Parliamentary questions

Janis Hughes

122 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

10 Jan 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a position on the practice of individual drug companies choosing to sell their products through one wholesaler.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Issues of competition policyare for the Office of Fair Trading, who I understand are currently considering complaintsin relation to one such case.For our part, we are committedto working in co-operation with all manufacturers and suppliers of pharmaceu…

26 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on the future of the blood processing activities of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, including the Protein Fractionation Centre.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive has been consideringfor some time the results of a strategic review of the future of Protein FractionationCentre (PFC) and Alba Bioscience, and our future strategy for the supply of plasmaproducts. The review has looked at whether plasma product…

4 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish new charity accounting regulations.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The new Charities Accounts(Scotland) Regulations 2006 (S.S.I No. 218) have been published and are available on the Office of PublicSector Information website: <ahref="http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/index.htm">http://www.opsi.go…

27 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements it has made to pilot the alcohol test purchasing provisions contained in section 105 of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The relevant provisions of theLicensing (Scotland) Act 2005 are to be commenced with effect from 1 June 2006 to maketransitional provision for an alcohol test purchasing pilot scheme to take placein the Fife Constabulary area. The pilot is expected to begin t…

26 Apr 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in providing treatment for people with age-related macular degeneration.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: At present the key treatmentis photo-dynamic therapy, which has been approved by NICE and subsequently endorsedby NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. Health boards are committed to providing thistherapy, where clinical need can be demonstrated.

21 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will consult on the maximum fees to be imposed by the Care Commission in 2006-07.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We remain committed to the fundamental principles of the full-cost recovery policy for the Care Commission. These are that the cost of regulating each care service should be identified and that the costs should either be met by the services concerned or expli…

6 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making with plans to regulate tattooing and skin piercing.

Answer · Andy Kerr: In 2001 the Scottish Executive consulted key stakeholders in public agencies, representative bodies, and tattooing and skin piercing businesses, about the possible tighter regulation of these businesses. An independent analysis of the responses was pre…

22 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has awarded for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) services or research since the CFS/ME short-life working group reported in 2002.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: NHS boards are given unified budgets, increased by an average of 7.6% in the current financial year, from which they are expected to meet the costs of services for people with CFS/ME and all other chronic conditions. It is for NHS boards to decide how their u…

22 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is issued to GPs regarding treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive does not issue clinical guidelines. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), which is a part of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, is funded to develop clinical guidelines but has not issued any on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic …

2 Nov 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the Local Government Pension Scheme and what the outcome of these discussions has been.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Policy responsibility for all occupational pensions issues is reserved. The UK Government’s proposals to reform the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) in England and Wales are being taken forward through a tripartite working group chaired by the De…

4 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the NHS 24 Independent Review Team's final report will be published.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The First Minister and I announced on 24 February 2005 that an independent review team, led by Owen Clarke CBE, would be set up to review the performance of NHS 24. Following an interim report published on 2 June this year, I have now received the team’s fina…

27 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is offering to local drugs forums in communities throughout Scotland.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The Executive provides £1.5 millionper annum to drugs action teams for support activities, some of which is usedto engage and assist local drug forums. We also provide funding to the ScottishDrugs Forum to provide a range of services to local drug forums and …

28 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure the accuracy of data compiled for the School Leaver Destination Report by a private company.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-18169 on 25 August 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliamentary website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webap…

28 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that advice given to young people in the context of the School Leaver Destination Report will not be adversely affected by the use of a private company.

28 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Scottish Enterprise regarding its use of a private company to produce the School Leaver Destination Report.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Careers Scotland has a contractual obligation to provide the Scottish Executive with accurate data for the annual School Leaver Destination Report. This year Careers Scotland issued a contract for compilations of this year’s report. We understand that the con…

26 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the NHS 24 Independent Review Team's interim report will be published.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The First Minister and I announced on 24 February 2005 that an independent review team, lead by Owen Clarke CBE, would be set up to review the performance of NHS 24. I have now received the team’s interim report which is available in the Parliament’s Referenc…

4 May 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the other devolved assemblies with regard to gathering support for Glasgow's bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Decisions have still to be made on whether a bid should be mounted for Glasgow to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014. It is therefore too early to solicit the support of the other devolved administrations. However, the other devolved administrations and the …

24 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Transport will issue a decision following the outcome of the public local inquiry into the M74 completion scheme.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: A Letter of Decision to all relevant parties has issued and a copy of that decision (and the Public Local Inquiry Report) has now been lodged in the Parliament’s Reference Centre, (Bib. number 35854). After full consideration, I have decided to confirm the Or…

23 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role it has played in ensuring that Scottish Enterprise has carried out effective consultation with Careers Scotland staff over the introduction of performance-related pay.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Consultation with CareersScotland staff over their integration into Scottish Enterprise’s performancerelated pay system is a matter for Scottish Enterprise, as the employer. However,ministers have at all times encouraged a positive approach to consultation an…

23 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it has had with staff, unions and Scottish Enterprise regarding the introduction of performance-related pay for Careers Scotland staff and what the outcomes of these meetings have been.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Scottish Executive staff met Scottish Enterprise management as part of the normal process of discussion which takes place when a non-departmentalpublic body is preparing a pay remit for approval by Scottish ministers priorto pay negotiations. Subsequent to ag…

2 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase prescription and other health service charges.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: We have just laid before the Parliament regulations to increase prescription and other National Health Service charges in Scotland from 1 April 2005. There will be a cash increase in the prescription charges of 10p (1.57%) from £6.40 to £6.50 for each quantit…

18 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to the next report of the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Doctors and Dentists Review Body (DDRB) have today published their Thirty - Fourth Report of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration. I am grateful to the chairman and members of the review body for their hard work.This year’s…

18 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the membership and remit will be of the NHS Resource Allocation Committee.

Answer · Andy Kerr: In accordance with the procedures outlined in the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments Code of Practice, a chair and members have been appointed to a new committee, the NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC). The Chair of NRAC is Profe…

3 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funds are being made available to NHS boards for 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS boards have been given a general allocation of £6,010.502 million for 2005-06, an average increase over the equivalent 2004-05 allocation of 7.6%. Details of each NHS board’s allocation is as follows:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead…

2 Feb 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote community transport projects across Scotland.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive is supporting more than 100 community transport projects across Scotland. We have allocated budgets totalling £2.3 million in 2004-05. This funding will increase to £2.5 million in 2005-06.

19 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 will still come into force in April 2005.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Progress towards implementationof the Act has been kept under review on the basis announced in my answer to parliamentary question S2O-4466 on 9 December 2004. Although it would be possible to continue to work tothe original timetable, in my view the risk of …

3 Nov 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Network Rail regarding the rollout of Global System for Mobile Telecommunications masts.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: My officials met with NetworkRail during the commencement of the Strathclyde GSM-R programme, making clear thatwhilst the Executive welcomes improvements to rail safety and efficiency, we expectthe company to undertake appropriate notification of those affect…

8 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has received from the CJD Incidents Panel about the risk to patients who have received plasma products derived from blood donated by people who subsequently developed variant CJD and what action it proposes to take as a result.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Health Protection Agency, on behalf of the CJD Incidents Panel, has provided an assessment of the risk associated with each batch of plasma product; has advised which patients needed to be assessed and, where necessary, subsequently contacted, and has giv…

28 Apr 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make public transport less vulnerable to crime.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive continuesto work in partnership with local authorities, transport providers and others ona range of measures to make public transport more attractive to passengers. Thesecan involve specific crime prevention objectives, such as the £2.2…

28 Apr 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what evaluation it has made of the impact of its mental health awareness campaign.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The See Me nationalanti-stigma campaign is designed to help eliminate the stigma anddiscrimination experienced by people with mental health problems.Evaluationof the impact of See Me is an integral element of the campaign. The public’sawareness of the …