Parliamentary questions
Mary Scanlon
4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-06002 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 March 2012, for what reason the draft quality performance indicators for prostate cancer do not include indicators relating to (a) active surveillance, (b) watchful waiting, (c) radiotherapy, (d) chemotherapy, (e) end-of…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Quality Performance Indicators (QPIs) are designed to measure and give an overall indication of the quality of a service. The prostate cancer QPIs are not intended to be all encompassing or a single reference point for either men with prostate cancer or healt…
8 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-06004 by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 March 2012, whether it is aware of the finding of research conducted on behalf of The Prostate Cancer Charity by Kantar Health in March 2011 that 80% of GPs in Scotland have never heard of the Prostate Cancer Risk Manag…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is aware of this research. The Prostate Cancer Risk Management Pack which supports the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme was issued to NHS boards (urologists, histopathologists, prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing laborato…
8 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-06006 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 March 2012, how many men have (a) been diagnosed and (b) died of (i) lung, (ii) breast, (iii) bowel and (iv) prostate cancer in each year since 1999.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not collected centrally by the Scottish Government. However, data on the number of men who have been diagnosed with and died from these cancers in each year since 1999 are available on the Information Services Division's Cancer Statistics …
8 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-06006 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 March 2012, when it will extend the Detect Cancer Early Initiative to other cancers and on what basis it will decide which cancers to include.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The current Detect Cancer Early Initiative is funded to run from 2012-2013 to 2014-2015. Progress against the HEAT target for the programme will be continually assessed but it is too early to say when the initiative will be extended. In anticipation, however,…
8 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-06006 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 March 2012, what changes were made to the Detect Cancer Early Initiative following the consultation.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: A stakeholder engagement process for the Detect Cancer Early Initiative was undertaken during August 2011. The draft implementation plan was circulated within Scottish Government Health Directorates, NHS groups (Public Health, screening, hospital and primary …
8 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-06006 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 March 2012, what representations it received during the formal consultation process for prostate cancer to be included in the Detect Cancer Early Initiative and how the initiative was altered to take account of these rep…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There were calls from clinicians and third sector groups about including other specific cancer types and children and young adults within the Detect Cancer Early Initiative. Some of these groups provided evidence for their requests and others provided practic…
2 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of new jobs in the renewable energy sector is considered to be (a) temporary, as a result of short-term contracts, and (b) permanent.
Answer · John Swinney: Scottish Renewables has estimated that there are over 11,000 jobs already supported by the renewables sector in Scotland. There is no breakdown in the contract length within these full-time equivalent figures. Our Skills Investment Plan estimates that the sec…
25 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what sanctions the Accounts Commission has imposed for negligence or misconduct leading to financial loss or involving unlawful actions in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · John Swinney: The Accounts Commission has not imposed any such sanctions in the past 10 years.
25 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is promoting a preventative care approach and, if so, for what reason the number of people receiving home care of less than four hours a week has decreased by 41% over the last decade.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Executive is promoting a preventative care approach in a number of ways through partnership working between health boards, local authorities and the third and independent sectors. We are investing £300 million in the Reshaping Care Change Fund to…
25 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many emergency hospital admissions of older people there have been in each of the last 10 years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is available in the publication Analysis of Patients Aged 65+ on Emergency Admissions (Numbers, Bed Days & Rates) and Multiple Emergency Admissions (Patients, Bed Days & Rates) published by NHSScotland Information Services Division i…
25 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what enforcement directions have been issued by the Controller of Audit to require a local authority to take certain action, in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · John Swinney: The Controller of Audit does not have any powers to issue such enforcement directions. After considering a report to it by the Controller of Audit, the Accounts Commission may make recommendations to Scottish ministers that they make an enforcement direction.…
25 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Accounts Commission has used its powers to censure, suspend or disqualify officials for specific periods in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · John Swinney: The Accounts Commission has not used these powers in the last 10 years.
25 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have received home care in each of the last 10 years, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: A table showing the number of people who received care in their own homes in each of the last ten years, broken down by local authority area, has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 53909). This information is also publishe…
25 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to ensure that home care support is offered as a preventative care service to help avoid the need for more costly intensive support, hospital or residential care.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-06899 on 8 May 2012. 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/parliamentarybusine…
25 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the eligibility criteria for home care are consistent across all local authorities and, if so, for what reason the average number of hours provided per person per week is 3.8 in Angus and 21.1 in Fife.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Yes. Joint guidance on eligibility criteria for free personal and nursing care was issued by the Scottish Government and COSLA in September 2009. Local authorities were asked to confirm that their local arrangements were compatible with this guidance. All 32 …
19 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all government-funded drug and alcohol addiction treatments include support and treatment for mental health issues, where appropriate.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Responsibility is devolved to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) to commission (informed by robust needs assessment) evidence-based, person-centred and recovery-focused treatment services to meet the needs of their resident populations, including people aff…
19 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost to the NHS is of a (a) salaried dentist and (b) general dental practitioner treating a patient.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The information requested is not held centrally. Information on the General Dental Service Adult Dental Fees including average expenditure per head of population, and General Dental Service Child Dental Fees including average expenditure per head of populati…
19 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what average number of patients is treated by a (a) salaried dentist and (b) general dental practitioner.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The information requested is not held centrally. Information on the number of dentists providing General Dental Services, or assisting with the provision of General Dental Services, the number of patients registered with a dentist under General Dental Servic…
19 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis it does not accept the validity of the costings that Ofgem gave to justify the refusal to accept the postage stamp model for transmission charging (Official Report, c. 8050).
Answer · Fergus Ewing: We have concerns about Project Transmit’s absolute reliance on modelling that only takes into account one aspect – the cost of transmission assets – of a highly complex system. Switching to a low carbon economy will mean savings for consumers throughout the …
19 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the claim in the Ofgem consultation, Electricity transmission charging: assessment of options, that socialised charging for electricity could lead to a £30 per year increase for consumers in the north of Scotland, what its reasons are for favouring this method of charging.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Socialised charging has the advantages of being straightforward, clear and effective. Generators face a difficult financial climate, compounded by the upheaval caused by the UK Government’s electricity market reform, and such a charge would remove one element…
19 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many wind farm applications it has approved since 2007 for which objections had been raised by the majority of councillors in the area.
Answer · Derek Mackay: From records available it is not possible to identify the number of councillors who object to a specific proposal. However, Scottish ministers have approved 11 section 36 wind farm applications since 2007. In seven of these cases the planning authority had ma…
19 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many wind farm applications it has approved since 2007 for which objections had been raised by Scottish Natural Heritage, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency or Historic Scotland.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Scottish ministers have approved 11 section 36 wind farm applications since 2007. In six of these cases SNH, 1 case Historic Scotland and in no cases SEPA had lodged an objection to the proposed development. In relation to planning appeals, during this time S…
11 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a comparison of the fares charged by Pentland Ferries and Northlink Ferries.
Answer · Keith Brown: NorthLink Ferries and Pentland Ferries publish their fares online and information is available from NorthLink Ferries’ website at: www.northlinkferries.co.uk and from Pentland Ferries’ website at: www.pentlandferries.co.uk.
10 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which public service obligations in public service ferry contracts do not apply to commercial operators.
Answer · Keith Brown: Public Service Obligations are defined in the relevant EU legislation (Council Regulation No 3577/92) as “obligations which the Community shipowner in question, if he was considering his own commercial interest, would not assume or would not assume to the sam…
10 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a comparison of the fares charged by Western Ferries and Argyll Ferries.
Answer · Keith Brown: Western Ferries and Argyll Ferries publish their fares online and information is available from Western Ferries’ website at http://www.western-ferries.co.uk/ and Argyll Ferries’ website at http://www.argyllferries.co.uk/.
4 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much interest has been paid on debts held by each local authority in each of the last five years.
Answer · John Swinney: The total debt associated with capital investment is the sum of traditional borrowing and credit arrangements (assets acquired under Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) or similar arrangements). Prior to 2009-10 local authority debt costs did not include a num…
4 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total debt of each local authority has been in each of the last five years.
Answer · John Swinney: Local authority debt is the sum of traditional borrowing (as recorded in the statutory loans fund) and credit arrangements (assets acquired under Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) or similar arrangements). Prior to 2009-10 local authority debt did not includ…
30 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-05302 by Michael Matheson on 8 February 2012, on what date the report into the Northern Isles Vitamin D Study will be published.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Delays in obtaining blood tests have delayed completion of this research. On acceptance and following peer review we shall publish a summary of the report on our website. This normally takes one to two months from receipt of the final report, which is due on …
30 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where the decommissioning of North Sea oil rigs has been carried out since 2002.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Decommissioning of North Sea Oil Rig infrastructure is overseen by the UK Government as part of the work of the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Over the past 10 years the significant decommissioning programmes were – MCP .01 - the topside structure…
30 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to ensure that businesses in Scotland receive a share of North Sea oil decommissioning work.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The decommissioning of offshore oil installations on the UK Continental Shelf is controlled through the 1998 Petroleum Act, and is administered by the UK’s Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC). During 2008 and early 2009, Scottish Enterprise formed a…