Parliamentary questions
Dorothy-Grace Elder
645 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff are employed by the Health Technology Board for Scotland on salaries of (a) under #40,000 and (b) over #40,000 and how many are (i) part-time and (ii) full-time.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: At 1 January 2002, the Health Technology Board for Scotland employed 13 full-time staff on salaries of under £40,000 and three full-time staff on salaries of over £40,000 (one executive grade, one medical and one scientific). All 16 members of staff are emplo…
8 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why 30 women in Glasgow who have recently been tested positive for HER2 and have secondary breast cancer are not receiving the drug Herceptin.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Guidance from the National Institute of Clinical Excellence on the use of Trastuzamab (Herceptin) is awaited.<P>Clinicians are responsible for making appropriate decisions on treatment in individual cases, in consultation with their patient.
8 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is the Health Technology Board for Scotland's policy to await reports by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence on guidance on new drugs for health boards before making its own statements on such guidance and what the reason is for the position on this matter.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: If a new drug is already on the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Technology Appraisal Guidance work programme, the Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) will usually await the publication of the NICE Guidance and then provide an authori…
7 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional help and assistance it plans to make available to young people with disabilities and their carers.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive is committed to supporting vulnerable families and ensuring that all children receive the best start in life. From 20 December 2001, 16- and 17-year-olds with disabilities have been able to receive direct payments to purchase children's…
7 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to extend free personal care to younger people with severe disabilities.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has no plans at present to extend free personal care to younger people with disabilities.
7 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the figures for breast cancer incidence rates for 1998 will be made available.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The 1998 breast cancer incidence data are now available on line at:<P><A HREF="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/cancer/facts_figures/types/breast.htm">http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/cancer/facts_figures/types/breast.htm</A>
7 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of HER2 patients in Glasgow has received the drug Herceptin.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally. Local management confirm that NHS Greater Glasgow currently supports the use of Herceptin. Decisions on treatment are the responsibility of clinicians in consultation with their patient.
7 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the Beatson Oncology Centre does not make Herceptin available for NHS patients given that one of the three HER2 testing reference laboratories in the UK funded by a drug company is based there.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is expected to provide guidance on the use of Trastuzamab in the near future.<P>Pending this guidance and Health Technology Board for Scotland Comment, Herceptin is currently supported by NHS Greater Glasgow and …
7 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of breast cancer patients has been tested for HER2.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.
7 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific funding has been made available for research into the causes of breast cancer.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Within the Scottish Executive Health Department, the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health services and patient care within the NHS in Scotland and, as such, is the main departmental funder of NHS-…
7 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to address the increase in the level of breast cancer.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Tackling cancer in all its forms is a continuing priority for the Scottish Executive and the NHS in Scotland. This is being addressed in a variety of ways including:<P>A continuing emphasis of health promotion and health education backed up by a £100 million …
7 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will start funding testing for HER2 in breast cancer patients.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Planning and provision of clinical services is a matter for NHS boards based on the assessed needs of their resident patient populations, taking into account available clinical and cost effectiveness guidance.
7 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what hospitals are currently prescribing Herceptin for the treatment of secondary breast cancer and whether this is prescribed on a trial basis or otherwise.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally. Herceptin is available on the NHS. However, its use depends on the clinical judgement of specialists experienced in the management of cancer. Data on drugs dispensed in hospitals is not held centrally. Centrall…
21 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid to each Independent Tenant Advisor assisting with the proposed housing stock transfers since 16 June 2001 and who the sub-contractors employed by each advisor are.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Executive has made resources available to councils for independent advice to tenants. The amounts paid to each Independent Tenant advisor are a matter for individual councils. No information is held centrally on sub-contractors employed by tenant advisors.
21 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19641 by Mr Alasdair Morrison on 16 November 2001, when it will publish the research it has commissioned on maximising employment opportunities from the proposed housing stock transfer.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The research commissioned by the Scottish Executive into construction skills gaps, designed to help maximise employment opportunities from housing stock transfer, is in the final stages of editing. It will be published as a joint report by Communities Scotlan…
21 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19788 by Ross Finnie on 21 November 2001, why details relating to the gate fees negotiated with companies under the Over Thirty Month Slaughter Scheme are a matter of commercial confidentiality and whether this information has been made available in …
Answer · Ross Finnie: Gate fees are negotiated between individual companies and the Rural Payments Agency for work relating to the operation of the Over Thirty Month Scheme (OTMS). These fees are agreed following negotiations based on bids submitted to the agency through competiti…
21 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19274 by Ms Margaret Curran on 23 November 2001, how many part-time jobs would be created if the proposed Glasgow housing stock transfer were to proceed.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The feasibility study into the Glasgow housing transfer estimated that over 3,000 full time equivalent jobs would be created. No analysis has been undertaken on how many of these jobs would be part-time.
21 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19263 by Ms Margaret Curran on 23 November 2001, under what circumstances it is empowered to intervene in any proposed demolitions of local authority housing stock.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Decisions regarding the demolition of local authority housing stock are a matter for individual councils. The Executive has no powers to intervene in these decisions.
21 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19551 by Malcolm Chisholm on 26 November, when the results of the survey by the Strategy Forum on waiting times for local authority equipment and adaptations services which are assessed by social services departments will be published.
Answer · Hugh Henry: <I>Equipment and Adaptation Services in Scotland: A Survey of Waiting Times for Social Work Provision </I>was written by Dr Edward Hall with the Scottish Executive Social Work Services Inspectorate and published by the Scottish Executive Central Research Unit…
21 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19550 by Malcolm Chisholm on 26 November 2001, what the total allocation was to each local authority to assist with any delays in making alterations to the homes of people with disabilities who wished to continue living in their own homes as an alter…
Answer · Hugh Henry: There were no specific allocations to local authorities to assist with any delays in the years 1995-96 to 1999-2000.
21 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19550 by Malcolm Chisholm on 26 November 2001, whether it will give a breakdown by local authority of the #5 million allocation to assist with any delays in making alterations to the homes of people with disabilities who wish to continue living in th…
Answer · Hugh Henry: The £5 million was allocated as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=281><TR><TD WIDTH="63%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">COUNCIL</FONT></TD><TD WIDTH="37%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">£</FONT></…
21 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current level of provision is of NHS (a) analogue and (b) digital hearing aids, broken down by health board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table shows (a) analogue and (b) digital hearing aids as a percentage of the total of analogue and digital hearing aids drawn off the central Scottish Healthcare Supplies contract by each NHS board area between January and September 2001.<TABLE …
21 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19250 by Susan Deacon on 16 November 2001, under what circumstances digital hearing aids are made available free from the NHS.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Good practice guidance issued to NHSScotland in March last year recommends that when a patient requires, and can benefit from a feature which is only available in digital instruments, these should be made available to meet clinical needs.
20 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that there is no disparity between any commercial information which it makes available to the Scottish Parliament and the commercial information which Whitehall departments make available to the UK Parliament.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Whether or not commercial information can be disclosed is considered on a case by case basis, under the terms of the <I>Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information</I>. UK Government departments, when considering whether to release commercial…
20 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent representations it has made to ensure that there is no adverse social or economic impact in Scotland as a result of any alterations to the provision of postal services following the proposals recently announced by Consignia.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Post Office and postal services are reserved matters. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government and Consignia on a wide range of issues.
13 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18980 by Jackie Baillie on 23 November 2001, what the current estimate is of the number of local authority houses in Glasgow which will have central heating installed in (a) 2002-03, (b) 2003-04 and (c) 2004-05.
Answer · Iain Gray: This depends on the outcome of the ballot on stock transfer. Regardless of the outcome of the ballot, we have said consistently that all local authority houses in Glasgow will receive central heating.
13 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19641 by Mr Alasdair Morrison on 16 November 2001, when the research which it commissioned to help maximise employment opportunities from the housing stock transfer will be published.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The research commissioned by the Scottish Executive into construction skills gaps, designed to help maximise employment opportunities from housing stock transfer, will be published early in the new year.
13 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what different options are available for local authority tenants having central heating installed under its central heating installation programme and whether tenants can have central heating installed other than through a programme of works organised by their local authority.
Answer · Iain Gray: Local authorities run the Central Heating Programme for their tenants. They have been asked to offer a choice of heating system where it is reasonable and practicable to do so. Local authority tenants can only access the Central Heating Programme through thei…
13 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in which prisons prisoners are still slopping out each morning and how many prisoners are slopping out in each such prison.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The total number of prisoner places in the SPS estate which do not have access to proper night time sanitation is 1,905, distributed as f…
5 Dec 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) council-owned and (b) private houses occupied by pensioners have had heating installed under its free central heating programme.
Answer · Iain Gray: Eaga have installed 300 systems and surveyed another 1,100 houses. They will have central heating shortly and by 31 March a total of 3,500 owners and private renters will have benefited from the programme. We do not yet have figures for the number of council …