Parliamentary questions
Helen Eadie
919 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is on track to vaccinate the 1.2 million in the priority at-risk groups by 31 December 2009.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The H1N1 vaccination programme is proceeding well and health boards have indicated that vaccination has been offered to all patients in the initial priority groups. A mop up exercise is taking place to the end of January.</p> <p >The second phase, for childr…
10 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to support GPs and ensure that phone lines are not blocked by at-risk patients seeking vaccination against influenza A (H1N1).
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: At the start of the vaccination programme, patients in the at-risk groups were asked to wait until they were contacted by their GP before making an appointment to have their vaccination. Health boards have indicated that vaccination has been offered to all th…
10 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the provision of influenza A (H1N1) vaccine is slow and causing some of the at-risk groups to be turned away or vaccinations delayed.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No. NHS Scotland has now received the total supplies required to vaccinate all those in the initial at-risk priority groups. They have also received all of the vaccine supply required to vaccinate children over six months and under five years in the second ph…
29 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to provide inpatient beds for children and adolescents with mental health issues in line with recommendations made in the Child Health Support Group Inpatient Working Group report, Psychiatric Inpatient Services for Children and Young People in Scotland: A Way For…
Answer · Shona Robison: We are working to implement fully <i >The Mental Health of Children and Young People: A Framework for Promotion, Prevention and Care</i> (Bib. number 38415) by 2015. To support this we have made available £2 million on a recurring basis to accelerate the deve…
25 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been put in place to meet the staffing needs of the new west of Scotland adolescent psychiatry inpatient unit.
Answer · Shona Robison: This is a matter for West of Scotland NHS boards (Ayrshire and Arran, Dumfries and Galloway, Forth Valley, Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Lanarkshire) who are jointly responsible for delivering a service for patients in their areas.</p> <p >However, we are wo…
25 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds for forensic patients are dedicated to (a) children and (b) adolescents with learning difficulties.
Answer · Shona Robison: The number of children and adolescents requiring care and treatment in a secure forensic psychiatric unit in Scotland is very small, and even within this small group of patients the needs are very different, for example, some may have a learning disability, a…
25 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds in psychiatric units are dedicated to (a) children and (b) adolescents with learning difficulties.
Answer · Shona Robison: There are no specific beds in psychiatric units dedicated to children and adolescents with learning difficulties. Children with learning difficulties who are assessed as requiring inpatient accommodation in a psychiatric unit will be treated in one of the nin…
3 Sep 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last had discussions with VisitScotland.
Answer · Jim Mather : <i > This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0903-01.htm">http://www.scot…
2 Sep 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Fife Council about its budget for 2010-11.
Answer · John Swinney : <i >This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0910-01.htm">http://www.scot…
18 Jun 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last attended a Council of Ministers meeting.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill, attended the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 4 and 5 June 2009.</p>
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to local authorities to encourage them to develop swimming life-saving classes for young children.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has not issued any guidance to local authorities on this matter.</p> <p >However, Scottish Swimming offers personal survival activity programmes for young children of all ages (including a programme available for schools). It is for i…
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has produced guidance for local authorities on the desirability of establishing mother and baby fun swimming classes.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has not issued any guidance to local authorities on this matter.</p> <p >However, promoted alongside the national Learn to Swim programme, Scottish Swimming offers a Adult and Child Swimming programme. This resource offers a valuable …
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS boards to identify where gaps exist in swimming pool provision for patients who could benefit from hydrotherapy.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards are responsible for assessing the need for hydrotherapy services in their areas and for providing or obtaining services in accordance with their assessments. The Scottish Government has had no recent discussion with boards about provision of hydrot…
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has provided guidance to local authorities regarding free or discounted access to their swimming pools.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We will continue to work with local government to develop policy in areas where local government has a key interest including our ambitions for swimming.</p> <p >There are a number of local authorities such as Perth and Kinross, Moray and Inverclyde who alr…
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15382 by Stewart Maxwell on 27 August 2008, whether it has attempted to ascertain how many local authorities provide free or discounted access to their swimming pools.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Officials have asked sportscotland through its partnership manager network to establish as best they can the number and range of schemes in place in local authorities which offer free or discounted access to their swimming pools.</p>
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what schemes the Scottish Swimming Healthy Living Manager has developed to ensure that as many people as possible start to swim.
Answer · Shona Robison: The work of the Scottish Swimming Healthy Living Manager falls into two areas: </p> <p >Targeting those who are inactive through swimming/aquatics programmes;</p> <p >Targeting those who already swim but who could be encouraged to do more or to maintain the…
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what capital budget the Scottish Swimming Healthy Living Manager has.
Answer · Shona Robison: As the role of the Healthy Living Managers is to implement and deliver a healthy living strategy building on existing services they do not have a capital budget.</p>
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what revenue budget the Scottish Swimming Healthy Living Manager has.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Swimming Healthy Living Manager has access to a small revenue budget of £20,000 through Kellogg''s Swim Active.</p> <p >The point is to build on existing activity. The Healthy Living Managers will work closely with the Scottish Swimming managem…
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how long the Scottish Swimming Healthy Living Manager post has been occupied.
Answer · Shona Robison: The post has been filled on a job share basis since 23 March 2009.</p>
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken, separate from local authorities, to build world-class swimming pools in the next two years.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has made funding available through sportscotland for the development of sporting facilities including swimming pools.</p>
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with local authorities since May 2007 regarding the construction of new swimming pools and, if so, when and where any such pools will be built.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24889 on 9 July 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.u…
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with local authorities since May 2007 regarding the construction of Olympic-standard swimming pools and, if so, when and where any such pools will be built.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: It is for individual local authorities to decide whether to progress plans for swimming pools in meeting their statutory responsibility to ensure there is adequate provision of sporting and recreational facilities. However sportscotland are currently working …
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to collect data and identify where hydrotherapy pools exist to assist disabled people and people with musculoskeletal problems.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards are responsible for assessing the need for hydrotherapy services in their areas and for providing or obtaining services in accordance with their assessments. Most NHS boards in Scotland provide access to hydrotherapy services. There are no plans to…
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many swimming pools there are per head of population.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Sportscotland maintains a range of information relating to sports facilities including swimming pools and I would encourage the member to contact sportscotland direct to establish whether the …
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to encourage adults to become involved in swimming.
Answer · Shona Robison: In conjunction with sportscotland, the national agency for sport in Scotland, this is principally a matter for Scottish Swimming, the governing body for swimming in Scotland. </p> <p >The Scottish Government supports the approach that the governing body is t…
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to encourage young people to become involved in swimming.
Answer · Shona Robison: In conjunction with sportscotland, the national agency for sport in Scotland, this is principally a matter for Scottish Swimming, the governing body for swimming in Scotland. </p> <p >The Scottish Government supports the approach that the governing body is t…
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the £1.2 million allocated to Scottish Swimming over the next 12 months will be invested.
Answer · Shona Robison: The £1.2 million investment from sportscotland to Scottish Swimming can be broken down across their corporate plan priorities as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td valign=top > <p >Coaching </p> </td> <td valign=…
16 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has developed for each local authority area to secure a legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We published the interim Games Legacy Plan on 18 December 2008 which set the direction in providing a lasting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and also the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. We aim to publish our full Legacy Plan later…
9 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last attended a Council of Ministers meeting.
28 May 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has of any adverse financial impact on individuals and couples arising from problems in relation to missives for new-build properties.
Answer · Alex Neil: Both MSPs and members of the public have highlighted a number of financial difficulties that people are experiencing when purchasing new homes. (These include having to sell their existing property in a much less favourable market than would previously have b…