Parliamentary questions
Mary Scanlon
4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to improve accuracy in diagnosing pernicious anaemia.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Healthcare professionals are expected to follow agreed local and national guidelines, and are supported by the agreed pathways in NHS boards for the management of various health conditions, including Pernicious Anaemia. Doctors are expected and professionall…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many places there are for training in child psychotherapy, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-01754 on 11 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/parliamentarybu…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason some NHS boards provide child and adolescent mental health services up to age 16 while others provide this up to age 18.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government sets national direction of policy on mental health and provides funding to agencies - including NHS boards and local authorities - to support implementation of policy. The management of local actions in implementing national policy, an…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the recommendations made by the strategic review of child and adolescent mental health services and taking account of retirements, how many child psychotherapists will be needed in each of the next ten years.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government sets national direction of policy on mental health and provides funding to agencies - including NHS boards and local authorities - to support implementation of policy. The management of local actions in implementing national policy, an…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are training to be child psychotherapists and how many it expects to have completed such training in each of the next four years.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-01754 on 11 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/parliamentarybu…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is addressing the 8.2% reduction in the psychotherapy workforce in NHSScotland's child and adolescent mental health services' workforce.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-01754 on 11 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/parliamentarybu…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how each NHS board ensures that children have access to psychotherapy services.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-01754 on 11 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/parliamentarybu…
18 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards employ child psychotherapists and what contingency plans are there for those that do not.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-01754 on 11 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/parliamentarybu…
14 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in how many cases recipients of police warning letters have appealed in each of the last five years; how many of these cases have gone to trial, and how many have resulted in a conviction.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: There is no appeal process for Formal Adult Warning (FAW) letters issued by the police. Recipients of such letters may accept or refuse them. If a FAW is refused it is a matter for the police to consider what further action, if any, should be taken. Such acti…
14 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost is of the police issuing a warning letter, including the investigation costs.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The cost of investigating and issuing a Formal Adult Warning is a matter for individual police forces. The information requested is not held centrally.
14 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many warning letters the police have issued in each of the last five years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government Statistical Bulletin Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2009-10 was published in January 2011. This shows that 7,769 Formal Adult Warnings (FAWs) were issued by the police in 2008-09, and 8,226 in 2009-10. These are the only two years …
8 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-00407 by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 June 2011, when the Obesity Treatment Subgroup will provide options to the National Planning Forum and when equal access to evidence-based, clinical and cost-effective weight management interventions will be available.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Options developed by the Obesity Treatment Subgroup were considered by the National Planning Forum at a meeting on 1 July 2011. Work is continuing to develop a planning framework for obesity treatment that will enable equitable access to weight management int…
8 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-00411 by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 June 2011, what action is being taken to ensure that NHS boards comply with the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guideline on the provision of bariatric surgery.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The planning and provision of NHS services is a matter for NHS boards. SIGN Guidelines provide recommendations for effective practice to be taken into account when services are developed for the management of clinical conditions. NHS boards are expected to de…
8 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is an offence for a public sector organisation to use in an official publication a name for an area other than the one by which it is traditionally known.
Answer · John Swinney: There is no specific criminal offence of misnaming an area or locality.
6 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to answer to question S4W-00501 by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 June 2011, how many older people received care in their own homes in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: A table showing the number of older people who received care in their own homes in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area, has been placed in the Scottish Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib no. 53054)
1 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what disciplinary action has been taken against the staff at Ninewells Hospital responsible for the care of Mrs V, as recorded in the report of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, Starved of Care.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Individual staff discipline is always the responsibility of individual NHS Boards, who are accountable and report to Scottish Ministers on overall performance. In response to the Mental Welfare Commission’s report in May into Mrs V’s care in 2008, the Healt…
1 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average number of population per councillor is in each local authority area.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: This information is not held centrally.
24 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of ambulance staff has opted in to paid meal breaks.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish Ambulance Services staff do not receive paid meal breaks. All staff who work under the Agenda for Change terms and conditions system work a 37.5 hour week excluding any meal or rest breaks. Scottish Ambulance Service staff who agree to be interrupte…
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how regularly an asthma patient has their condition reviewed.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Asthma is a variable condition and how regularly a patient’s condition is reviewed is a matter of professional judgement for their healthcare provider based on the individual’s clinical need. The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) element of the GP contrac…
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what categories of patients are eligible for the Minor Ailments Service.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The categories of patients eligible to access the Minor Ailment Service (MAS) are: people aged 60 years or over, those under 16 years of age, 16 to 18 year olds in full time education, those with medical, maternity or war pension exemption certificates and th…
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what must be included in an asthma review in order for a GP to be eligible for the Quality and Outcomes Framework payment.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-01191 on 8 July 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…
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what changes are proposed to the eligibility criteria for the Minor Ailments Service to ensure that all those who will benefit can access the service.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-1193 on 4 July 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/…
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many specialist asthma nurses are employed by each NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested can be found in the ISD website by following this link http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Nursing-and-Midwifery.
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the £250 annual payment to ambulance staff for opting out of paid meal breaks.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish Ambulance Services staff do not receive paid meal breaks. All staff who work under the Agenda for Change terms and conditions system work a 37.5 hour week excluding any meal or rest breaks. The £250 allowance paid to frontline Scottish Ambulance Serv…
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many emergency call-outs there have been for the (a) ambulance, (b) fire and (c) police service in each year since 2001.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: (a) Data are provided below for the total number of Accident & Emergency incidents attended by the Scottish Ambulance Service in each financial year from 2001-02 to 2010-11. Year Incidents Attended 2001-02 504,230 2002-03 492,190 2003-04 509,753 2004…
23 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason there are target response times for the ambulance service but not for the (a) police and (b) fire service.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) continues to provide safe, efficient and effective services to patients across Scotland. It is also important that patients have confidence in the ambulance service's a…
15 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-00500 by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 June 2011, how many emergency admissions of over-65s there have been in each of the last five years.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The following table shows the number of emergency admissions of over-65s for the last five available years: Further information is available from the ISD Scotland website at: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Hospital-Care/Inpatient-and-Day-Case-Acti…
15 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which of the 2008-09 HEAT targets have been achieved and which have still to be achieved, broken down by (a) health improvement, (b) efficiency and governance and (c) access and treatment.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Performance against HEAT targets is reported through the NHSScotland pages of the Scotland Performs website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/scotPerforms/partnerstories/NHSScotlandperformance. Scotland Performs presents information on progress against e…
15 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what changes have been made to the 2008-09 HEAT targets since their publication.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Changes were made to three of the 2008-09 HEAT targets following their publication. The target to reduce the proportion of older people (aged 65+) who are admitted as an emergency inpatient was withdrawn following advice received at a Scottish Government/NHS…
15 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the proposal in the 2011 SNP manifesto to invest in new schools with projects "in every local authority area in Scotland", when it will announce which schools will be included.
Answer · Michael Russell: 37 school building projects have already been announced as part of the Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme, including at least one project in every local authority area in Scotland. We will commence discussions with local authorities shortly to identi…