Parliamentary questions

Mary Scanlon

4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

17 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what public consultation took place prior to the decision to end the Netcare contract at the Scottish Regional Treatment Centre at Stracathro Hospital.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Netcare announced earlier this year that it did not intend to seek to renew the existing contract after it ends in January 2010. The question of public consultation about the contract with Netcare is therefore academic. The arrangement with Netcare w…

11 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to ensure that people continue to have access to traditional herbal medicines as currently used by traditional medicine practitioners.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Practitioners of herbalism and traditional Chinese medicine are already able to use licensed herbal medicines and this will continue. They are also able to use certain unlicensed herbal medicines currently exempted from various licensing requirements through …

11 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities can place older people on waiting lists for free personal or nursing care if the authority has insufficient funds in its budget to meet these costs.

Answer · Shona Robison: Guidance on National Standard Eligibility Criteria And Waiting Times For The Personal And Nursing Care Of Older People, jointly agreed by the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, was issued on the 28 September 2009. L…

11 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities are obliged to fund free personal and nursing care when a person has been assessed by a local authority as meeting the eligibility criteria and the care provision has been arranged by or agreed with that authority.

Answer · Shona Robison: Free personal and nursing care is an entitlement for those who are assessed by a local authority as having personal or nursing care needs that call for the provision of services. Payments for personal and nursing care will only commence once an appropriate co…

11 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to ensure that all NHS boards comply with the standards of care and treatment for Crohn’s disease and colitis.

Answer · Shona Robison: Officials from the Scottish Government Health Directorates (SGHD) and NHS QIS have met representatives from the National Association for Colitis and Crohn''s Disease (NACC) to discuss how the standards produced by the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Standard…

9 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice is provided to angling, canoeing and rafting organisations regarding shared use of and access to rivers.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Following enactment of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, the Scottish Parliament approved the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, prepared by Scottish Natural Heritage under the terms of the Act to provide guidance to all interested parties on the responsibiliti…

9 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the SNP manifesto commitment, what the outcome was of its consultation on measures to enable new models of community management of facilities within local authority control.

Answer · John Swinney: As part of the community empowerment agenda, we have awarded £250,000 to the Development Trust Association Scotland (DTAS) over a two year period to take forward the action points within the Community Empowerment Action Plan (CEAP) on community ownership of a…

9 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the SNP manifesto commitment, what action it has taken to progress its proposal to provide each community of 10,000 people with £30,000 for local spending.

Answer · John Swinney: In April 2008, the Scottish Government and COSLA made a joint commitment to community empowerment which culminated in the launch of the Community Empowerment Action Plan earlier this year. In relation to community councils, a Scottish Government Comm…

9 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the SNP manifesto commitment, what action it has taken to review the devolution of greater responsibilities to community councils and what additional responsibilities will be devolved.

Answer · John Swinney: In April 2008, the Scottish Government and COSLA made a joint commitment to community empowerment, which culminated in the launch of the Community Empowerment Action Plan earlier this year. A Scottish Government Community Council Working Group (CCWG)…

9 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the alcohol education programme to be started in primary schools will include the social norms approach to risk-taking behaviour.

Answer · Keith Brown: The purpose of all learning in health and wellbeing, including alcohol education, is to help children and young people to make informed decisions and to establish a pattern of health and wellbeing, which will be sustained into adult life. In order to achieve …

9 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive by what date the new centres of sporting excellence will be opened, as promised in the 2007 SNP manifesto.

Answer · Shona Robison: This government will continue to work with local authorities, sportscotland and other key partners to expand the number of sporting centres of excellence. Since May 2007, the new sporting centres of excellence at Toryglen Regional Indoor Football Centre, Aber…

9 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive by what date all children will be given free, year-round access to local authority swimming pools, as promised in the 2007 SNP manifesto.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is more than midway through a four-year term and we are working through our manifesto commitments, having already delivered a significant number of measures to make Scotland wealthier, safer, healthier, smarter and greener. Th…

9 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken since 2007 to progress higher nutritional standards in hospitals, nurseries and care homes, as promised in the 2007 SNP manifesto.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We have made good progress on this manifesto commitment. A comprehensive programme for improving nutritional care in hospitals was established in 2008, backed by £1.5 million to support the implementation of the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland Clini…

9 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools offer annual health and fitness checks, as promised in the 2007 SNP manifesto.

Answer · Keith Brown: The numbers of schools offering annual health and fitness checks is not held centrally. This would be a matter for education authorities themselves. The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of Scotland''s children a…

9 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional school nurses have been recruited since 2007.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Data on recruitment are not held centrally. Data on the number of staff employed by the NHS at 30 September each year are published by National Services Scotland, Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland and are available from the website link: <…

9 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage reduction is in the use of antidepressants since 2007.

Answer · Shona Robison: The defined daily dose per capita of antidepressants (percentage change) since 2006 is shown in the following table: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=97 valign=top > Year Ending </t…

9 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the SNP manifesto commitment, whether it will list school-based dental services in each NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: The school dental service, which is being delivered under the Childsmile school programme, is currently operational in 201 schools in the following areas: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=c…

9 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the SNP manifesto commitment, how many NHS 24 local mini-centres are now co-located with out-of-hours services in each NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: In support of their three regional centres (Clydebank, South Queensferry and Aberdeen), the Better Health, Better Care action plan, published in December 2007, tasked NHS 24 to work towards establishing local services within all mainland health board …

9 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to support access to alternative therapies such as homeopathy, as promised in the 2007 SNP manifesto.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government recognises that complementary or alternative medicines, including homeopathy, may offer relief to some people suffering from a wide variety of conditions and leaves it open to NHS boards to provide these therapies, based on their asses…

9 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Penrose Inquiry into hepatitis C and HIV infection from NHS treatment with blood and blood products will be concluded.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Penrose Inquiry opening statement was made by Lord Penrose in March 2009. The terms of reference show that Lord Penrose will report as soon as practicable. The conclusion of the Inquiry is in his hands, as Chair of the Public Inquiry. The Scottis…

6 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made to increase the availability of fresh, nutritious and locally produced food, particularly in areas of deprivation, as promised in the 2007 SNP manifesto.

Answer · Shona Robison: Progress to increase the availability of fresh healthy produce has been made thanks to partnership working between the Scottish Government, the Scottish Grocers Federation and Community Food and Health (Scotland) (CFHS). Over 600 stores, around half …

6 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on clearer labelling and kite marking of foods with a health benefit, as proposed in the 2007 SNP manifesto.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Food Standards Agency has produced Clear Food Labelling guidance, revised in 2008, which provides practical advice on how to label foods so that the information is presented in a clear and simple way to the consumer. The review of EU foo…

6 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive by what date all primary school children will receive free fruit, as promised in the 2007 SNP manifesto.

Answer · Adam Ingram: No date has been set, as it is for local authorities to determine how to take their fruit schemes forward locally. However, we are fully committed to, and confident of, meeting this pledge as the majority of local authorities have extended their free school f…

2 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to change the rules on the registration of optometrists with NHS boards to allow an optometrist registered to work in one NHS board area to work in all other NHS board areas without having to register with each board.

Answer · Shona Robison: No. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28590, on 10 November 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: <a href="http://www.scottish.pa…

2 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason an optometrist who is registered to work in one NHS board area is not able to work in any other NHS board area without also registering separately with that board.

Answer · Shona Robison: The current arrangements have been developed for the protection of patients. An optometrist must join the ophthalmic list of the NHS board for any area in Scotland where he or she intends to work in general ophthalmic services. This assists with patient safet…

2 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are on waiting lists for treatment of (a) drug and (b) alcohol addiction in each NHS board area.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Information is available from the drug treatment waiting times framework on the number of clients waiting to be offered an appointment date for drug treatment at a specialised drugs service. Information on drug treatment waiting times is collected by alcohol …

2 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information is available on (a) the effectiveness of treatment of and (b) recovery from (i) drug and (ii) alcohol addiction.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Drugs Misuse Database (SDMD), which is being rolled out across Scotland, will track individuals as they progress through treatment. The intention is that overtime this database will be able to supply useful information on the effectiveness of tre…

2 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies exist for psychologists in each NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Data on how many vacancies exist for psychologists in each NHS board is not currently collected centrally. The NHS Education for Scotland and Information Services Division Psychology Workforce Planning project does plan to initiate recording and reporting of …

2 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will increase the number of posts for psychologists with specialist skills to support older people with depression, anxiety or dementia and help reduce the impact of such patients on other NHS services.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government recognises the valuable contribution that psychological therapies can make to improve the quality of life for older people with mental illness. That is why we have a specific commitment to increasing the availability of evidence-based …

2 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that people with dementia have access to psychological intervention where appropriate.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government recognises the valuable contribution that psychological therapies can make to improve the quality of life for people with dementia. That is why we have a specific commitment to deliver on our commitment of increasing the availability o…