Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,397 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
14 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients, service users and community groups are involved on a regular basis in deciding the work and direction of the Directorate of Equalities and Planning of NHS Health Scotland and evaluating whether that work is having an impact on patients' experience of the NHS.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Directorate of Equalities and Planning manages two community reference groups, which have 47 members in total. Of these, 25 are individual community members and 22 are representatives of community and voluntary sector organisations.</p> <p >The National …
14 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget is for the Directorate of Equalities and Planning of NHS Health Scotland, also broken down by (a) staffing and (b) programme costs.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The budget for the Directorate of Equalities and Planning is £1,132,098. The breakdown is as follows:</p> <p >(a) Staffing and associated costs: £882,848.</p> <p >(b) Programme Costs: £249,250.</p>
14 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what difference the Directorate of Equalities and Planning of NHS Health Scotland has made to the individual experience of (a) disabled people, (b) people from black and minority ethnic communities and (c) lesbian, gay and bisexual and transgender people in achieving equality of access to…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30737 on 26 January 2010. 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/Apps…
14 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff work in the Directorate of Equalities and Planning of NHS Health Scotland and what their different job remits are.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There are 29 staff in total in the Directorate of Equalities and Planning, comprising three teams:</p> <p >(i) Planning and Performance Team (three staff) with a remit to provide the corporate planning and performance management function for NHS Health Scotl…
14 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how NHS Health Scotland is taking forward its role in supporting NHS boards to comply with legal duties on equality and eliminating discrimination.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Responsibility for compliance with legal duties on equality and the elimination of discrimination rests with the individual NHS boards.</p> <p >Following the publication in 2009 of NHS Health Scotland''s report <i >The Big Picture 2009: A review of progress …
13 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) one and (b) five-year survival rates have been for (i) lung, (ii) breast, (iii) prostate, (iii) haematological and (iv) bowel cancer in (A) each Scottish Parliament constituency, (B) each Scottish Parliament region and (C) Scotland overall in each year since devolution.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information on survival rates by Scottish Parliament constituency and Scottish Parliament region is not held centrally.</p> <p >Estimates of cancer survival for Scotland, including time periods from 1999, are available on the ISD Cancer Information website a…
13 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish an annual progress report on the implementation of Better Cancer Care, An Action Plan.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There are currently no plans to publish a specific annual report on the implementation of <i >Better Cancer Care: An Action Plan</i>. The NHSScotland Chief Executive''s Annual Report, last published on 4 December 2009, sets out the key areas of progress on im…
13 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of progress in implementing Better Cancer Care, An Action Plan.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The implementation of <i >Better Cancer Care: An Action Plan</i> is overseen by the Scottish Cancer Taskforce. A number of sub groups have been established to take forward specific elements of the plan, including the Chemotherapy Advisory Group, the Scottish …
13 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the levels of spending on cancer treatment in Scotland in comparison with (a) England and (b) other EU member states.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: It is not possible to undertake such an assessment as funding of services for individuals is primarily the responsibility of NHS boards to plan, in light of the needs of their resident population. NHS boards allocate funding to services based on these needs f…
13 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment the Scottish Government Health Directorate’s Chemotherapy Advisory Group has made of geographical variations in the use of Scottish Medicines Consortium-approved drugs and what steps it is taking to address this issue.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: It is not within the remit of the Scottish Chemotherapy Advisory Group to assess geographical variations in the use of Scottish Medicines Consortium approved drugs. The remit of the group is to ensure that cancer medicines are delivered within a safe and qual…
13 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the letter to the Public Petitions Committee from the Deputy Director of the Scottish Government’s Healthcare Policy Strategy Directorate on 27 July 2009, how it will (a) continue to ensure that guidance to NHS boards is being implemented and (b) manage boards that do n…
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government expects NHS boards and clinicians to take full account of Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) recommendations in the planning and provision of NHS services. Where there is evidence that an…
13 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Hospital Medicines Utilisation Database will allow for comparisons in the uptake of medicines in Scotland and between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom and Europe.
Answer · Shona Robison: The standardisation of the Drug Dictionary for Scotland will allow the Hospital Medicines Utilisation Database to show comparisons across NHS Scotland both in terms of the costs and volumes of medicines. Where possible, the Drug Dictionary for Scotland is sta…
13 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what work is being conducted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium with the National Medicines Utilisation Unit, the Information Services Division of NHS National Services Scotland and other stakeholders to improve knowledge on the use of medicines across NHS Scotland.
Answer · Shona Robison: In 2006, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) commissioned the National Medicines Utilisation Unit (NMUU) to explore how SMC has impacted on and engaged with its key stakeholders and to examine how SMC advice has shaped medicines use across NHSScotland. Th…
12 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is taking forward recommendations in the Waterwatch Scotland report, Affordability of Scottish Household Water and Sewerage Charges: Historic Trends and Current Position, and, if so, which recommendations.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government has already<b> </b>responded to Waterwatch Scotland about this report on 10 September 2008. Following consultation in 2008 the<b> </b>Scottish Government''s policy on water and sewerage charges for the 2010-15 period was set out in its…
12 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it cost Scottish Water to collect domestic water charges in 2008-09, broken down by property valuation band.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The total cost of billing and collection of unmeasured household charges via the 32 local authorities across Scotland was £14.06 million in 2008-09. Each local authority is paid a set amount for the billing and collection of water charges for every domestic p…
12 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a forum to consider the affordability of water for low-income households.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: No. The Scottish Government consulted on its policy on water and sewerage charges in 2008 for the 2010-15 period. Policy was subsequently set out in the Scottish Government''s <i >Principles of Charging Statement</i> which was published on 27 October 2009. </…
12 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve the affordability of water for low-income households.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The<b> </b>Scottish Government''s policy on water and sewerage charges for the 2010-15 period was set out in its Principles of Charging Statement which was published on 27 October 2009.</p> <p >The Statement sets out the Scottish Government''s policy of char…
12 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider water affordability in future as part of the Scottish House Condition Survey.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) collects data on the cost of water rates and household income. Therefore statistics on water affordability, for example the percentage of income spent on water rates, can be produced by Scottish Government SHCS staff…
12 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Water has the power to write off debt.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Under Section 25 of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, Scottish Water can engage in any activity which it considers is not inconsistent with the economic, efficient and effective exercise of its core functions. Scottish Water can therefore write off debt…
12 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much debt Scottish Water accrued for domestic water consumption in 2008-09, also broken down by property valuation band.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Scottish Water accrued £17 million for household bad debt in 2008-09. This is not broken down across property valuation bands.</p>
12 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much Scottish Water charged for domestic water consumption in 2008-09, also broken down by property valuation band.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The total value of unmeasured household charges (water and sewerage) billed for 2008-09 is £710.36 million (at end October 2009). </p> <p >Unmeasured charges for individual households in 2008-09 were as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpaddin…
11 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people who would otherwise have qualified were denied patient transport due to recent winter pressures, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Patient Transport Service (PTS) journeys have only been cancelled due to adverse weather conditions where access was significantly compromised or where patients or staff were placed at risk and every effort has been made by the Scottish Ambulance Service, wor…
11 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many procedures have been cancelled due to recent winter pressures, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Centrally collected, validated statistics do not carry information on the reasons why scheduled operations or procedures are cancelled or delayed.</p> <p >In the event that an operation or procedure is cancelled by the service, for whatever reason, the patie…
7 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who decides on the granting of distinction awards to consultants and whether it will detail the professional background of those involved.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards (SACDA) a non-departmental public body, acts on behalf of Scottish ministers in deciding which individual medical and dental consultants in the NHS in Scotland should receive distinction awards for outstan…
7 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether award or bonus schemes for which it has responsibility, including those relating to non-departmental public bodies but excluding the consultants’ distinction awards, are reflected in the calculation of final pensions.
Answer · John Swinney: The pay award and bonus arrangements for which ministers have responsibility vary considerably across the public sector, depending upon the business needs of the public body or sector. In the main, annual pay awards incorporate three main elements: a basic pa…
7 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total pension provision for retired consultants with distinction awards was in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09 and has been in 2009-10 and what proportion of that pension provision can be attributed to distinction awards.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS pensions including pensions for consultants are the responsibility of the Scottish Public Pension Agency (SPPA). Distinction Awards are consolidated into consultant salaries and so SPPA does not hold the information in the detail requested.</p>
7 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the value of distinction awards made to consultants was in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09 and has been in 2009-10, broken down by number of consultants.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The number of award holders and the associated funding allocated to the NHS boards in Scotland in the three most recent financial years is as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=111 valign=top > <p a…
7 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether distinction awards made to consultants are added to salaries and therefore reflected in pension provision.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Yes.</p>
7 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29763 by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 January 2010, whether every senior charge nurse has direct responsibility for the deployment of cleaning staff and, if not, where this responsibility lies.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Not all Senior Charge Nurses (SCNs) have direct responsibility for the routine deployment of cleaning staff. In some areas this responsibility lies with Domestic Supervisors. However, Domestic Supervisors will respond to requests from SCNs to address any spec…
7 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29764 by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 January 2010, how many senior charge nurses have direct access to budgets for urgent repairs and replacement equipment.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The HAI National Action Plan requires NHS boards to have an identified budget for urgent repairs and replacement equipment available to senior charge nurses. All NHS boards have confirmed that they comply with this aspect of the action plan.</p>