Parliamentary questions

Marilyn Livingstone

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

10 Mar 2011 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is working with stakeholders to combat coastal erosion.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: We support the efforts of local authorities who, under the Coast Protection Act 1949, may take any measures they consider necessary or expedient to protect any land in their area from coastal erosion.

12 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the frontline service provided by the Fife Fire and Rescue Service will be maintained despite the recruitment freeze, reduced numbers of operational firefighters and continued budget pressures on the local authority.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: In our statement on 12 January 2011, we set out the Scottish Government''s ambitions for improving the performance, local accountability and financial sustainability of Scotland''s fire and rescue services. I understand that Fife Fire and Rescue …

20 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many closures of hospital accident and emergency units due to staff shortages in the last year have been attributed to the impact of the European working time directive.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38463 on 20 January 2011. 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…

20 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital accident and emergency units have been forced to close in the last year due to staff shortages.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not available centrally due to the number and complexity of both core and non-core sites, as indicated in the response to S3W-38462 on 20 January 2011. It should be noted that many emergency departments work in local and regional …

20 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospitals have accident and emergency units.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: ISD Scotland has historically classified Emergency Departments as either core or non-core sites. Core sites include all Emergency Departments within large hospitals. It is important to note that, according to this classification, some core sites are large min…

30 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will meet NHS Fife should seasonal pressures on delayed discharges result in an increase in waiting times for inpatient and day-cases and at accident and emergency services.

Answer · Shona Robison: Ministers are in regular contact with all NHS boards. I recently met with the Chair of NHS Fife and we discussed the current delayed discharge situation. We are both clear that the current position is not good enough and NHS Fife is working closely with Fife …

30 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in circumstances where seasonal pressures on delayed discharges lead to difficulties in managing emergency admissions in NHS Fife.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37947 on 8 December 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…

30 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to prevent the rate of delayed discharges in Fife being exacerbated by problems associated with winter.

30 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will work with and support NHS Fife in addressing the issue of it having the highest number of delayed discharges.

Answer · Shona Robison: My officials are in regular contact with NHS Fife and Fife Council to assist them in making immediate reductions in the current levels of delayed discharges. I have made it clear to the partnership that the recent increase in delayed discharges is not accepta…

18 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will encourage public sector clients in the construction industry to break down large contracts into smaller packages to allow local contractors to tender and how it will introduce carbon footprint criteria into public sector procurement.

Answer · John Swinney: In early 2009, as Chair of the Public Procurement Reform Board, I wrote to chief executives and heads of procurement of Scottish public bodies expressing my expectation that all Scottish public bodies follow specific steps to promote small to medium enterpris…

4 Nov 2010 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources it will make available to ensure that full-time accident and emergency services at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy are maintained until the opening of the new hospital building.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: As the member knows, as part of its programme of service change set out in Right for Fife, NHS Fife has been planning since 2002 to move to a new model of accident and emergency and acute medical service based in Victoria Hospital and supported by a m…

15 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of proposals to reduce budgets for instrumental music tuition in Fife, what investment it will make in music and culture in Fife.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government supports the cultural sector through working with Creative Scotland and Scotland''s National Performing Companies. In addition, the Scottish Government provides funding for local cultural services through the local government finance s…

15 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of proposals to reduce budgets for instrumental music tuition in Fife, what action it will take to ensure that learning to play a musical instrument in Fife is available to pupils of all backgrounds

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government continues to fund the Youth Music Initiative (YMI), administered through Creative Scotland, which widens access to free music tuition in schools. Fife Council will receive £518,660 in 2010-11 as part of this initiative, the same level …

15 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of proposals to reduce budgets for instrumental tuition in Fife, what investment it will make in music education in Fife to assist students’ success in higher and further education courses

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government continues to fund the Youth Music Initiative, administered through Creative Scotland, which widens access to free music tuition in schools. Fife Council will receive £518,660 in 2010-11 as part of this initiative, the same level of ann…

15 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to support opportunities for young people interested in pursuing music and the teachers who may lose their jobs as a result of proposals to reduce budgets for instrumental music tuition in Fife

30 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that there are sufficient ambulances on duty to respond to emergencies while accident and emergency services in Kirkcaldy are closed and NHS Fife is implementing its contingency plan to transport patients to other hospitals.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Fife is responsible for working with the Scottish Ambulance Service to ensure that appropriate ambulance cover is in place. The NHS board has worked closely with the ambulance service on arrangements during the temporary overnight reductions in accident a…

30 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that Fife receives a fair allocation of junior doctors to alleviate any problems with staffing in hospitals.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The allocation of junior doctor training places is a matter for NHS Education for Scotland (NES) who are responsible for the Scottish Medical Training annual recruitment and selection process. On this basis, NES are working in partnership with NHS Fife to ens…

30 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget has been for employing locums in Fife hospitals in each of the last five years.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not specifically held. However, expenditure on medical locums by NHS Fife is available and is shown in the following table: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td width=104 valign=top > <p align=cent…

21 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of proposals by NHS Fife to direct epilepsy specialist nurses to spend one day or more a week on general ward duties.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Fife have informed me that they have no such proposals in place. While policies, frameworks and resources are provided by the Scottish Government, it is for each NHS board to decide how to have robust processes in place to ensure the provision o…

21 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of proposals by NHS Fife to develop local epilepsy transition services.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35396 on 16 August 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/Apps2…

21 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current transition arrangements are in Fife for transferring young people with epilepsy to adult services for neurological care.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There is a close working relationship between the paediatricians and neurologists in NHS Fife and transitions arrangements are supported by an Epilepsy Specialist Nurse (ESN) and an epilepsy fieldworker. NHS Fife has no plans to introduce a transition clinic …

24 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to secure adequate training facilities throughout Scotland in order to link procurement to training in the construction industry.

Answer · Keith Brown: In the context of our Economic Recovery plan, we are supporting construction by continuing to invest in infrastructure, social housing and skills and training. The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the Scottish Construction Forum, Constru…

18 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-33587 by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 May 2010, whether it will meet the management of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Yorkhill) in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh to ensure that home visits are provided as part of patien…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34668 on 28 June 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/Apps2/B…

18 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-33586 by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 May 2010, whether it will meet the chief executives of NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde following confirmation by the National Services Division that cystic fibrosis specialist nurses are being directed to …

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: National Services Division (NSD) has confirmed that for the nationally designated adult cystic fibrosis service it commissions, cystic fibrosis nurse specialists are not being directed to work one day per week on general ward duties. NSD does not commission t…

18 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-33585 by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 May 2010, whether it will meet the management of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde regarding the correspondence that the Cystic Fibrosis Trust has received from families who believe general ward nursing staff to be inexperi…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34666 on 28 June 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/Apps2/B…

18 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-33585 by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 May 2010, what consultations took place with the families of young people with cystic fibrosis regarding the decision to close ward 6B at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Yorkhill) in Glasgow.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: It is for NHS boards to staff and provide services that best meet the needs of local people. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have given assurances that staff at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children engaged with the young patients and their families to …

11 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the number of NHS board decisions that are overturned on appeal, whether it considers that NHS boards are able to make correct decisions about pharmacy applications.

Answer · Shona Robison: Under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 NHS boards have a statutory duty to ensure the provision of pharmaceutical services. In doing so, they have the statutory role in determining applications made to them for entry to the pharmaceutical list.…

11 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the National Appeal Panel for Entry to the Pharmaceutical List would reconsider the decision of an NHS board pharmacy practices committee when the only objectors to the decision are other pharmacy contractors and in the absence of new evidence.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34454 on 23 June 2010, which refers to the process around these appeals. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at<…

11 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the National Appeal Panel for Entry to the Pharmaceutical List can overturn NHS board pharmacy decisions without new evidence being submitted by objectors.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34454 on 23 June 2010, which refer to the process around these appeals. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <…

11 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason objections to NHS board pharmacy decisions do not require new evidence in order for the National Appeal Panel for Entry to the Pharmaceutical List to consider that an oral hearing of the decision is required.