Parliamentary questions
Mary Scanlon
4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Sep 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many social services workers registered with the Scottish Social Services Council have been (a) suspended from the register for two years and (b) removed from the register in each year since 2001.
Answer · Angela Constance: Although the SSSC was established in 2001, registration did not commence until 2003 therefore the information provided is for the period 2003 to date. The SSSC can suspend registrants for periods up to two years. Since registration commenced in 2003 the numb…
8 Sep 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many warnings the Scottish Social Services Council has issued to social services workers found guilty of misconduct in each year since 2001.
Answer · Angela Constance: Although the SSSC was established in 2001, registration did not commence until 2003. Information provided by SSSC indicates the following: Year No. of Warnings 2003 0 2004 0 2005 0 2006 0 2007 0 2008 0 2009 3 2010 3 2011 4 Total 10 Form…
8 Sep 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many social services staff registered with the Scottish Social Services Council have had conditions placed on their registration in each year since 2001.
Answer · Angela Constance: Although the SSSC was established in 2001, registration did not commence until 2003 therefore the information provided below is for the period 2003 to date. Year No. of Conditions 2008 1 2009 10 2010 4 2011 2 (both recently issued and still within…
8 Sep 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason registration with the Scottish Social Services Council will not commence for support workers in care at home services until 2017.
Answer · Angela Constance: One of the conditions of registration is that a worker will have, or be working towards, an appropriate qualification for the job they undertake. This was designed to raise standards of practice in key groups of the social services workforce. Registration has…
7 Sep 2011 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards there are to protect NHS staff who raise concerns regarding the quality of care and treatment.
1 Sep 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds there are for inpatient services for young people with mental health issues.
Answer · Michael Matheson: In patient services for adolescents are provided by three regional units in Scotland. These are the South of Scotland, based at Royal Edinburgh Hospital with 12 beds serving Lothian, Fife & Borders, West of Scotland based at Stobhill Hospital Glasgow with 24 …
1 Sep 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds are required for inpatient services for young people with mental health issues.
Answer · Michael Matheson: We are working closely with NHS boards to ensure that the number of specialist beds matches the need and demand of children and adolescents. We are also encouraging NHS boards to develop their community based intensive outreach services in order to enable chi…
31 Aug 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning or his officials have met local authorities in the Highlands and Islands to identify school building projects for the third phase of the Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme and what the outcome was.
Answer · Michael Russell: Ministers and Scottish Government officials meet local authorities on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues related to the school estate, including the Scotland’s Schools for the Future building programme. Although there have been no specific meetings …
23 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on improvements to the A95 in each year since 2007-08.
Answer · Keith Brown: In the last four financial years, Transport Scotland has spent almost £5 million on improvements to the trunk road section of the A95 (between Aviemore and Keith). Yearly totals are provided in the following table. These figures include accident investigation…
23 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements to the A95 are planned for (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13, (c) 2013-14 and (d) 2014-15.
Answer · Keith Brown: Transport Scotland has completed the statutory process for one infrastructure improvement project on the A95 at Lackghie, and a second scheme between Gaich to Craggan is in preparation. Both of these schemes are aimed at improving road safety. These will be t…
22 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide information on when it expects work on the construction of the new Highland prison to commence.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is seeking a suitable site for HMP Highland, which will replace the existing HMP Inverness. The construction …
22 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to reduce the number of stillbirths in the last ten years.
Answer · Michael Matheson: A Stillbirth Sub-Group, of the Government convened Maternity Services Action Group, was set up in February 2011, and is considering issues pertinent to stillbirth, including current practice in NHS boards, current pregnancy screening, information given to par…
22 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out a review on stillbirths and, if so, what action has resulted.
Answer · Michael Matheson: A Stillbirth Sub-Group, of the Government convened Maternity Services Action Group, was set up in February 2011, and is considering issues pertinent to stillbirth, including current practice in NHS boards, current pregnancy screening, information given to par…
22 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many stillbirths there have been in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is publically available on the National Records of Scotland (NRS) website. The 2010 data was published on 5 August 2011. http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files2/stats/annual-review-2010/rgar10-appendix1-table1.xls. Table 1 - Number of stillbi…
22 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what screening is carried out to identify babies at risk of stillbirth.
Answer · Michael Matheson: A Stillbirth Sub-Group, of the government convened Maternity Services Action Group, was set up in February 2011, and is considering issues pertinent to stillbirth, including current practice in NHS boards, current pregnancy screening, information given to par…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it protects older people from excessive costs for home, residential and nursing care.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Free Personal and Nursing Care was introduced in Scotland in 2002. This means that local authorities cannot charge for personal care services provided to people at home or in residential care if they are assessed as requiring that care and are over 65. Over 5…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been provided for the care of older people by (a) the NHS and (b) local authorities in each of the last ten years.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: (a) Funding provided by the NHS Information is not available on total NHS funding (or expenditure) on care of the elderly. The NHS Costs Book (Scottish Health Service Costs) provides details of expenditure incurred by NHS Boards in delivering health and car…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will propose changes to the threshold level for payments for home and residential care for older people.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Report of the Commission on Funding of Care and Support – Fairer Care Funding makes a recommendation to the UK Government to increase the upper capital limit beyond which no means-tested help is available for care home residents to £100,000. We will cons…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out an audit on the need for rented sheltered housing for older people and, if so, what the level of unmet need is.
Answer · Keith Brown: We have not undertaken an audit of the need for rented sheltered housing for older people. Local authorities are responsible for assessing the need for housing and support services for their local populations, including older people. These needs should be re…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average (a) cost and (b) length of stay is for older people in residential care and nursing homes.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information was published by ISD Scotland on the 28 June 2010 in Care Homes Census 2010: Additional Analysis of Care Home Residents, including Gross Weekly Charge. http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Health-and-Social-Community-Care/Care-Homes/Cen…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have sold their homes to pay for home, residential and nursing care in older age in each year since the implementation of free personal care.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The value of a home is not taken into account in the financial assessment for care at home and any nursing care provided is free at the point of delivery. A person’s home is only taken into account for residential care but is disregarded in certain circumstan…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it gives people to help plan the cost of meeting their care needs in older age.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government established and funds Care Information Scotland which is a website and helpline providing comprehensive information on community care services for older people. This service has information on how much care costs together with details …
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which of the recommendations of The Report of the Commission on Funding Care and Support, Fairer Care Funding, July 2011 it will adopt.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The report of the Commission on Funding of Care and Support – Fairer Care Funding makes recommendations to the UK Government on how to develop a fairer system of funding social care in England. We will consider the recommendations as part of the Scottish Gov…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to reform the cost of access to home or residential care for older people.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-1767 on 5 August 2011. 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/parliamentarybusi…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that older people in need of care are made aware of the national eligibility and criteria for receiving free personal care.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Each local authority has confirmed that their local arrangements for access to social care services and timescales for access to personal and nursing care services are consistent with the guidance on national eligibility criteria and waiting times for the per…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been given a self-management programme for the treatment of pernicious anaemia.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The information requested is not centrally available.
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what tests are carried out by the NHS to determine vitamin or mineral deficiency in patients.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Tests are available for estimating the levels of some of the vitamins and minerals in the blood such as iron and calcium levels and Vitamin B12 and folate in the NHS. However, as the results are variable as they can be influenced by many other factors such as…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are diagnosed with pernicious anaemia.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The exact number of people who have been diagnosed with pernicious anaemia in Scotland is not available centrally. However, national estimates can be given of the number of patients consulting a GP or practice-employed nurse for this condition based on inform…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been carried out on to determine the recommended injection treatment for pernicious anaemia.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is not aware of any research into the recommended injection treatment for pernicious anaemia.
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are given to GPs on using the Active-B12 test for diagnosing and treating pernicious anaemia.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No guidelines have been given to GPs on using the Active-B12 test for diagnosing and treating pernicious anaemia as this is not the generally used way of diagnosing this condition in NHSScotland.