Jackie Baillie

25 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much housing benefit was paid to (a) local authorities, (b) housing associations and (c) private landlords in 2011-12.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Department for Work and Pensions reports the following amounts of housing benefit were paid to Scottish landlords during 2011-12: Local Authorities: £674 million Housing Associations: £608 million Private Landlords: £446 million The source for this in…

25 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Orphan Drugs Fund is consistent with value-based pricing of medicine.

Answer · Alex Neil: Pricing of branded medicines is currently a reserved matter. The proposals for Value Based Pricing for medicines licensed from 1 January 2014 are being taken forward by the UK Government’s Department of Health. The Scottish Government is supportive of the pri…

25 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making with the development of value-based pricing of medicine and when this is likely to be implemented.

Answer · Alex Neil: Pricing of branded medicines is currently a reserved matter and proposals for Value Based Pricing are being taken forward by the UK Government’s Department of Health. The Scottish Government is supportive of the principle of value based pricing and is continu…

25 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing last met the UK Government's health ministers to discuss value-based pricing of medicines.

Answer · Alex Neil: Arrangements are currently in hand to meet with Earl Howe, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State with responsibility for Medicines and Pharmacy policy, at the next available opportunity. I have also exchanged correspondence with Earl Howe concerning Valu…

23 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will consult on the regulations regarding the removal of charges for carers for support services.

Answer · Michael Matheson: We will consult on the regulations by the end of April 2013.

23 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether each local authority will use a single common assessment for self-directed support.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Local authorities will assess people for self-directed support under Section 12A of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. In discharging their duties local authorities are expected to have regard to statutory guidance. Further guidance on self-directed support…

23 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been given to each local authority to assist with the implementation of self-directed support, and what proportion of this is transitional funding for services.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Each local authority has been given an allocation of funding as part of a three year programme to support transformation in adult social care and children’s services for self-directed support. The following table details the amounts allocated to each local au…

23 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the implementation of self-directed support by local authorities is being monitored.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is working with stakeholders, including the Care Inspectorate, to develop an outcomes-based framework for the monitoring and evaluation of self-directed support implementation. Currently only data on the numbers of people taking direc…

23 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is an implementation plan for self-directed support.

Answer · Michael Matheson: There is a national programme of work with local implementation plans in each local authority area.

23 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by which date self-directed support will be fully implemented in each local authority.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The commencement date for the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 has yet to be decided by Scottish Ministers. In setting a date ministers will take into consideration the view of the SDS Programme board, who will make a recommendation aft…

23 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government where the residential pain service referred to by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing in a report in the Daily Express on 21 January 2013 will be located.

Answer · Michael Matheson: NHS National Services Scotland is currently assessing options for the most appropriate service model for Scotland. This work is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2013.

23 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost will be of the residential pain service referred to by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing in a report in the Daily Express on 21 January 2013.

Answer · Michael Matheson: NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) is currently assessing options for the most appropriate service model for Scotland. As part of its assessment NSS will consider the cost and clinical effectiveness of all the options. This work is expected to be completed …

23 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the residential pain service referred to by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing in a report in the Daily Express on 21 January 2013 will commence.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people living with chronic pain can access high quality, safe and effective treatment as close to home as possible. The National Chronic Pain Steering Group is overseeing a range of work to assist boards i…

23 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Parliament was informed, and by what means, of the establishment of a residential pain service, as reported in the Daily Express on 21 January 2013.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people living with chronic pain can access high quality, safe and effective treatment as close to home as possible. The National Chronic Pain Steering Group is overseeing a range of work to assist boards i…

22 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will respond to Health Board Elections and Alternative Pilots: Final Report of the Statutory Evaluation.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has received the independent evaluation on health board elections and alternative pilots and will be considering the implications of the information contained in the report early in 2013. A copy of the final report was placed with the…

22 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost will be of rolling out elections to every NHS board.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Independent Evaluation of the Health Board Elections carried out by the London School of Economics reported that the costs associated with introducing elections to all Scottish health boards would be in the region of £12 million, dependent upon the model …

22 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the turnout was for the NHS board elections in (a) Dumfries and Galloway and (b) Fife.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Independent Evaluation of the Health Board Elections carried out by the London School of Economics reported that turnout of eligible electors was 22.6% (26,516) in Dumfries and Galloway and 13.9% (39,761) in Fife. The Scottish Government will take this i…

22 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost was of the NHS board elections in (a) Dumfries and Galloway and (b) Fife.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Independent Evaluation of the Health Board Elections carried out by the London School of Economics reported that the pilot elections and associated publicity cost £299,406 in Dumfries and Galloway and £473,850 in Fife. The Scottish Government will take t…

22 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-11979 by Alex Neil on 9 January 2013, whether the £14.2 million allocated for people affected by thalidomide is index-linked.

Answer · Alex Neil: The £14.2 million funding for Thalidomiders in Scotland will be index linked over the 10-year period, beginning April 2013.

22 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what level of social unavailability each NHS board recorded in (a) June 2011, (b) June 2012 and (c) December 2012.

Answer · Alex Neil: The information on the number of patients with a period of social unavailability on 30 June 2011 and 30 June 2012 (latest available published data) by NHS Board is provided in the following table. Official waiting times statistics for 31 December 2012 is due …

22 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what explanation NHS Forth Valley has provided for the level of social unavailability used in its management of waiting times.

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12454 on 5 February 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/parliamentar…

22 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of treatment outwith the 18-week target period NHS Forth Valley did not record as a breach of the waiting times guarantee.

Answer · Alex Neil: The internal audits on the management of waiting times at Forth Valley published on 20 December 2012 stated that it found no instances of inappropriate behaviour or pressure on staff to hide breached or manipulate data. Overall, patient records reviewed were …

22 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has advised NHS Forth Valley to amend how it records periods of social unavailability and, if so, when and for what reason.

Answer · Alex Neil: No, the Scottish Government has not advised NHS Forth Valley to amend how it recorded periods of social unavailability. All NHS boards were advised last year through new guidance that as of 1 October 2012 ‘social unavailability’ was being scrapped and replac…

17 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government who determines the membership of the Scottish Chronic Pain Steering Group and whether appointments to the group are regulated or supervised by any organisation.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Chronic Pain Steering Group was convened by Scottish Government with the secretariat and support for the Group being provided by Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Membership is multidisciplinary and includes voluntary sector and patient representa…

8 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is undertaking an investigation into allegations of bullying and harassment in the Scottish Ambulance Service and, if so, what form the investigation is taking and when the results will be published.

Answer · Alex Neil: As I have previously stated, I want a zero tolerance approach to bullying and harassment in NHSScotland. I expect all allegations of bullying and harassment to be fully investigated in line with the Preventing and Dealing with Bullying and Harassment PIN Poli…

7 Jan 2013 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the inappropriate use of social unavailability codes by NHS boards to meet waiting times targets.

21 Dec 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to ask the University of Sheffield to provide an update of its alcohol minimum price modelling research to take into account the most recent data included in Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland's Alcohol Strategy: Second Annual Report.

Answer · Alex Neil: There are no plans for the Scottish Government to update the modelling carried out by the University of Sheffield. The most recent report on the modelling was published in January 2012 and contained the most up to date data available at that time, and on whic…

21 Dec 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the financial value of harm reduction has been as a result of the reduction in alcohol consumption of 5% between 2009 and 2011 reported in Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland's Alcohol Strategy: Second Annual Report.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Data is not available estimating the financial value of harm reduction as a result of the reported reduction in consumption in the Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland’s Alcohol Strategy: Second Annual Report. The University of Sheffield modelling estimates th…

21 Dec 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact there has been on the quality-adjusted life years lost by victims of crime as a result of the reduction in alcohol consumption of 5% between 2009 and 2011 reported in Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland's Alcohol Strategy: Second Annual Report.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Data is not available estimating the impact on quality-adjusted life years lost by victims of crime as a result of the reported reduction in consumption in the Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland’s Alcohol Strategy: Second Annual Report. The University of She…

21 Dec 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what savings have been made on the direct costs of crime as a result of the reduction in alcohol consumption of 5% between 2009 and 2011 reported in Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland's Alcohol Strategy: Second Annual Report.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Data is not available estimating the savings on the direct cost of crime as a result of the reported reduction in consumption in the Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland’s Alcohol Strategy: Second Annual Report. The University of Sheffield modelling estimates …