Helen Eadie

25 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider providing additional resources to NHS boards to address waiting times for infertility services that have been cited as being up to six years.

Answer · Shona Robison: We are currently considering options for reducing waiting times in individual NHS board areas. We are aware that waiting times are long for this service and vary significantly between NHS boards, but the issues underlying these waiting times are complex and l…

25 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider framing the remit of a national advisory council for infertility and assisted conception services to include holding the Scottish Government to account for making progress in developing such services.

Answer · Shona Robison: We are currently considering options on infertility services in Scotland.</p>

25 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider establishing a national advisory council for infertility and assisted conception services.

Answer · Shona Robison: We are currently considering options on infertility services in Scotland. The way in which stakeholders will be involved in the further development of policy is one of the issues we are considering.</p>

17 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how long it takes to process applications for (a) Disclosure Scotland and (b) enhanced Disclosure Scotland checks.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Disclosure Scotland provides three types of Disclosures: Basic, Standard and Enhanced. Two performance measures are used for turnaround times; one for basic applications, and one for Standard and Enhanced applications. Both are measured against a service leve…

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place between the UK Government and Scottish ministers on the financial impact assessment of the EU draft cross-border health care directive on Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No such meetings have taken place as any cost to Scotland in implementing the cross-border health care directive is primarily a matter for the Scottish Government.</p> <p >The cost to treat patients abroad will ultimately fall on the home NHS board. The cro…

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Minister for Public Health and Sport has met (a) MEPs and (b) EU commissioners in Brussels since May 2007.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21828 on 23 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Minister for Public Health and Sport has met European Commission officials in Brussels since May 2007.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21828 on 23 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Minister for Public Health and Sport has met European Commission officials in the United Kingdom since May 2007.

Answer · Shona Robison: No such meetings have taken place, although I am keen to engage with Europe on important health issues for Scotland.</p> <p >My officials are in the process of identifying a suitable opportunity and developing a programme for me to visit Brussels to discuss …

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing has met (a) MEPs and (b) EU commissioners in Brussels since May 2007.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21826 on 23 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <u><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/App…

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing has met European Commission officials since May 2007.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No such meetings have taken place, although I am keen to engage with Europe, when appropriate opportunities arise, on important health issues including the proposals for a cross-border health care Directive.</p> <p >I had planned to visit Brussels in January…

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new schools it has commissioned since May 2007.

Answer · Keith Brown: Local authorities are continuing to commission schools using the record levels of capital funding made available by the Scottish Government. They are taking forward a £2 billion investment programme in schools which should see 250 new or refurbished schools b…

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition of adequate provision is with regard to provision of facilities for recreational, sporting, cultural and social activities in the context of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.

Answer · Shona Robison: It is not for the Scottish Government to define what constitutes adequate provision of facilities. It is for local authorities to determine according to local needs and circumstances. Where sports facilities are concerned, sportscotland provide a range of adv…

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to build any regional swimming pools that fit international competition standards in the next three years.

Answer · Shona Robison: It is not for the Scottish Government to build swimming pools but, through sportscotland, the government will work with local authorities and Scottish Swimming to ensure that we have in place sufficient swimming pools to meet the needs of our emerging and tal…

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there should be a swimming pool in every town with a population of more than 10,000.

Answer · Shona Robison: It is for local authorities to determine the level of provision of swimming pools according to local needs and circumstances.</p>

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities about the maintenance and condition of swimming pools in each local authority area.

Answer · Shona Robison: None. It is for the owners and operators of swimming pools to ensure that they have in place a robust maintenance regime to ensure they continue to operate in a safe and usable condition which meets reasonable customer needs.</p>

5 Mar 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to investigate the severity of financial problems caused to individuals who have paid deposits for new-build houses by property developers failing to deliver on time.

Answer · Alex Neil: <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/sor0305-01.htm">http://www.scot…

29 Jan 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what will be on its list of priorities for development across Scotland when it next meets leaders of industry and local authorities.

Answer · John Swinney: Our priority is - and remains - our economic purpose: to create a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable growth.</p> <p >We have published an Infrastructure Investment Plan and an Economic …

15 Jan 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS Fife, Fife Council and nursing trade unions on training carers in homes for people with complex needs to replace fully qualified nursing staff.

Answer · Shona Robison : <i > This PQ was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></b></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0115-01.htm">http://www.scotti…

8 Jan 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is confident of delivering its pledge of lower class sizes for P1 to P3.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: <i >This PQ 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/sor0108-01.htm">http://www.scottish.pa…

5 Dec 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the rolling out of Keep Yer Shirt On, the pilot programme run in Tayside and Fife to heighten awareness of the dangers of sunlight.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Keep Yer Shirt On sun awareness campaign was initiated by NHS Tayside and Fife and ran from April 2002 for two years with funding from the Big Lottery Fund (BLF) targeting carers of pre-school children. Following its success, further funding was provided …

18 Nov 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Ambulance Service intends for call handlers’ basic training to cover the importance of asking about a personal care plan in an identified epilepsy case.

Answer · Shona Robison: Scottish Ambulance Service call handlers follow strict protocols to ensure that patients receive the most appropriate response. Their primary focus is to ascertain what the patient''s condition is at the time of the call and to carry out pre-dispatch instruct…

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation has been undertaken regarding a scheme that would take trains into Gogar with a tram interchange.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland is leading the project to establish an interchange between rail and tram in the Gogar area. Preliminary consultation with local land owners including the City of Edinburgh Council, Network Rail and TIE Ltd (Edinburgh Tram project) has taken…

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has set a timetable for the construction of the replacement of the Forth Road Bridge.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Yes. We are operating to the timetable for the construction of the Forth Replacement Crossing set out by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth in December 2007.</p> <p >The timetable envisages construction commencing in 2011 and an opening…

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive by what process the use of funds for the promotion of tourism in Fife is decided.

Answer · Jim Mather: VisitScotland''s promotion of Scotland and its areas, and the process by which it allocates marketing funds, is based on sophisticated market research, which identifies what visitors are looking for in a trip to Scotland. This allows VisitScotland to focus sp…

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how Fife is marketed as a tourist location and how this compares to other regions in Scotland.

Answer · Jim Mather: As with all areas of Scotland, Fife is marketed by VisitScotland according to what it has to offer its visitors, and what these visitors are looking for on their visit. Fife''s strengths include: golf, touring, great outdoors, food and drink, walking, nature,…

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much public funding is used to market Fife as a tourist location and how this compares to other regions in Scotland.

Answer · Jim Mather: VisitScotland''s spend on promoting Scotland and its areas in the tourism market is not allocated on a local authority or area basis, but, importantly, according to what VisitScotland know visitors look for in a holiday to Scotland. Because VisitScotland does…

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many ambulances regularly operate without a paramedic, also expressed as a percentage.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not available from the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) IT systems.</p> <p >However, the SAS recruits and trains to allow for traditional accident and emergency ambulances to be staffed by a paramedic and a technician. In circumstances wh…

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the ratio is of Scottish Ambulance Service paramedics to Scottish Ambulance Service technicians.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Ambulance Service has confirmed that it currently employs 1,229 paramedics and 986 technicians. This is a ratio of around 1.2:1.</p>

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what training a Scottish Ambulance Service paramedic receives that a Scottish Ambulance Service technician does not.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16872 on 28 October 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15518 by Shona Robison on 3 September 2008, whether it will provide more specific details about the training that Scottish Ambulance Service paramedics receive in the management of difficult epilepsy cases.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the revised answer to question S3W-15516 on 3 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliame…