Jackie Baillie

6 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the use of waiting lists for social care services is part of its national strategy for self-directed support.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is committed to developing self-directed support as a way of giving individuals and their families flexibility, choice and control over the support services they receive. The Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 give…

6 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how long people should wait for their self-directed support budget to be agreed following the completion of an assessment and support plan.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 came into force in April 2014, alongside the Self-directed Support (Direct Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 2014. Neither the Act nor the regulations specify a timeframe between a social care assess…

3 Nov 2014 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what engagements he has planned for the rest of the day.

27 Oct 2014 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what engagements he has planned for the rest of the day

9 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will work with COSLA to extend financial support to kinship carers.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: I met with Councillor Chapman on 14 October 2014 to discuss the ongoing investigation by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission in Scotland into local authorities’ policies and payment of allowances to support looked after children in kinship and foster c…

9 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the value is of the additional funding that it has provided to tackling child poverty and to what areas this will be applied.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Draft Budget 2015-16 is a budget for fairness and opportunity with a clear and decisive focus on tackling inequality and on making Scotland a more prosperous country. The scrutiny phase will enable all members of Parliament to feed in views on wh…

9 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with COSLA about the council tax reduction scheme and its financial contribution to it for 2015-16.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government and local government worked in partnership to provide an extra £40 million in 2013-14 and 2014-15 to mitigate the 10% cut in funding from the UK Government for council tax benefit successor arrangements. This commitment has enabled us…

9 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers it appropriate to describe the Scottish Welfare Fund as mitigation in relation to the so-called bedroom tax, in light of community care grants and crisis grants being devolved.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Welfare Fund is part of a range of measures that are being taken by the Scottish Government to mitigate the adverse impacts of UK Government welfare reforms.

9 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much is allocated to local authorities for the administration of the Scottish Welfare Fund in 2015-16, also broken down by local authority.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: The funding allocation for administration of the Scottish Welfare Fund has not yet been decided. Following consideration by the joint COSLA/Scottish Government settlement and distribution group, the distribution methodology for 2015-16 will be the same as for…

9 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much will be allocated to the Scottish Welfare Fund in 2015-16, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Draft Budget 2015-16 proposes that £33 million is allocated to the Scottish Welfare Fund. Following consideration by the joint COSLA/Scottish Government settlement and distribution group, the distribution methodology for 2015-16 will be the same as for 20…

9 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the underspend on the Scottish Welfare Fund was in 2013-14, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: The most recent Scottish Welfare Fund statistics contain a breakdown of underspend by local authority for 2013-14. This information is contained in table 25 of the publication which is available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Social-…

9 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much will be allocated for mitigation of the so-called bedroom tax in 2015-16, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Draft Budget 2015-16 on 9 October 2014 included increased support for welfare reform mitigation. In 2015-16 the Scottish Government, for the second year in a row, has budgeted for £35 million to fully mitigate the so-called bedroom tax. The breakdown by i…

9 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-22577 by Margaret Burgess on 3 October 2014, whether it will issue guidance to local authorities on cancelling arrears of the so-called bedroom tax arising in 2013/14.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government has no plans to issue guidance to local authorities on cancelling arrears arising due to the so-called bedroom tax in 2013-14 or arrears as a result of any other aspect of welfare reform. The management of arrears remains a matter for …

2 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the delay in publishing its new guidance on access to medicines has disadvantaged any patients.

Answer · Alex Neil: No. Changes to access to medicines policy have already been introduced and hundreds more patients throughout Scotland are already accessing new treatments. These changes are being closely monitored to determine what further action may be required.

2 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the reason is for the delay in publishing its new guidance on access to medicines, which was due to be published in May 2014.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has not said that it would publish new guidance on access to medicines in May 2014. As part of implementation of policy changes to increase access to new medicines for patients in Scotland, the Scottish Government will continue to prov…

2 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its new guidance on access to medicines.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government will continue to provide any appropriate guidance for NHSScotland as and when necessary.

2 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many individual patient treatment requests that were or have been approved by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) since April 2014 were for medicines for treating end of life or rare conditions that had been declined by the Scottish Medicines Consortium.…

Answer · Alex Neil: Data received by the Scottish Government does not categorise treatment of patients in this way.

2 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many individual patient treatment requests that were or have been approved by NHS Lothian in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) since April 2014 were for medicines for treating end of life or rare conditions that had been declined by the Scottish Medicines Consortium.

Answer · Alex Neil: Data received by the Scottish Government does not categorise treatment of patients in this way.

2 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many individual patient treatment requests were or have been approved by NHS Lothian in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) since April 2014, also broken down by requests from residents of other NHS board areas.

Answer · Alex Neil: In 2012-13, 41 requests were made and 18 approved. In 2013-14, 73 requests were made and 67 approved. From 1 April 2014 to 30 September 2014, 80 requests were made and 80 were approved. This data relates to the number of individual patient treatment requests…

2 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many individual patient treatment requests were or have been approved by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) since April 2014, also broken down by requests from residents of other NHS board areas.

Answer · Alex Neil: In 2012-13, 125 requests were made and 84 approved. In 2013-14, 83 requests were made and 60 approved. From 1 April 2014 to 30 September 2014, 52 requests were made and 44 were approved. This data relates to the number of individual patient treatment request…

1 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing's comments in the Lennox Herald on 19 September 2014 regarding the medical assessment unit at the Vale of Leven Hospital in which he is reported to have said, “I give you a guarantee now that services in the Vale will continue and we…

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-22662 on 28 October 2014. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamenta…

1 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the status is of the recently leaked paper suggesting that the NHS will have to meet a funding gap of up to £450 million.

Answer · Alex Neil: As has been stated previously, this paper is part of the regular discussions among NHS leaders to plan proactively for future healthcare provision, so as to ensure that we maintain the delivery of quality care and treatment within boards’ allocated funding. B…

1 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has cost to run the medical assessment unit at the Vale of Leven Hospital in each year since 2007.

Answer · Alex Neil: This information is not held centrally.

1 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have attended the (a) minor injuries and (b) medical assessment unit at the Vale of Leven Hospital in each year since 2007.

Answer · Alex Neil: a) The numbers of new and unplanned return attendances to the minor injuries unit at the Vale of Leven Hospital for financial years from June 2007 to June 2014 are shown in the following table: Financial Year Number of Attendances at Vale of Leven Minor Inj…

1 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position on whether activity at the medical assessment unit at the Vale of Leven Hospital should be (a) reduced or (b) removed before April 2017 and whether it is aware of any plans to do so.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government is not aware of any plans from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to materially change the services currently provided from the Vale of Leven Hospital, including the medical assessment unit.

1 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the budget will be for each new health and social care partnership in (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17.

Answer · Alex Neil: In each partnership area, it is the responsibility of the health board and local authority to delegate functions to the integration joint board, and budgets relating to those functions. Each health board and local authority will agree an integration scheme, …

1 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what financial challenge West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership will have in (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17 in light of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde projecting a 10% budget reduction over those years.

Answer · Alex Neil: This is primarily a matter for the individual health board, although NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has indicated that the opening budget for the West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership is still in the process of being finalised. The board and …

1 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether all health and social care partnerships in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area will be subject to a 10% reduction in budget for (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17.

Answer · Alex Neil: No, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have confirmed that health and social care partnerships will not be subject to a 10% reduction in 2015-16 or 2016-17.

1 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether and, if so, how it monitors the effectiveness of equal pay statements as part of the public sector equality duties.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Equality and Human Rights Commission is the enforcement body for the public sector equality duties. During 2013 it undertook monitoring of Scottish public authorities’ performance of the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012, inc…

1 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether equal pay audits are required as part of the public sector equality duties.

Answer · Shona Robison: Equal pay audits are not required as part of the public sector equality duties. However, the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 require listed authorities with more than 150 employees to publish a statement on equal pay. The state…