Parliamentary questions
Mary Scanlon
4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
14 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many inspections have been carried out on meat products by (a) the Food Standards Agency, (b) the Meat Hygiene Service and (c) local authority inspectors to determine whether horsemeat was present in each year since 2007.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the former Meat Hygiene Service have not carried out any specific sampling or inspections of meat products for horse DNA in each year since 2007. Prior to the recent horsemeat incident local authorities had not done so eith…
26 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the University of Dundee research that found that bee colony collapses in the west of Scotland were at around 5% compared with 21% in the east and up to 30% in Fife.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: We are aware of the research recently reported from Dundee University on honey bee colony losses. Our colleagues at Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture have been working closely with Dundee University in this research. The Scottish Government contribu…
18 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many compromise agreements each NHS board has made with employees in each year since 2007.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government does not collect this information centrally. The information on compromise agreements is a matter for each NHS board as an employer and the individual employee concerned.
18 Feb 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning last met principals of further education colleges and what matters were discussed.
14 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to assure consumers that products labelled as beef do not contain horsemeat.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government: On the 23 January 2013, Scottish Ministers asked the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to work with local authorities to carry out focused food standards audits of approved processed meat manufacturers. Scotland was the first part of the U…
14 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what testing is being carried out to ensure that horsemeat is not being traded as beef.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: FSA Authenticity Survey: On the 19 February 2013, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) published information about its robust UK wide authenticity survey where 28 local authorities took samples of beef products from all parts of the food chain in the first two ph…
14 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many times the (a) Food Standards Agency, (b) the Meat Hygiene Service and (c) local authority inspectors have found horsemeat being traded as beef since 2007 and what action was taken in each instance.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has not been made aware of any previous instances of horsemeat being traded as beef in Scotland since 2007.
14 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of imported meat has been inspected in each year since 2007 and what action was taken where the meat failed to comply with import conditions.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Imported meat consignments from third countries may only enter the European Union through designated EU Border Inspection Posts (BIPs). There are currently no BIPS in Scotland approved for meat consignments, therefore, meat consignments imported from third co…
14 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many consignments of imported meat have been (a) destroyed, (b) re-exported or (c) reprocessed since 1999 as a result of (i) unsatisfactory documentation or (ii) physical checks.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Imported meat consignments from third countries may only enter the European Union through designated EU Border Inspection Posts (BIPs). There are currently no BIPS in Scotland approved for meat consignments, therefore, meat consignments imported from third co…
8 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what research has been carried out to examine the reasons for the decline in honey bee numbers.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is involved both directly and indirectly in a number of areas which are examining the reasons for the decline in honey bee numbers. This includes: The launch in 2010 of the 10-year honey bee health strategy which aims to develop educa…
8 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it takes to ensure that pesticides used in farming are not harmful to bees.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: All agricultural pesticides are tightly regulated under European legislation to protect people and the environment. The risk assessment process, set out in the legislation, looks in detail at the risks to honey bees. The regulatory process is constantly updat…
8 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it considers the potential harm to be to bees from the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government’s position is based on the scientific advice it receives from the Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP), its own scientists in SASA (Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture), and through other sources such as The European Food Saf…
15 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that patients are treated in accordance with Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guidelines.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The implementation of SIGN guidelines is the responsibility of NHS boards, who are responsible for the planning and provision of services to meet the needs of their population. NHS boards are responsible for auditing and monitoring implementation of SIGN Gui…
15 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation it has made of the implementation of Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guideline 114, Non-pharmaceutical management of depression in adults.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has established the HEAT target to “Deliver faster access to mental health services by delivering 18 weeks referral to treatment for psychological therapies from December 2014”. We have published “The Matrix: a Guide to Delivering Evi…
14 Jan 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what financial assistance it will provide to Moray Council for the storm damage to Lossiemouth and Kingston.
10 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to update Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guideline 74 that was published in September 2003.
Answer · Alex Neil: Responsibility for updating SIGN guideline 74 lies with Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN).
10 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to update Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guideline 86 in order to ensure that people with dementia receive the testing, diagnosis and interventions needed to assist with their condition.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) is responsible for developing, reviewing and updating evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland. Guidelines are generally considered for review by SIGN …
21 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the abstracted flowback water that contains naturally occurring bicarbonates, sulphates, chlorides of sodium and potassium and radionuclides is dealt with during hydraulic fracturing.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The production of “flow-back” fluid from hydraulic fracturing is a mining waste activity. These activities would be controlled through planning permission for the site through an agreed waste management plan. Operators would need to have a waste management pl…
21 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what chemical additives are used in the hydraulic fracturing process.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Fracturing fluids would consist primarily of water but would also include a variety of additives. The number of chemicals used would vary depending on the conditions of the specific well being fractured. Operators would have to provide details of the chemical…
20 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the (a) sale and (b) consumption of so-called legal highs is legal in Scotland.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Legal highs or Novel/New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) as they are also known, are substances which produce similar effects to illegal drugs, but that are not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Some NPS substances have been found to contain drugs…
20 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the reported increase in the number of retail outlets selling so-called legal highs.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Legal highs or Novel/New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) as they are also known, are substances which produce similar effects to illegal drugs, but that are not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The Scottish Government takes the issue of drugs and…
20 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it can ensure that contaminants used in the hydraulic fracturing process do not flow into an aquifer used for drinking water.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12011 on 30 January 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
20 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether all aquifers are linked and, if so, how contamination can be contained in one area with no impact on the public water supply.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12011 on 30 January 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
20 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how additives used in the hydraulic fracturing process can be guaranteed not to spread contamination from one area of ground water to another.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12011 on 30 January 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
20 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that hydraulic fracturing does not lead to contamination of (a) ground water or (b) surface water.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Any proposed hydraulic fracturing would involve the high pressure injection of water, often including additives, down a borehole. A SEPA licence under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) Regulations 2011 would be required to carry out this activity.…
20 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what evidence there is of the impact of its initiatives to date aimed at reducing health inequalities.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government publish an annual report of headline indicators of health inequalities. Results from the fifth annual update, published in October 2012 show a narrowing in relation to low birth weight rates and a narrowing in the rates of death from …
20 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason "Single Outcome Agreements do not provide robust evidence of progress in reducing health inequalities" as noted in the Audit Scotland report, Health Inequalities in Scotland.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The need to improve single outcome agreements (SOAs) was identified by the joint Scottish Government and COSLA review of community planning and SOAs last year. Addressing this is a key element of action being taken forward to implement the conclusions of that…
20 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress the public sector has made since May 2007 regarding the use of reserved contracts for supported factories and businesses.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government launched a reserved framework agreement for supported businesses in September 2012. The framework is designed to cover a broad range of goods and services that Scotland’s supported businesses can provide. As at 16 January 2013, 18 cont…
20 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken since 2007 to support Remploy factories.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is committed to a consistent, person centred approach to supporting disabled people who want to work. We recognise that supported businesses in Scotland make a significant contribution to this in Scotland, both as a stepping stone towa…
20 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what contracts it has awarded to supported businesses since May 2007.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: From May 2007 the Scottish government has spent around £96K with supported businesses. Two contracts remain in force (laundry services and signage) with the possibility of further spend.