Mary Scanlon

23 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why every carcass leaving an abattoir in the UK is inspected in the UK yet every imported carcass is not.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Meat produced within the European Union must be produced to the standards required by the relevant EU laws. These are enforced by the individual member state, and require that carcasses are properly inspected at the slaughterhouse whether in the UK or another…

23 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of imported meat is inspected.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: All imported meat and meat products are subject to inspection at Border Inspection Posts. These inspections consist of documentary checks on all consignments and additional physical checks on 20% of all consignments. <P>Where beef is imported as carcasses int…

23 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether inspections of imported processed meat since 1 July 1999 have found any disease or health ha'ards which would have affected consumers following consumption.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Imported processed meats are controlled under Products of Animal Origin legislation and imports from third countries are subject to documentary and physical checks. <P>Consignments which do not satisfy either documentary or physical checks are required to be …

23 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many inspections have been carried out on imported processed food including sausages, pies and pate since 1 July 1999.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Food Standards Agency advises that, since July 1999, there have been no recorded imports of meat or meat products arriving from third countries requiring inspection at Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) in Scotland.<P>Imports into Scotland from other member s…

23 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all processed food will be labelled by country of origin.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: On matters of food safety and standards, the Scottish Executive is advised by the Food Standards Agency. Currently, the Food Labelling Regulations (1996) require particulars of the place of origin or provenance of a food to be shown, as failure to give such i…

23 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken against meat importers, and the country of origin, of meat which the Meat Hygiene Service has identified as being unfit for human consumption.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Where consignments of carcass beef imported into the UK from other EU member states have been found with SRM (portions of spinal cord) attached, the Food Standards Agency has taken up the matter vigorously, in each case, with the authorities of the member sta…

23 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many spot checks have been carried out on imported beef this year; (b) how many cases of these revealed carcasses which still contained spinal chord, and (c) from which countries was the meat in these cases imported.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Food Standards Agency advises that the Meat Hygiene Service no longer relies on spot checks of consignments of imported carcass beef. In light of SRM (portions of spinal cord) failures in consignments of beef from several other EU member states the MHS ch…

16 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition is of the term "Healthcare Associated Infection".

Answer · Susan Deacon: The term "Healthcare Associated Infection" is generally used to refer to infections which may affect patients, staff and others in the full range of health care settings, not only in hospitals. Infections which may be associated with health care settings incl…

11 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS Trusts can use "winter pressure" funding to allocate places in nursing and residential homes, alleviate delayed discharges from hospitals and ensure that patients receive treatment in NHS hospitals.

Answer · Susan Deacon: NHS Boards and Trusts, in collaboration with their local authority planning partners and others, are responsible for decisions about the use of the additional resources provided to NHSScotland to help respond to winter pressures. The resources can be used to …

11 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether venison produced in Scotland is inspected under any quality assurance system to ensure consumer confidence in the product.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Yes, farmed venison is subjected to quality assurance inspections and soon wild venison from land run by Forest Enterprise will also be inspected. However, other wild venison is not at present covered by a quality assurance scheme, although the Scottish Game …

11 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) from what external sources any (i) financial and (ii) non-financial contributions to health care establishments have been received, (b) which establishments received any such contributions and (c) how much the financial contributions were and, in the case of non-financial contribution…

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is not held centrally.

9 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether general practioners must provide the prostate-specific antigen test on request.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The National Screening Committee (NSC) recently considered the current policy for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing and concluded it did not give clear guidance on how to deal with men asking for a PSA test where there are no symptoms nor family history…

9 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received information about any inquiry by the Office of Fair Trading into the provision of pharmacy services in Scotland and, if so, what explanation it has received for any such inquiry

Answer · Susan Deacon: We are aware of the announcement made by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on 3 October that it will be undertaking a number of inquiries to explore how well markets are working for their customers.<P>The OFT stated that the pharmacy study will examine the mar…

5 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all stroke patients can be assured of receiving the appropriate level of physiotherapy services.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Patients who have suffered a stroke are assessed by the health care team and their needs identified in order that care can be provided by the appropriate members of the team. <P>The Coronary Heart Disease/Stroke Task Force acknowledges the role which the Prof…

5 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage NHS Trusts to identify patients with a high risk of developing osteoporosis and ensure that these patients are offered appropriate physiotherapy services

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There is not at present any reliable method of identifying patients at a high risk of developing osteoporosis, nor is there any evidence that physiotherapy can do anything to prevent it from developing. The only measures known to prevent the development of os…

5 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has conducted or commissioned into selenium deficiency and any increased risk of coronary heart disease, depression or mental illness and what the result of any such research was.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Environment and Rural Affairs Department is currently funding an on-going programme of strategic research into the biological role of selenium and the effect of marginal selenium deficiency on human and animal health. This includes basic studies on thyroi…

5 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Clinical Resource and Audit Group are conducting an inquiry into methadone deaths and, if so, when any inquiry report will be published.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Clinical Resource and Audit Group (CRAG) is funding a national confidential enquiry into methadone related deaths.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The enquiry report will be published once it has been reviewed and approved by the Clinical Effectiveness Programmes Sub-G…

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a full range of treatments for infertility will be available in each health board area.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18296 on 4 October 2001.

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is undertaking any reviews of the level of funding devoted to infertility issues and, if so, when the outcome of these reviews will be published.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is not undertaking any review of the level of funding for infertility services in Scotland.

2 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17762 by Mr Jim Wallace on 20 September 2001, whether, given the precedence of Scottish law over Udal law, it is possible for adjacent pieces of land to be subject to different laws.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The general law of Scotland applies to land across Scotland. In areas where Udal tenure subsists, Udal land may differ from land held on feudal tenure, and it is therefore consistent with the law of Scotland for adjacent pieces of land in these areas to be he…

2 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17763 by Mr Jim Wallace on 20 September 2001, what specific areas of Udal law are distinct from Scots law on land tenure.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The primary difference between Udal and Feudal land law is that Udal land is held outright by the owner and is not subject to any superior interest, including the Crown. This difference will be removed by the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 200…

2 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Udal tenure of land will be recognised and preserved under the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17675. The Land Reform (Scotland) Bill does not make any specific provision in relation to Udal Law.

28 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what encouragement has been given for employers to apply for Scotland's Health at Work Award initiative accreditation since the publication of Towards a Healthier Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: <I><FONT FACE="Arial">Our National Health: a plan for action a plan for change</I> included a commitment to increase funding for Scotland's Health at Work scheme to enable more employers to develop health promoting workplaces. Details will be announced shortl…

28 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to develop a dental disease prevention from birth programme since the publication of Towards a Healthier Scotland.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Dental Action Plan, a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 16538), was published in August 2000 and has a significant focus on dental disease prevention. The provision of free toothpaste and toothbrushes, underpinne…

28 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to cut alcohol misuse and to create a new national committee to implement such a strategy since the publication of Towards a Healthier Scotland.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is taking a range of measures to tackle alcohol misuse in Scotland. Work is currently going on to develop a nationally recognisable proof of age card in conjunction with Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and Young Scot. Funding is also be…

28 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to develop a national physical activity strategy since the publication of Towards a Healthier Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Physical Activity Task Force was set up in June 2001 with the remit of producing a strategy for increasing physical activity levels amongst the Scottish population. This group will give a progress report by the end of this year with a draft strategy being…

28 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to secure tougher enforcement of the law against sales of tobacco to children since the publication of Towards a Healthier Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is working closely with CoSLA, and the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland to improvement enforcement of the Children and Young Person (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991. An enforcement protocol, for use by local …

28 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what services in the NHS have been provided to help smokers quit smoking and to secure improved facilities in pubs and restaurants for non-smokers since the publication of Towards a Healthier Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive has provided £8 million over three years for smoking cessation and health education and prevention activities. This supports a range of initiatives including cessation services. Since April 2001 a full range of NRT products has been ava…

25 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the conditions applied by each health board for accepting ophthalmic opticians as providers of general ophthalmic services include any duty to provide, where appropriate, domiciliary practice.

Answer · Susan Deacon: No. Ophthalmic opticians are independent contractors and it is for them to decide in the circumstances of each case whether or not to undertake domiciliary visits to eligible people.

24 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider recognising rural health as a separate speciality in the undergraduate curriculum for medical students.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The content of the undergraduate medical curriculum is a matter for the General Medical Council (GMC), which is a body independent of government. Currently the GMC recommends that each university cover a core curriculum, encompassing the essential knowledge a…