Parliamentary questions

Mary Scanlon

4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people on the methadone prescription programme are monitored to ensure that they are not exposing themselves to risk by continuing to take illegal drugs, whether administered personally or by others.

Answer · Iain Gray: Statistics are not held centrally. Current clinical guidelines provide advice on patient monitoring and testing for signs of continued use of illegal drugs.

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce a protocol which includes guidelines on the testing of individuals in order to prevent the abuse of methadone prescriptions by those who continue to inject illicit substances and therefore minimise the danger of death by overdose.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Executive has no plans to introduce such a protocol. Current clinical guidelines already include advice on monitoring of patients, adjusting doses of prescribed substitute drugs where continued use of illegal drugs is confirmed, examination for physical s…

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health report Behavioural Patterns of Injecting Drug Users in Highland, what is being done to address the problem of methadone users who also continue to inject illegal substances.

Answer · Iain Gray: The report was commissioned by NHS Highland to provide them with accurate and contemporary information on drug misuse to assist service planning.We will, however, review the report. Current clinical guidelines provide advice on the management of patients w…

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of social work supervision is available to (a) life sentence prisoners, (b) determinate sentence prisoners serving over four years, (c) registered sex offenders and (d) determinate sentence prisoners serving less than four years who voluntarily seek supervision.

Answer · Iain Gray: Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide a service for individuals in their area who, following release from prison or other form of detention, are required to be under supervision. In addition, local authorities provide an after-care service to any…

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the definition of "social work supervision" is and how it is assessed and monitored.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Social work supervision is a broad term meaning supervision by a social worker. Its precise definition will depend on the statutory basis of the supervision which may be in respect of an adult or a child. There is a wide range of relevant orders and many of t…

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what "non-specific expenditure" covers, as detailed in Table 7.1 on page 78 of the Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000, and why it was reduced by #49.82 million between 1996-97 and 1999-2000.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: "Non-specific expenditure" covers: 1. "Service Strategy and Regulation" Some specific areas covered here are: strategic information, research and planning, director of social work costs, registration and inspection team costs, etc. 2. "Social Service…

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why net expenditure on social work for adult offenders has been reduced by #1.45 million between 1996-97 and 1999-2000, as detailed on page 78 of the Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: In addition to monies drawn from GAE, the Scottish Executive provides 100% direct funding to local authorities for community-based criminal justice social work services. This is reflected in the Gross Expenditure figures as detailed on page 78 of the Scott…

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why net expenditure on social work for all Community Care Client groups fell by #44.97 million between 1996-97 and 1999-2000, as detailed on page 78 of the Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: From 1997-98 onwards, this category excludes expenditure on nursing homes. The gross expenditure has increased by £21.3 million between 1997-98 and 1999-2000 (net expenditure increase of £12.6 million).

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why local authorities spent #1,855,000 less in relation to substance misuse in 1999-2000 than in 1996-97, as detailed on page 78 of the Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The level of spending in any one year across Scotland as a whole reflects decisions taken by individual local authorities as to their priorities for spending, based on their knowledge of local circumstances. We expect to see increasing figures in 2001-02 aris…

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why local authorities have reduced spending by #8 million on adult mental health problems in 1999-2000 compared with 1996-97, as detailed on page 78 of the Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The 1996-97 information is not directly comparable with that for later years due to differences in the way the information is collected. Gross expenditure on services for adults with mental health problems increased by £15 million between 1997-98 and 1999-200…

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the number of people receiving home care as detailed in table 5.1, page 65 of Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000 fell by 11,068 between the years 1998 and 2000.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As noted in Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000, this reduction is likely to be due to re-classification of clients into other more appropriate client groups rather than a change in the way the service is provided.

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why local authorities reduced their charges for residents in residential care homes for physically disabled people from a weekly charge of #750 in the year 1999 to #485 in the year 2000, as detailed on page 64 of the Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are very few local authority homes catering for physically disabled people. Table 4.7 in Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000 shows that there were three such homes open at the 1999 census and four at the 2000 census. The average weekly charge…

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why there has been a reduction of 9,065 people receiving home care over the two-year period from 1998 to 2000, as detailed on page two of the Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There has been a move to providing more intensive home care over the two-year period from 1998-2000. Whilst there has been a reduction in the number of people receiving home care, the number of hours received by each client has increased from 5.1 hours per we…

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional support and advice to carers in order to increase the uptake of the Direct Payments Scheme.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is committed to supporting carers and we are already making a difference to the lives of many. Under the Carers Strategy, we have doubled the resources available to local authorities to support carers, including the provision of …

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the discharge of all residents in long stay hospitals will be in accordance with NHS Management Executive Letter (1996) 22 or whether further guidelines for NHS Trusts will be issued.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The arrangements set out in the 1996 guidance remain relevant in all respects.

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the 53% of new dentists added to the dentists' register in the year 2000 who were drawn from abroad have received training, experience and qualifications to the same standard as graduates from Scotland's dental schools.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Entry to the Dentists Register is an issue for the General Dental Council. This body and such issues are reserved and dealt with through the Department of Health in England.Entering the Dentists Register in the UK is not the same as working in the UK. Entr…

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the ratio of dentists to population in Scotland is less than in England.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Based on data held by the Department of Health and ISD Scotland, the ratio of all dentists providing services within the NHS is 48.94 per 100,000 population in Scotland and 43.81 per 100,000 population in England. These figures include dentists working in Gen…

31 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether people who have been assessed as requiring care in their own homes are eligible for direct payments for their care from local authorities.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Direct payments are available to disabled people, aged 18 and over, who have been assessed as needing community care services, including care in their own homes. Direct payments can be used to purchase all community care services except permanent residenti…

30 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all people who are prescribed methadone are given the option of detoxification and rehabilitation at regular intervals during the course of their treatment

Answer · Iain Gray: The nature and duration of treatment are determined on the basis of a patient's particular clinical needs and personal circumstances. Current clinical guidelines recognise that referrals to hospital, day care or residential care may be required in certain cir…

30 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18370 by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 October 2001, when the Healthy Respect National Health Demonstration project will produce an evaluation report and whether this evaluation will form the basis for extending the project throughout the rest of Scotland.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Healthy Respect National Health Demonstration project is being independently evaluated by the University of Aberdeen and it will report its findings by early 2004.The independent evaluation programme will identify implications for policy and practice a…

26 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the estimated 141,000 tenants have applied under the central heating installation programme since April 2001 and how many have benefited.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: We estimate that 23,000 local authority tenants, 6,000 housing association tenants and 40,000 pensioners who are private sector tenants or owner occupiers lack central heating. From April 2004 the programme will be extended to 20,000 local authority tenants t…

24 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the consumption of genetically modified organisms can cause allergic reactions.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I am advised that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is unaware of any evidence suggesting a direct link between the symptoms of food allergy and any genetically modified (GM) food or ingredient.All GM foods are subject to a rigorous safety assessment before …

23 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what environmental protection the 1,448 locations currently designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest will receive.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: All Sites of Special Scientific Interest receive legal protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and will continue to do so. Sites are also protected through contractual means such as management agreements between land managers and Scottish Natur…

23 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria will be used to distribute to health boards resources from the #28 million to be spent on tackling drugs, announced by the Minister for Finance and Local Government on 28 June 2001.

Answer · Iain Gray: £3.1 million of the additional resources was identified for treatment. This is on top of the additional £10 million already allocated to health boards from the Spending Review. Of the £3.1 million, £1.1 million per annum has been allocated to health boards…

23 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the weed killer glufosinate ammonium has on (a) genetically modified crops, (b) water sources and supplies, (c) other affected farm products and (d) farmland wildlife.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Genetically modified crops have been bred to be resistant to Glufosinate-ammonium so that, when herbicides containing the compound are applied to them, they are not killed. Other crops, whether they are conventionally bred, or contain a genetic modification t…

23 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the herbicide used on the trial crop at Munlochy in the Black Isle has been tested and, if so, what the results were.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Yes. A detailed summary of the tests considered by the Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) when the herbicide, Glufosinate-ammonium, was first evaluated for safety and effectiveness in commercial use has been published. The tests led the ACP to recommend t…

23 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether food labels must state, where appropriate, that a product contains genetically modified ingredients.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Food Standards Agency has advised me that current legislation requires all foods, or food ingredients, containing approved genetically modified (GM) soya, maize, additives or flavourings to be labelled. The rules extend to food supplied to mass caterers. …

23 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the resistance to herbicide of genetically modified crops can spread to other plant life.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The genetically modified herbicide tolerant crops currently grown in Scotland are tolerant to only one specific herbicide. Cross-pollination with a related, sexually compatible species could produce a hybrid with the same tolerance. Separation distances aroun…

23 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the consumption of genetically modified organisms can affect resistance to certain antibiotics.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that there is no evidence to suggest that antibiotic resistance has occurred as a result of the consumption of genetically modified foods.

23 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether white noise generators are available to patients to alleviate tinnitus.

Answer · Susan Deacon: White noise generators and other tinnitus masking devices are available to patients from NHSScotland.