Parliamentary questions

Irene Oldfather

1,035 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executivewhat importance it places on providing support services for dementia sufferers.

Answer · Shona Robison: Dementia is a nationalpriority and we place great importance on support services for dementiasufferers.Following publication of theMental Welfare Commission Report Older and Wiser - Findings from ourunannounced visits to NHS continuing care ward (Bib. …

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executivewhat discussions it intends to have with NHS boards and local authorities about improving support services for dementia sufferers and their carers.

Answer · Shona Robison: Following publication of theMental Welfare Commission Report Older and Wiser - Findings from our unannouncedvisits to NHS continuing care ward (Bib. number 42946), I have asked the NHSboards to provide action plans that set out how they will ens…

29 May 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider any discount measures for churches and charitable organisations should it decide not to renew the current water and sewerage charge exemption scheme beyond 2010.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-326 on 8 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.sea…

29 May 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the further extension of the water and sewerage charge exemption scheme for churches and charitable organisations beyond its scheduled end date in 2010.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Executive’s generalpolicy is that all customers, including charitable organisations and other organisationswhich serve a public function, should contribute to the cost of the water servicesthat they use. Some of these organisations are currently …

29 May 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans, in conjunction with Scottish Water, to review water and sewerage charges.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Executive intendsto consult on its principles of charging for the period 2010-14 in the autumn.

23 May 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give any consideration to banning vessels from fishing for spurdog on Scottish sea lochs during the height of the spurdog breeding season.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scientific advice indicates thatspurdog can be vulnerable to over exploitation and recommends that there shouldbe no targeted fishing. Whilst current EUlegislation prohibits such a fishery in the North Sea, the prohibition does notapply to the North East Atla…

23 May 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any threat to the spurdog species caused by overfishing, particularly in light of concerns that reproductive females, which are pregnant for nearly two years, are targeted by fisheries due to their large size.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I am aware that scientificadvice indicates that Spurdog, which is a slow developing species with lowfecundity, can be vulnerable to over exploitation and recommends that there shouldbe no targeted fishing.

23 May 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis it has carried out of the presence of the spurdog species in sea lochs.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: During 2005,Fisheries Research Services conducted surveys in the Loch Sunart and Loch Hournareas as part of research into the use of inshore habitat by juvenile fish. Spurdog,in the weight range 12 to 20 kilograms, were found in quite large numbers inthose ar…

23 May 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what priority it will place on encouraging economic development in Scotland.

Answer · John Swinney: In his statement to parliamentlast week, the First Minister set out the future direction of economic policy inScotland. He made clear that delivering faster and more sustainable growth is thisgovernment’s overarching priority.In particular, we have set…

16 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that bus drivers are aware of the terms of the Thistle Travel Card scheme and treat passengers presenting such cards with due patience and consideration.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Executive initiallyprovided funding of £50,000 to ENABLE to produce the Thistle Card, guidance tolocal authorities and promotional materials. In 2003-04 an additional £21,557 wasprovided to produce further leaflets and promotional material for the scheme.…

1 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to improve standards in care homes following the publication of the Care Commission’s recent study of services.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Improving standards of carein Scotland is what we set up the Care Commission to do. I amconfident that the commission acts in the best interest of the many vulnerablepeople who use care services, and that it will take immediate and appropriateaction when serv…

1 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in conjunction with local authorities to tackle climate change.

Answer · Ross Finnie: As part of Changing Our Ways:Scotland’s Climate Change Programme, the Executive supported a partnership processleading to the announcement last month of Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration. This is a common declarationof intent on climate change whic…

31 Jan 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Funding Council about the current position at James Watt College.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has beenin regular discussion with the Scottish Funding Council on the current positionof James Watt College.Along with the Chair of the Scottish Funding Council and others, I visited the college only last week to hearfirst-hand …

22 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to NHS boards in relation to granting patients access to the medical records of living relatives.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Health Rights InformationScotland is a project based within the Scottish Consumer Council, and funded bythe Scottish Executive Health Department. It is a joint initiative to raise thequality of information available to patients in the NHS.The project h…

22 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to NHS boards in relation to granting patients access to their own medical records.

22 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to NHS boards in relation to granting family members access to the medical records of deceased patients.

12 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent average waiting times for angioplasty were in (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Mostpatients who require in-patient or day case treatment, including angioplasty, aretreated very quickly. Over 53% of patients treated in NHSScotland hospitals receiveimmediate treatment and never join a waiting list. Of those who wait, almost 40%are admitte…

12 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to NHS boards in relation to sharing information about patients who require to transfer to another NHS board area for further treatment.

Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS patients in Scotland mayreceive treatment outside their NHS board of residence for a range of reasons, includingaccessing services at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital and highly specialised (tertiary) services at the majorteaching centres. Many thousa…

12 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the maximum wait for an angioplasty should be for a patient following an angiogram that identifies a need for the procedure.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The current national maximumwaiting time for angioplasty, following angiography, is 18 weeks.Published information shows thaton 30 September 2006 – the latest data available - all NHS boards met thiscommitment on that date, as they have done on every w…

12 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30476 by Mr Andy Kerr on 19 December 2006, whether it has had any discussions with the NHS with a view to deploying a clinical nurse specialist in neuroscience/neurology in NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS boards are responsiblefor planning services in their area based on clinical need and for securing thestaff needed to deliver them.

11 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS Ayrshire and Arran in respect of the implementation of the hand hygiene campaign.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Scottish Medical Directors arerepresented on the Scottish Executive’s Healthcare Associated Infection Task Force,which commissioned the National Hand Hygiene Campaign, by a member from NHS Ayrshireand Arran. Throughout the Campaign, information has been circu…

11 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with further and higher education institutions in respect of increasing awareness of the importance of good hand hygiene practices among students entering the medical, caring and nursing professions.

Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS Education for Scotland’s CleanlinessChampions Training Programme, which includes a specific module on hand hygiene,has been included in undergraduate medical and nursing courses. To date, around1,500 undergraduates have completed the programme.The …

11 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will include care homes, private homes and nurseries in the remit of its hand hygiene campaign.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Care Commission, which isrepresented on the Scottish Executive’s Healthcare Associated Infection Task Force,has given its full support to the National Hand Hygiene Campaign. Health ProtectionScotland will disseminate information posters and leaflets to ca…

11 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to disseminate information on its hand hygiene campaign.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Health Protection Scotland isleading the National Hand Hygiene Campaign on behalf of the Healthcare AssociatedInfection Task Force, and is providing information through a number of channels,including:the campaign website <ahref="http://www.washyourhand…