Parliamentary questions
Margaret Curran
254 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will deliver the prevention-based school dental service promised in the SNP manifesto.
Answer · Shona Robison: I launched Childsmile School<i>,</i> the school-based preventive dental service on 3 December 2007 inFife.</p>
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish budget provide ring-fenced funding for mental health services, as promised in the SNP manifesto.
Answer · Shona Robison: The substantialfunding included within the Scottish Government Budget to 2010-11 will ensurecontinuity of approach and investment on mental health and other priorities byNHS boards, local authorities and other partners.</p><p>Funding now to beincluded within …
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has abandoned the SNP manifesto commitment to ring-fence funding for mental heath services.
Answer · Shona Robison: We have freed upagencies to succeed and where we have removed ring fencing it is for positivereasons, for positive benefits and for early improvements for service users.</p><p>The substantialfunding included within the Scottish Government Budget to 2010-11 wi…
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what options are being considered to improve primary care services in deprived areas.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-6795 on 4 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what view the Task Group on Inequality has on how to ensure that deprived communities receive enhanced services compared with other areas.
Answer · Shona Robison: The MinisterialTask Force on Health Inequalities will set out in due course the principles onwhich it is basing its work and will report to Cabinet in May 2008.</p>
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what framework the Task Force on Health Inequalities is using to measure inequality.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Task Force isexamining health inequalities based on both individual and area-based measures.</p><p>A backgroundpaper has been published on:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/inequalitiestaskforce">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Hea…
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when guidance will be issued to NHS boards to reduce excessive charges for hospital car parking and other services and review public transport to hospitals to ensure that they are sufficiently accessible.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-6672on 27 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questionsare available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it provided funding in the Scottish budget to increase the number of physiotherapists.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: All NHS boardsreceive an annual allocation of funds. Each board’s allocation will beincreased in each year of the spending review period. It is for each NHS boardto decide how best to utilise these funds to meet the health care needs of itsresident population…
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to bring forward proposals to introduce direct elections to NHS boards.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The consultation on the Local Healthcare Bill will start soon. The consultation will seek views on public and community involvement with NHS boards and on direct elections to NHS boards.</p>
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to bring forward proposals to introduce legally binding guarantees for waiting times.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-2943 on 23 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce more fast track diagnostic and treatment centres, as promised in the SNP manifesto.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We will workclosely with NHS boards to introduce more localised access to diagnostic andtreatment services as part of the implementation of our plans for an 18 weekwaiting time standard from referral to treatment.</p>
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria will be used to define deprived areas, as referred to in the Scottish budget.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Area based deprivationhas many aspects, but the main Scotland-wide measure of area deprivation is the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.</p>
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to expand primary health care in deprived areas.
Answer · Shona Robison: We are committedto targeting resources to deprived areas for primary care services, through arange of measures including further development of the new GMS (GP) contract,the new pharmacy contract, dental access initiatives and a new school-baseddental service…
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how health checks for people who reach the age of 40 will be funded.
Answer · Shona Robison: Provision hasbeen made in the Scottish Budget to take forward this Manifesto Commitment.</p>
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when health checks for people who reach the age of 40 will be introduced.
Answer · Shona Robison: We are currentlyexamining how best to design these health checks to ensure the maximum benefitsfor patients, building on the success of the Keep Well programme. We will setout a timetable for their introduction once that work is completed.</p>
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding to double the number of school nurses has been provided for in the Scottish budget and, if so, to which budget grouping it has been allocated.
Answer · Shona Robison: Funding for thenext three years is included within the Health Improvement and HealthInequalities budget to increase the range of nursing and other health care supportavailable to school aged children and young people.</p>
21 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when annual health and fitness checks will be introduced, as promised in the SNP manifesto.
Answer · Shona Robison: Our plans are toincrease the range of nursing and other healthcare support available to schoolaged children and young people. A health care model targeted at deprived andother areas with high numbers of disadvantaged children will be developed in2008. Individ…
7 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS boards are required to address issues of birth rate planning, given present demographic trends.
Answer · Shona Robison: This is a matter forindividual NHS boards and the Scottish Government would expect them, in the normalprocesses of service planning, to take into account local factors such as birthrate.</p>
7 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what birth rate planning has been undertaken in respect of health service provision.
Answer · Shona Robison: This is a matter forindividual NHS boards and the Scottish Government would expect them to keep birthrate and other demographic factors affecting health care services under review.</p>
7 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what account is taken of increasing demand for neonatal services, in particular nursing services, in the development of health policy.
Answer · Shona Robison: We are on trackto achieve the current target of attracting 12,000 nurses and midwives intoNHSScotland by 2007. This target is associated with all qualified nurses andmidwives, including neonatal nurses. In addition a Paediatric and NeonatalNursing subgroup of…
2 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to (a) alter the use of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation as a mechanism for resource allocation to areas of deprivation and (b) increase funding to these areas to tackle deprivation.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government willuse the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation to inform the allocation ofresources which aim to tackle or take account of area-based concentrations ofmultiple deprivation. All detailed decisions on funding will be made as part of …
2 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to alter financial distribution within local authorities and NHS boards in order to address deprivation.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Deprivation factors areamong those contained within the local government finance distributionmethodology which is kept under constant review jointly by the ScottishGovernment and COSLA. That review process will continue to take account ofproposals to make the…
2 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what announcements have been made since May 2007 targeted to individuals and communities that experience deprivation.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: <i>Principles andPriorities – The Government’s Programme for Scotland</i>, published in September 2007, highlighteda range of commitments which will produce positive outcomes for deprivedindividuals and communities across Scotland.</p><p>Examples ofspecific c…
17 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Minister for Community Safety has made speeches relating to antisocial behaviour since taking up post.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I have made a numberof speeches relating to antisocial behaviour since taking up post as Minister forCommunity Safety, including at the launch of the Risk Factory in Edinburgh on 5June; at the Safer and Stronger debate in the Scottish Parliament on 6 June; at…
17 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which parliamentary constituencies in the city of Glasgow the Minister for Community Safety has visited since taking up post.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I have visited theconstituencies of Kelvin, Anniesland, Govan and Shettleston in the city of Glasgow since taking up post.</p>
17 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Minister for Community Safety has visited Glasgow since taking up post.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I have visited Glasgow on six occasions since taking up post.</p>
17 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions about antisocial behaviour have been held in the east end of Glasgow and how such discussions will feed into its review of the national antisocial behaviour strategy.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I have yet to holdformal discussions about antisocial behaviour in the east end of Glasgow but have met with Glasgow Community and Safety Servicesand Strathclyde Police to canvass their views on issues relevant to communitiesacross Glasgow. These early discus…
17 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions about its review of the national antisocial behaviour strategy have been held in Glasgow.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I met with seniorofficers in Strathclyde Police and Glasgow Community and Safety Services in Glasgow on 10 July 2007 to discuss a rangeof community safety issues to help inform our review of the national antisocialbehaviour strategy.</p>
17 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has held with community groups during its review of the national antisocial behaviour strategy.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The review is at anearly stage and we have yet to hold discussions with community groups. The termsof reference for the review, which will outline the review process including engagementwith local communities, will be announced shortly.</p>
17 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding is provided for community wardens and whether it intends to expand the use of such wardens.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scottish Executivefunding to tackle antisocial behaviour is supporting community wardens in everylocal authority area in Scotland. It is for each local authority to decidehow best to allocate funding across all their antisocial behaviour services, includingco…