Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,397 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
11 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether internal auditors at the State Hospital have been asked to investigate issues raised by the non-executive directors of the board regarding decisions made by the senior management team.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government understands that the State Hospital have asked their internal auditors to report on three anonymous allegations made to NHS Counter Fraud Services.
11 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on whether NHS Counter Fraud Services is carrying out investigations regarding the State Hospital and what the nature is of the investigations.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government understands that the State Hospital have undertaken an internal investigation into anonymous allegations made to NHS Counter Fraud Services. The outcome of the investigation will be reported to the State Hospital Audit Committee.
11 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the marketing contract for its Greener Scotland policy was put out to tender; which companies submitted bids and what their registered addresses are; which company secured the contract, and what the value is of the contract.
Answer · John Swinney: The following answer was corrected on 15 May 2013 John Swinney: The Scottish Government’s greener marketing campaigns help change behaviours which impact on carbon emissions. This, in turn, helps Scotland achieve its climate change targets of a 42 per cent …
28 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the appropriateness of the (a) Chief Executive and (b) Medical Director of NHS Tayside sitting on the board of Health Improvement Scotland.
Answer · Alex Neil: As stated in Parliament on 26 February 2013, serving members of staff of a NHS board will in future not be appointed as board members of a scrutiny body (Healthcare Improvement Scotland or the Care Inspectorate). The arrangements for the appointment of the c…
28 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of reports that the Scottish Ambulance Service may charge a pregnant woman £30 for a journey in the case of false labour.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Ambulance Service have assured me that they would not charge any pregnant woman for a journey in the case of false labour. Should any member have evidence of this happening, I would welcome the details in order that this can be fully investigated…
28 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances the Scottish Ambulance Service charges patients for journeys.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government fully funds the Scottish Ambulance Service to deliver its core responsibilities in support of NHSScotland. These responsibilities include the Accident & Emergency (999) Service, the Air Ambulance Service and the Patient Transport Servi…
25 Mar 2013 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s position is on reports that junior doctors are regularly working up to 100 hours per week.
22 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made since January 2013 on establishing a welfare reform mitigation fund for advice services and how it will ensure that the fund provides support for client groups with particular needs.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government has announced £7.9 million of funding for advice services to deal with the impact of welfare reform. On 25 April 2013 it was announced that the Scottish Legal Aid Board would distribute £5.1 million of Scottish Government funding as p…
19 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date it decided to appoint Dr Frances Elliot to its Directorate for Chief Medical Officer and Public Health.
Answer · Alex Neil: Following initial discussions in late 2012 and early 2013 about the need to strengthen national senior clinical capacity within Scottish Government to drive the priority agenda around Health and Social Care Integration, unscheduled care, primary care and impr…
19 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate should be independent of government.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate, which has been part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland since 2011, is independent of the Scottish Government.
19 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that there is a conflict of interest for an employee of a public body such as Healthcare Improvement Scotland to have a family member on its board.
Answer · Alex Neil: All members of NHS boards are expected to carry out their responsibilities in line with the board member’s Code of Conduct surrounding any potential conflicts of interest and any conflict of interests would be recorded on the Register of Interests. Further de…
19 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what power it has under the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 to direct Healthcare Improvement Scotland.
Answer · Alex Neil: These details can be found in Part 6 Health Care: Scrutiny and Improvement of the Public Services Reform Act 2010, a link to which is as follows: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2010/8/contents
19 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many Healthcare Environment Inspectorate reports have been subject to amendment prior to publication.
Answer · Alex Neil: A key function of any inspection report is to give public assurance on the quality of care provided. The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate has a robust quality assurance process to ensure reports are accurate; therefore all reports will be subject to amendm…
19 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many vacancies have arisen in the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate in each of the last 12 months and whether they were advertised externally.
Answer · Alex Neil: Since 1st April 2012, Healthcare Improvement Scotland has advertised 14 roles within the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate on Permanent, Fixed Term and Secondment terms. The 14 roles were advertised via eight separate recruitment campaigns throughout the ye…
19 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many inspectors at the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate have regulation of care qualifications.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Regulation of Care Award is a qualification required by inspectors regulating social care services. Inspectors working in the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate are required to hold appropriate qualifications, but the Regulation of Care Award is not a re…
14 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12564 by Alex Neil on 27 February 2013, how long the pilot whistleblowers’ hotline will last; how it will be evaluated; whether it will be independent of government, and when the substantive service will be in place.
Answer · Alex Neil: The National Confidential Alert Line will run as a pilot from 2 April 2013 until 31 March 2014. The contract allows for a three month extension. The Alert Line service, which will be provided by Public Concern at Work (PCaW), will be independent of governmen…
14 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12564 by Alex Neil on 27 February 2013, whether the hotline will cover all of Scotland.
Answer · Alex Neil: The National Confidential Alert Line, which will operate as a Freephone service, will be available to all NHS staff in Scotland.
14 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12567 by Alex Neil on 27 February 2013, how many compromise agreements have been used by each NHS board and how many contained confidentiality clauses.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. As I said in my reply to S4W-12567, the use of confidentiality clauses in compromise agreements is entirely an issue between individual NHS boards and their employees.
14 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12565 by Alex Neil on 27 February 2013, whether incidents of bullying and harassment were raised at the annual board reviews of (a) NHS 24 and (b) the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Answer · Alex Neil: No incidences of bullying and harassment were raised at the NHS 24 and Scottish Ambulance Service Annual Reviews.
14 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12469 by Michael Matheson on 31 January 2013, what options are being considered.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-13679 on 28 March 2013. 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/parliamentaryb…
14 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12470 by Michael Matheson on 31 January 2013, how much has been set aside in the 2013-14 budget for a chronic pain residential service.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Cabinet Secretary and I have commissioned a project to determine the scope and budget of developing an intensive pain management services in Scotland. Budgets to fund this service will be decided and allocated once this exercise has been completed.
14 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12468 by Michael Matheson on 31 January 2013, when the Parliament was informed of the establishment of a residential pain service, as reported in the Daily Express on 21 January 2013.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Both the Cabinet Secretary and myself have indicated that an intensive pain management service should be developed and delivered within Scotland. I would be pleased to keep the member and Parliament updated on the progress of this work as it is further develo…
13 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many kinship carers there are, also broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Data on the number of kinship carers of looked after children is not held centrally.
10 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether and, if so, when it will issue new guidance to ensure standardised assessments across the country following the implementation of the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Act does not affect the assessment duty to meet a person's needs, as set out in Section 12A of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. The guidance will however contain a strong steer on the need for the processes surrounding assessment to be outcome focused…
5 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the age limit for IVF treatment in light of the announcement that England and Wales will raise the age limit to 42.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The National Infertility Group was set up in April 2010 to address the inequity of access to infertility treatment across Scotland. The group’s report, with final recommendations, including a recommendation on age, is currently with Ministers for consideratio…
5 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the age limit is for IVF treatment in each NHS board.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The age limit for IVF treatment in each NHS Board is currently as follows: NHS Ayrshire and Arran – 39 years inclusive NHS Borders - 39 years inclusive NHS Dumfries and Galloway – 39 years inclusive NHS Fife – up to 38th birthday NHS Forth Valley – 39 ye…
1 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12687 by Michael Matheson on 26 February 2013, to whom did it reimburse the £58,000 funding of Health Improvement Scotland’s budget for chronic pain.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Funding of £58,000 is reimbursed by Healthcare Improvement Scotland to NHS Fife to reimburse staff costs for expert clinical advice to support the improvement of chronic pain services in Scotland.
1 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12690 by Michael Matheson on 26 February 2013, who invites healthcare officials and stakeholders to join the Scottish Chronic Pain Steering Group.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Further to my previous responses of 29 January 2013 and 26 February 2013, regarding the National Chronic Pain Steering Group the group was convened by the Scottish Government and membership invited from healthcare professionals and relevant stakeholders with …
21 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12477 by Michael Matheson on 31 January 2013, whether the regulations will remove all existing charges for support services and what assessment has been made of the cost.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Charges for support to carers will be waived when the Regulations under the Self-directed Support (Scotland) Act 2013 come into force on 1 April 2014. This means that from that date any existing charges being made now for support provided to carers by local a…
21 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12476 by Michael Matheson on 31 January 2013, for what reason there is no single common assessment for self-directed support across local authorities.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Local authorities have a duty under section 12A of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to assess a person’s social care needs. Following the commencement of the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 local authorities will be required to offe…