was postponed to 5 May 2008 and the Senior Public Prosecutor referred the matter to the Chief Prosecutor to be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions for guidance. On 5 May 2008, the prosecutor sought a postponement pending the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The magistrate refused a further postponement, and since the prosecutor could not proceed with the case and declined to withdraw the matter, the magistrate struck the matter off the roll. Once the Director of Public Prosecutions has made a decision, the matter may, depending on the nature of his decision, be re-enrolled. If a member of the public or interested party is of the opinion that the Magistrate acted outside the framework of his judicial capacity and as such did not conduct himself appropriately, a complaint in this regard should be directed to the Magistrates Commission for investigation in terms of section 13 of the Magistrates Act, 1993. QUESTION 809 DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23/5/2008 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 14-2008) Mr C G Boinamo (DA) to ask the Minister of Education: (1) Whether race is a factor used when determining salary scales in education; if not, what is the cause of salary disparities between educators of different races who have the same (a) qualifications and (b) employment experience; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether her department has taken any steps to deal with these disparities; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NWS74E
REPLY (1) No, race no longer plays a role in determining teacher salaries. However, many African teachers were poorly qualified in the apartheid period and only upgraded their qualifications after 1994, and they may be paid less than other teachers who entered the profession with better qualifications to begin with. It is, therefore, possible for individuals with the same qualification and number of years of teaching experience to earn different salaries. (2) Yes, the Department has made a concerted effort to overcome this problem through a number of collective agreements reached with the unions in the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC). The following agreements recognised the qualifications of educators upgrading their qualifications from the lowest levels (former Department of Education and Training qualifications).
In addition, further agreements were reached:
Most recently, the ELRC Collective Agreement 1 of 2008 on the Occupation Specific Dispensation for Educators, which was signed on 3 April 2008, provides for an investigation of the implementation of all these previous agreements by 30 September 2008. If it is found that matters that were to be addressed by the previous collective agreements were not fully addressed or have not been properly implemented, then a proposal will be made to correct these anomalies. QUESTION 810 DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23/05/12008 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 14-2008) Mr G G Boinamo (DA) to ask the Minister of Education: Whether her department in implementing inclusive education in all schools, has ensured that (a) there are enough educators who have been trained to facilitate the teaching of children with different learning disabilities, (b) classrooms have been made accessible to learners with physical disabilities and (c) the availability of transport for children with disabilities has been properly arranged; if not, how do children with disabilities access education; if so, what are the relevant details? NWI500E
(a) No, we do not have as many trained teachers to implement inclusive education as we would like, but we have been training teachers. In the 2006/7 financial year the Department trained 2,300 educators and district personnel on the Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS) strategy and as well as on curriculum adaptation. Since April 2008 a further 800 educators and district officials have been trained. Training on SIAS, curriculum adaptation and assessment guidelines will be extended incrementally to educators in the mainstream. Some barriers to learning, such as visual and hearing impairments, require that educators receive specialised training. In 2007 the Department, assisted by the Stockholm Institute of Education, trained 50 educators for learners with low vision and 39 educators to deal with hearing impairments. The same training will be conducted during 2008, this time bringing in local experts to work alongside the Swedish experts. The Department is refining assessment guidelines for learners experiencing various barriers to learning including those that are disabled. (b) Infrastructural adaptation is advanced in 10 of the 30 primary schools selected to become full-service schools in our pilot project. Physical infrastructure planners in the various provinces have been involved in the process to ensure that future construction of schools, classrooms and toilets, follows the guidelines/criteria for making schools accessible to all. (c) The 397 special schools receive, as part of their budget allocation, subsidies for learner transport. The funding is intended for the purchase of school buses, the subsidisation of learner transport and for maintenance. The Department has made a bid to Treasury for an additional allocation in the 2008 MTEF allocation to strengthen learner transport for learners in special and full-service schools. In situations where learner transport is not a viable and cost-effective option, the Department makes hostel accommodation available. QUESTION NO. 812 DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23 MAY 2008 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 14) Mr M Waters (DA) to ask the Minister of Health: (1) Whether her department monitors all the waiting-lists for all hospitals; if not, (a) why not and (b) how service standards are monitored in this regard; if so, (i) how many lists are there, (ii) which operations or procedures do they cover and (iii) how often does her department receive such lists; (2) what is the current length of time a person has to wait for each operation or procedure at each hospital?NW1502EREPLY: The following information is as received from the Provinces: FREE STATE (1) Yes,
(2) This is indicated on the table per waiting list and category of patient.
GAUTENG (1) The Department monitors waiting lists for Tertiary Services (Cardiac, Orthopedics, and spinal surgery) which are predominantly performed at four Central hospitals. Kalafong and Helen Joseph hospitals render some Tertiary Services even though they are regional hospitals.
(i) - Orthopedic (Joint Replacement) - Surgery (Major Surgery – Cardiac)
(2) This varies from time to time and also from one hospital to another, but on average the waiting period ranges from six weeks to eighteen months. LIMPOPO (1) Waiting lists are being monitored in order to guide service delivery strategy.
(ii) Most surgery lists are interrupted by Emergency Surgery which is not provided for resulting in high cancellation figures.
EXAMPLE (i) Patient with CA Oesophagus Waits 3 weeks for appointment with surgeon, 5 weeks for Barium Swallow, 4 weeks for Histology = 12 weeks for a Diagnosis during which time he becomes too weak for surgical intervention. (ii) Lady with a breast lump Waits 3 – 12 Weeks for appointment with a surgeon, 5 weeks for Mammography 4 weeks for Histology, 2 months for Surgery = ± 8 – 12 weeks for surgery. SOLUTIONS
NORTHERN CAPE (1) Yes
(iii) The waiting lists are monitored on a weekly basis at the hospital level and submitted to the Provincial Department on a monthly basis. (2) The average waiting time for elective procedures is between 1 – 3 months. The patients are continuously followed-up during the wait time and if the clinical condition of the patients changes their surgeries are performed on the basis of emergency. WESTERN CAPE (1) The Western Cape Provincial Department of Health currently does not monitor waiting lists.
(2) In the Western Cape, access to emergency or urgent theatre is significantly reduced by several factors which includes; lack of post-operative bed capacity, lack of theatre availability, and or lack of theatre resources, namely staff and equipment. Emergency cases wait from 1 hour to 4 days for theatre time in the Western Cape. Each hospital has its own reasons, and these times vary during the week and the month. For elective surgery, the waiting lists again vary from 2 weeks through to 10 years, depending on the procedure required, the budget, access to theatre etc. Again there is tremendous variation from institution to institution: an example is that for a total hip replacement at Groote Schuur, the waiting lists are currently closed, because there is more than a 10 year wait. At Tygerberg, the waiting list is about 4 years for a Total Hip replacement. At Somerset the waiting list is about 2 years. For other procedures, like arthroscopic knee surgery, the wait is from 6 weeks at Victoria Hospital, to 5 years at Groote Schuur. Some hospitals no longer offer certain procedures because the trauma component is so high, and they no longer have the capacity. QUESTION 813 FOR WRITTEN REPLY Date of publication on internal question paper: 23 May 2008 Internal question paper no: 14 Mr M Waters (DA) to ask the Minister of Social Development: (1) Whether he or his department has taken any steps to relocate the Central Drug Authority to the Department of Health; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, when; (2) whether substance abuse is a mental health issue; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1503E
However, substance abuse is a cross-cutting issue and it requires an intersectoral and a multidisciplinary approach, of which health is just but one dimension. It is an acknowledged fact that the management of substance abuse must be holistic and involve individuals, families and communities at risk and those already affected by this scourge. The treatment of the persons is not only focused on the individual but also the environment in which he/she lives. It also requires a more proactive approach which provides for prevention, early intervention, treatment and, aftercare and reintegration services, which are beyond the scope of the Department of Health and more in the domain of social development. QUESTION 815 815. Ms A M Dreyer (DA) to ask the Minister of Labour: Whether any salary ranges were upgraded with regard to the promotion of staff at the Unemployment Insurance Fund in (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007; if not, why not; if so, (i) which salary ranges and (ii) on what criteria was each upgrade based? NW1506E The Minister of Labour replied:
Question 817 Mr M J Ellis (DA) to ask the Minister for Public Enterprises: (1)(a) What was the total rand value of (i) hotel accommodation procured for his departmental officials and (ii) conferencing facilities hired by his department during the period 1 October 2007 to 31 March 2008 and (b) in each case, what percentage was spent at establishments graded by the Tourism Grading Council;(2)whether there are any barriers to making use of graded establishments; if not, why is the use of graded facilities not higher; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1508E REPLY: (1)(a)(i) The total rand value for hotel accommodation: R 616,360.00. (ii) The total rand value for conferencing facilities: R 522,967.41. (b) Table 1: Percentage spent at establishments graded by the Tourism Grading Council:
(2) The department did not experience any barriers to making use of graded establishments.
(1) (a) What was the total rand value of (i) hotel accommodation procured for her departmental officials and (ii) conferencing facilities hired by her department during the period 1 October 2007 to 31 March 2008 and (b) in each case, what percentage was spent at establishments graded by the Tourism Grading Council; (2) whether there are any barriers to making use of graded establishments; if not, why is the use of graded facilities not higher; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1509E ---00O00--- REPLY:
(1) (a)(ii)
(b) Difficult to determine as this information was not captured in a system. (2) No. The bulk of the accommodation requirements of the officials that are travelling away from home on official business are done by the departmentally approved service providers and the reservations are predominately made at graded destinations. Officials however, can arrange for there own accommodation within the predetermined limits and are not obliged to stay at graded establishments. In some remote areas, graded accommodation is not necessarily easily available. The department supports the use of graded establishments as a first option of accommodation, where such accommodation is available. The department will in future develop a system to monitor the use of graded establishment QUESTION NO. 81 9 INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 14 of 2008 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 23 May 2008 Mr G R Morgan (DA) to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism: (1) (a) What was the total rand value of (i) hotel accommodation procured for departmental officials and (ii) conferencing facilities hired by his department during the period 1 October 2007 to 31 March 2008 and (b) in each case, what percentage was spent at establishments graded by the Tourism Grading Council; (2) whether there are any barriers to making use of graded establishments; if not, why is the use of graded facilities not higher; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1510E
the total amount spent on conferencing venues and facilities for the period 1 October 2007 to 31 March 2008 is R5 837 014. (b) (i) & (ii) It is department policy that only Tourism Graded establishments are booked for accommodation and conferencing facilities. The expenditure is therefore 100 percent. The departmental travel agencies are instructed to book graded establishments, however some barriers do sometimes exist such as graded facilities not meeting requirements in terms of the size of the conference facility versus the number of bedrooms available, facilities for people with disabilities, and location of graded establishments that require participants to travel long distances and preventing us using local facilities. QUESTION 820 DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 23 MAY 2008 [IQP N 08 -2008] Question 820 for Written Reply, National Assembly: Mr I F Julies (DA) to ask the Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs: (1) Whether human waste may be used as a fertiliser on agricultural land; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what regulations govern the use of human waste; (2) whether the use of human waste as fertiliser on agricultural land poses any environmental threat; if not, how was this conclusion reached; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1511E
(1) Raw human waste cannot be used on agricultural land as fertilizer. Only sewage sludge which has been disinfected and stabilized as organic fertilizer from the treatment of raw sewage sludge can be used as fertilizer. It must further meet the requirements for total metal an inorganic content as prescribed in table 12 of the fertilizer regulations, Regulation no R 250 of 3 March 2007 published in the Government Gazette no 29720. (2) If it is not treated it may pose a serious environmental treat which can have serious implications for human and animal health. However, if it is treated these threats can be mitigated. QUESTION NO. 823 (Internal Question Paper No 14 – 2008) Mr W P Doman (DA) to ask the Minister for Provincial and Local Government:
ANSWER
QUESTION NO. 824 WRITTEN REPLY Mr A C Steyn, MP (DA) to ask the Minister of Housing: Whether any economically sustainable communities have been developed over the past fourteen years through the RDP housing; if not, why not; if so (a) how many, (b) where are they located and (c) how was their sustainability measured. Reply The concept of economically sustainable communities was only adopted in relation to the Comprehensive Plan for the Establishment of Sustainable Human Settlements (Breaking New Ground) introduced in 2004 and therefore has no bearing on the RDP housing programmes. Question 826 Mr S B Farrow (DA) to ask the Minister for Public Enterprises: (a) How many (i) aviation engineers and (ii) technicians are employed by the SA Airways (SAA), (b) how many posts in respect of the above two categories are needed to maintain the current fleet at optimum safety levels, (c) how many posts in each case have been vacated over the past 12 months and (d) what plans are in place to ensure (i) a steady stream of replacement personnel for any vacant positions in these categories and (ii) the safety levels of the current and any additional aircraft to the SAA fleet are maintained to international standards? NW1517E Reply: (a)(i-ii) SAA Technical (SAAT) has technicians in direct aircraft maintenance, aircraft component repair and other shop floor functions. These technicians fall into two categories:
(b) It is estimated that at current work levels an additional 80 to 100 technicians are required to ensure that work is completed on time. (c) There has been a loss of 305 Technicians over the last twelve months, comprising 193 Licensed Technicians and 112 Unlicensed Technicians. (d)(i)(ii) SAAT has embarked on a targeted recruitment drive as an immediate recovery plan. To ensure a constant flow of Technical staff into the future, SAAT has increased capacity in Apprentice Training. SAAT will also increase capacity for post-apprenticeship training to replace lost technical skills All work carried out by SAAT is continuously monitored and audited by independent quality inspectors / auditors from the airlines and operators whose aircraft SAAT maintains, including SAA aircraft. SAAT is also audited annually by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Association (EASA). QUESTION NO. 827 827. Mr K J Minnie (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration: (1) Whether (a) a consultative process was followed and (b) a cost-benefit analysis was done prior to the adoption of the Government’s software procurement policy; if not, why not in each case; if so, (i) when, (ii) by whom was the policy adopted, (iii)(aa) when and (bb) how were (aaa) calls for public participation and (bbb) the policy published and (iv) what steps have been taken towards implementation; (2) whether, with reference to the extent of support for and cost and inconvenience regarding Open Source Software (OSS), the Government’s policy requires all proprietary software to be replaced by OSS; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1518E
1 a). The Government IT Officer Council (GITOC) has a working group on open source. This working group has led discussion and consultation with national and provincial government departments on issues of open source and open standards 1b) A cost benefit analysis has not been undertaken on the use of open source nsoftware. Neither has a cost-benefit analysis been undertaken on the use of proprietary software and vendor lock-in. It should be noted that cost is not the only consideration, arguably not even the most important consideration when procuring software. Other considerations, including developing a software capability and developing skills on open source platforms can be a consideration. Cabinet endorsed the Open Source Software (OSS) Policy on 22 February 2007. The IT systems and platforms used by the South African government have not been treated as a matter for public debate and no formal public participation process is proposed or envisaged. Where solutions are required and procured through a public tender process open source solutions are encouraged but not mandatory. The open source policy document is available on the DPSA website at http://www.dpsa.gov.za/egov_documents.asp After 2003 a number of amendments to procurement procedures administered by the State IT Agency were implemented. Most notably an Open Source Software tender was issued, which authorised a number of service providers to be utilised by government institutions to implement FOSS. This tender is still valid.
2) The current policy encourages and supports the development of open source products but does not make the replacement of proprietary software compulsory, it also does not set timeframes for doing so. Replacement strategies can include strategies for creating the necessary support first, possibly replacing software in phases as the support becomes available. Cost and inconvenience of implementation are short term phenomena that are in the longer term normally overtaken by the economy, reliability and ease of maintenance of FOSS. 831. Dr R Rabinowitz (IFP) to ask the Minister of Labour: (1) Whether he will ensure that his department (a) monitors and (b) reduces its carbon footprint with immediate effect; if so, how will this be done; (2) Whether this will include the phasing out of glossy publications from all agencies or councils reporting to him; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) (a) what is the estimated cost of all such (i) reports and (ii) publications per annum in the case of these agencies and all other working documents of his department and (b) what kinds of (i) energy are being used in the offices of his department and (ii) energy saving measures are being implemented in these offices? The Minister of Labour replied:
(a) (i) Not applicable (ii) Not applicable
(ii) All staff is obligated to switch off all electronic and electrical equipment at the end of business each day, including the lights in all offices. QUESTION NO. 832 (Internal Question Paper No 15 – 2008) Dr R Rabinowitz (IFP) to ask the Minister for Provincial and Local Government:
ANSWER
(b) (i) Electricity. (ii) Energy saving measures being implemented are the following: 1.37
QUESTION NO 833 DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 30 MAY 2008 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 15/2008) Date reply submitted: 18 June 2008 Dr R Rabinowitz (IFP) to ask the Minister of Safety and Security: (1) Whether he will ensure that his department (a) monitors and (b) reduces its carbon footprint with immediate effect; if so, how will this be done; (2) whether this will include the phasing out of glossy publications from all agencies or councils reporting to him; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) (a) what is the estimated cost of all such (i) reports and (ii) publications per annum in the case of these agencies and all other working documents of his department and (b) what kinds of (i) energy are being used in the offices of his department and (ii) energy saving measures are being implemented in these offices? NW1219E REPLY: 1(a) This department interprets the term "carbon footprint" as the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted by human activity over a specific period of time and relating to a specific activity which, in the case of this enquiry, relates to policing in South Africa. There are generally two ways of establishing the carbon footprint of a department, namely direct (or on site) emissions, and indirect (or off site) emissions. Given the size of the SAPS and the fact that it is distributed geographically across the entire country, the determining of the direct emissions associated with policing would be an immense task. To estimate the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases directly associated with the provision of a policing service in South Africa would require a detailed examination of the physical resources utilised by the SAPS including, inter alia, vehicles, office lighting, heating / cooling and power usage. 1(b) The Department recently implemented organisation wide energy saving measures in response to Government’s call for more responsible utilisation of energy. These energy saving mechanisms include the switching off of lighting and other forms of electronic equipment not being utilised, especially after normal working hours. The Department also employs other mechanisms to improve the effective and efficient utilisation of resources, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of the organisation, including vehicle fleet management, in terms of which the utilisation of every vehicle allocated to the Department is used for a specific operational or support purpose and its use is supervised. The monitoring and reducing of the carbon footprint of the Department will, therefore, not be an easy task, but is one which will also require a standardised approach to the measuring of direct and indirect forms of emissions within Government as a whole 2. The glossy publications that are developed by the Department are produced in accordance with legislation and government policy. 3. The Department has a very stringent financial and budgetary management process in place at all levels. The estimated cost of the corporate documents compiled by the Department may be summarised as follows:
QUESTION NO 834 DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 30 MAY 2008 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 15/2008) Date reply submitted: 18 June 2008 Mr P J Groenewald (FF Plus) to ask the Minister for Safety and Security: (1) How many (a) farm attacks and (b) farm murders occurred in 2005, (ii) 2006 and (iii) 2007 in each province; (2) whether he will make a statement on the matter? NW1522E REPLY: (1) (i) 2005
(ii) 2006
(iii) Statistics for the 2007 calendar year will only become available once crime figures for the 2007/2008 financial year are released by the Minister. (2) No. QUESTION NUMBER 836 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 30 MAY 2008 Mr W D Spies (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Finance: Whether currently there is any form of (a) subsidisation of expenses or (b)(i) exemption or (ii) writeback of (aa) VAT and (bb) fuel levies for taxi operators who are (aaa) members and (bbb) not members of taxi associations; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details in each case? NW1524E REPLY:
QUESTION 838 INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER [NO 15-2008] Yüklə 3,8 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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