Parliamentary questions
Mary Scanlon
4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
26 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it considers should be taken if board members of non-departmental public bodies (NDPB) fail to record details of their interests in that organisation’s register of interests while tendering and gaining contracts as shareholders of businesses.
Answer · John Swinney: All devolved non-departmental public bodies (NDPB''s) have their own codes of conduct for members which have been approved by the Scottish Government. These codes require organisations to maintain and make available registers of all members relevant interests…
26 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent by the current administration on consultancy fees since May 2007 and how much was spent by the previous administration between 1999 and 2007, also broken down by year.
Answer · John Swinney: We are examining the available information and will write to the member as soon as possible. A copy will also be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 48588).</p>
26 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) investigation into contracts awarded to its chairman’s company, Rocket Science, whether it will review guidance and processes for the awarding of non-departmental public body (NDPB) contracts to consultants and other organisations.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government reviewed procedures for the procurement of consultancy in 2008 and the Scottish Procurement Directorate published revised guidance on the use of consultants on its website on 24 April 2009. This guidance applies to the Scottish Governm…
26 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to ensure the most economical procurement route for non-departmental public body (NDPB) contracts.
Answer · John Swinney: As part of the Public Procurement Reform Programme, the Central Government Centre of Procurement Expertise (CGCoPE) and Procurement Scotland (PS) were set up within the Scottish Procurement Directorate (SPD). These organisations help NDPBs to access collabora…
26 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to reduce the number of consultancy contracts entered into by non-departmental public bodies (NDPB) and use in-house staff where appropriate.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government published guidance on the use of consultants on its website on 24 April 2009, emphasising that consultants are only to be used where absolutely necessary to deliver an organisation''s specific objectives, and introducing strict control…
26 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many contracts were awarded by non-departmental public bodies (NDPB) to their board members, including chairmen, and what the value was of these contracts in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally.</p>
26 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken following the Highlands and Islands Enterprise investigation into contracts awarded to its chairman’s company, Rocket Science.
Answer · Jim Mather: Actions have been taken by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) as this was an operational matter for that organisation to deal with. I will ask the HIE chief executive to write to you in this regard.</p>
25 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the circumstances underlying the use of disguised medicines given to patients with dementia in care homes.
Answer · Shona Robison: The revised <i >Scottish Government Code of Practice on Part 5 of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000</i>, published on 11 March 2008, notes that the use of covert medication is permissible only in certain limited circumstances, for example to safe…
25 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that doctors and pharmacists work with care homes to ensure that legal documentation is completed and to give appropriate advice on disguising medicines.
Answer · Shona Robison: We will consider this as part of the work to prepare a Dementia Strategy for Scotland.</p>
25 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that doctors and pharmacists review all prescriptions for people with dementia for antipsychotic drugs.
Answer · Shona Robison: We will consider arrangements for the safe and appropriate prescribing of antipsychotic drugs for people with dementia as part of the work to be taken forward to prepare a Dementia Strategy for Scotland.</p>
25 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland to review its guidance on pharmacological interventions in Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network guidelines in order to provide national guidance on prescribing to treat the behavioural symptoms for people with dementia, …
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network will be consulting on the need to review this guideline in the autumn as part of its routine process.</p>
25 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-24780 by Nicola Sturgeon on 22 June 2009, whether the Review of Nursing in the Community pilots will continue until the full evaluation of the project is reported in Autumn 2010.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Any decision about the Community Health Nurse Pilots will be dependent on the outcome of the interim evaluation which will be completed by the end of December 2009.</p>
25 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it determines which eHealth projects should be evaluated.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The eHealth Programme Board provides governance over projects funded by the Scottish Government eHealth Directorate. For a project to be approved by the board, a business case must be submitted. Every business case must include details of how that project wil…
25 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to integrate existing IT and eHealth infrastructures and systems in relation to the communication and updating of patient records.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government has set up an Architecture and Design Division within the eHealth programme to promote the progressive integration of NHS Scotland systems. Procurement such as those for General Practice and Patient Management systems include the requi…
25 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the evaluation of eHealth projects through to implementation is carried out.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The eHealth Programme Board requires that the business case for any project funded by Scottish Government eHealth Directorate includes details of how the project will be evaluated. Project evaluation should address: measurable quality improvements; benefits r…
25 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to use additional residential care beds to meet the demand for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery within prescribed timescales.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: It is the responsibility of local partners to ensure that appropriate services are in place to enable people with drug and alcohol problems to recover. It is then for clinicians and practitioners to work with individual service users to identify the most rele…
25 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what age the women involved in the clinical trials of the papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine were.
Answer · Shona Robison: The efficacy of Cervarix was assessed in two controlled, double-blind, randomised Phase II and III clinical trials that included a total of 19,778 women aged 15 to 25 years.</p> <p >In addition, safety and immunogenicity were studied in younger age groups in…
25 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are taken to establish whether young women already have the human papilloma virus (HPV) prior to the administration of the vaccine.
Answer · Shona Robison: No such measures are taken. The age at which vaccination is recommend has been chosen on the basis that the vast majority of girls at that age will not yet have been exposed to the human papilloma virus.</p>
25 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how long the clinical trials were of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine.
Answer · Shona Robison: Cervarix has been under development for many years. The final pre-licensing phase of large-scale clinical trials “ looking at the effectiveness and safety of the HPV vaccines “ started more than seven years ago.</p>
25 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the duration of protection against cancer is following the administration to young women of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine.
Answer · Shona Robison: In terms of Cervarix, the vaccine product used in Scotland, evidence from clinical trials has demonstrated that the vaccine provides protection against cervical infection and pre-cancer caused by oncogenic HPV types for at least six years. Protection is expec…
22 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Council Directive 89/391/EEC, whether there is a legal requirement on employers in Scotland to provide access to occupational health services.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: European Council Directive 89/391/EEC is given effect in Scotland through health and safety regulations which are reserved to the UK Government.</p> <p >There is a duty on employers to provide access to health surveillance to employees but only appropriate s…
22 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what legal obligations employers have to ensure that employees have access to an occupational health service to help facilitate a return to work following illness or disability and to reduce the impact of ill health in the workplace.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Workplace health and safety legislation is reserved to the UK Government.</p> <p >There is a duty on employers to provide access to health surveillance to employees but only appropriate surveillance considering the risks identified by any risk assessment. In…
22 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the NHS is doing to promote good health in the workplace.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government provides funding for the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives to promote and develop good workplace practices and procedures that promote health and wellbeing.</p> <p >The centre offers advice to all employers and employees throu…
22 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS boards provide occupational health services to private sector employees.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This data is not held centrally. It is for NHS boards to determine the services they provide to meet local demand for their area, including occupational health services.</p> <p >The Scottish Government is funding three vocational rehabilitation pilot projec…
22 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what fast-track access is available to rehabilitation services to assist employees back to the workplace.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There is a wide range of rehabilitation services available through the NHS in Scotland. The value of these services are underpinned in the Delivery Framework for Adult Rehabilitation in Scotland.</p> <p >Additionally, many employers provide access to occupa…
22 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the most common occurrences of work-related ill health are.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This data is not held centrally.</p> <p >However, the labour force survey of self-reported work-related illness carried out in 2007-08 estimated that, in Scotland, 113,000 people who worked in the last 12 months suffered from an illness which they believe w…
22 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what aspects are being examined in its review of the Healthy Working Lives strategy.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government''s review of the Healthy Working Lives Strategy includes updating the original plan for action and will take account of the current economic and employment conditions. The review is taking into account robust evidence on the benefits o…
22 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what occupational health services are available through the NHS to employees in the (a) public and (b) private sector, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This data is not held centrally. It is for NHS boards to determine the services they provide to meet local demand for their area, including occupational health services.</p> <p >The Scottish Government is funding three vocational rehabilitation pilot projec…
19 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place to transfer health care and treatment in prisons to the NHS.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >The National Programme Board for Prisoners'' Healthcare will oversees and steers the preparatory work, and the eventual operational…
19 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how prisoners with severe and enduring mental health conditions are treated in the (a) prison estate and (b) NHS.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >The SPS responds to the social and mental health needs of all prisoners within Scottish penal establishments, including providing a…