Parliamentary questions
Mary Scanlon
4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why significant numbers of health care professionals are seeking reviews for mismatches between their job plans and national profiles despite Agenda for Change’s appraisal system.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We have only recentlystarted gathering data on review requests. Unfortunately, what is currently held centrally is not sufficiently detailed for me to provide a breakdown of the reasonswhy the reviews have been submitted.</p><p>I would point outhowever that o…
5 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting times are for access to radiography for (a) urgent and (b) non-urgent cases in each NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The specific informationrequested is not available centrally. However, information gathered by NHSboards on waiting times for key diagnostic tests, including CT, MRI and Ultrasoundscans and barium studies, indicates that on 30 September 2007, of a total of 22…
5 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies there are for radiographers in each NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information on staffemployed in NHSScotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website underWorkforce Statistics at <a href="http://www.isdscotland.org/workforce">www.isdscotland.org/workforce</a>.</p><p>Section F gives detailsof therapeutic, heal…
5 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any research has been undertaken to assess the relationship between levels of alcohol consumption and depression.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Governmentis not funding any research on alcohol and depression at this time. However, theNational Research Register, a UK-wide research database, records a number ofon-going projects in the UK on alcohol and depression. Details of these are avai…
5 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether needs assessments are carried out to ensure that people with alcohol addiction receive support and treatment to meet their needs as well as the support of community psychiatric nurses.
Answer · Shona Robison: New guidance on <i>Careand Support for People with Co-occurring Substance Misuse and Mental Health Problems</i>was published on 10 December 2007. This recommends that all services shouldhave assessment processes to identify co-morbidity systematically and whi…
5 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many community psychiatric nurses specialising in alcohol addiction are employed by each NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Specificinformation on community psychiatric nurses specialising in alcohol addictionis not centrally available.</p><p>However,information on staff employed in NHSScotland is published on the ScottishHealth Statistics website under Workforce Statistics at <ah…
3 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which public bodies will be abolished to achieve the 25% reduction referred to in Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007.
Answer · John Swinney: We want to achievea simpler, more effective public sector for Scotland by removing duplication, simplifying structures and stopping activitiesthat do not contribute to the government’s objectives. Work is underway to considerspecific proposals to simplify and…
3 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in integrating the IT systems of health providers.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Good progress hasbeen made with the main NHS Scotland IT system designed for electroniccommunication between health providers, notably GP practices and hospitals. Thissystem, known as SCI Gateway, is currently being used to transmit some 70% ofall referrals i…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to prioritise improvement in the diagnosis, care and treatment of dementia sufferers, as referred to in Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007.
Answer · Shona Robison: Dementia is a priorityfor the Scottish Government.</p><p>I have establisheda Dementia Forum to provide input and advice on all aspects of the dementia agenda.The forum has contributed to the consideration underway on the development of a dementia based HEAT t…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it can meet the SNP manifesto commitment to abolish sportscotland, given the increase in its budget from £34.3 million to £43.3 million by 2011, as referred to in Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The CabinetSecretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth announced in the 2007 StrategicSpending Review on 14 November 2007 that the baseline funding for sport willincrease by 25% over the period 2008-11. While the future of sportscotland iscurrently under con…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the prevention-based school dental service referred to in Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 will be implemented throughout Scotland and whether it will include regular dental check-ups and treatment, including orthodontic treatment.
Answer · Shona Robison: The school dentalservice will be a prevention based service offering preventive care and treatmentto children beginning in areas of deprivation.</p>
15 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why its budget for mental health legislation and services remains at £21.1 million until 2011.
Answer · Shona Robison: The focus forSpending Review 2007 has been on improvements and enhancements to front lineservices. The Mental Health Legislation and Services Budget outcome has securedcontinued funding at appropriate levels for the Mental Welfare Commission forScotland; the …
15 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why its budget for mental wellbeing remains at £6.3 million until 2011.
Answer · Shona Robison: The budget of £6.3million funds national activity in support of local delivery of objectives.</p><p>Recent significantand sustained investment in mental wellbeing has allowed a strong momentum to buildup across Scotland through the Scottish Government’s natio…
15 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering introducing any new screening programmes in the NHS.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-6417 on 26 November 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…
15 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what screening programmes will benefit as a result of the increased funding outlined in the 2008-11 spending plans.
Answer · Shona Robison: The cancer and pregnancyand newborn screening programmes will benefit from the increased funding outlinedin the 2008-11 spending plans. In addition we expect to announce details of newscreening programmes in due course.</p>
15 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to its 2008-11 spending plans, why the budget for Improvement and Support of the NHS, previously known as the Centre for Change and Innovation, is facing a cut in its budget from £23.6 million in 2007-08 to £20.3 million in 2010-11.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The budget for Improvementand Support of the NHS provides a range of programmes and resources designed tohelp NHS boards improve their performance through redesigning and streamlining processes.The Improvement and Support Team will, over the spending review p…
15 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to its 2008-11 spending plans, how the £90 million increase to the Waiting Times Co-ordination Unit will be allocated.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This funding willhelp ensure delivery of our commitment to a maximum referral to treatment waitingtime of 18 weeks by the end of 2011. It will be invested in a number of programmesto increase capacity for NHS patients, modernise systems and processes within N…
15 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements in mental health services will be forthcoming, other than in relation to the State Hospital and the services of Royal Edinburgh Hospital and in Dumfries and Galloway.
Answer · Shona Robison: Work continues withNHS boards and partner agencies to deliver the changes and improvements set outin the published timetabled targets for mental health services in Scotland (Bib. number 41410). Strategies are in place across Scotlandinvolving a range of initi…
15 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to its 2008-11 spending plans for health and wellbeing, how the increase in funding for distinction awards from £23.9 million to £30 million in 2011 will be allocated and what the eligibility criteria are for these payments.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Distinction awardsare determined by the Scottish Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards (SACDA)and the number of new awards that are payable are determined by retirals, resignations,deaths and the recommendations of the Doctors’ and Dentists Remuneration Bo…
15 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the public inquiry into how people were infected with hepatitis C from contaminated blood products is due to commence.
Answer · Shona Robison: I wish to wait untilLord Archer of Sandwell’s independent inquiry into infection from blood and bloodproducts in the 1970s and 1980s concludes and reports, before deciding what remainsto be done. I will then be in a position to consider the legal framework, s…
14 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the £85 million allocated to reduce harm done by the misuse of alcohol, as referred to in Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007, will include treatment and prevention programmes.
Answer · Shona Robison: Draft budget proposalsinclude an £85 million boost over three years to increase access to early interventionand treatment for people with alcohol problems; the single largest increase everfor tackling alcohol misuse in Scotland.</p><p>Decisions on the exactal…
14 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the £94 million allocated to drug misuse, as referred to in Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007, will exclude treatment for people with problems related to alcohol addiction.
Answer · Shona Robison: The £94 million allocatedin <i>Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007</i> is ring-fenced in the Justice portfoliofor drug treatment. There is a similar line of funding in the health portfolio ring-fencedfor the provision of alcohol treatment services. Given th…
14 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new outcome agreements with local government, as referred to in Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007, will include those relating to drug and alcohol treatments.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Under the newconcordat between the Scottish Government and local government, signed on 14 November 2007 and available in the Scottish Parliament InformationCentre (Bib. number 44077), each local authority will aim to reach a single outcomeagreement (SOA) with…
14 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any known adverse health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields.
Answer · Shona Robison: Electric and magneticfields of the type produced by the electricity distribution system can induce electriccurrents in the the body. If these currents are large enough then sensations suchas small electric shocks and flickering sensations in the eye can occur…
14 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to increase local power generation to reduce the need for high voltage overhead transmission lines.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Governmentis committed to increasing local power generation and in the recent Scottish SpendingReview announced it would triple funding for community renewables and microgenerationprojects.</p><p>We also publishedplanning policy guidance on renew…
14 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to review planning guidance in relation to building new homes near high voltage overhead transmission lines.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Stakeholder AdvisoryGroup on Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields (SAGE) published their <i>FirstInterim Assessment: Power Lines and Property, Wiring in Homes and Electrical Equipmentin Homes</i> on 27 April 2007. The report of the CrossParty In…
14 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition is of a “routine condition” in terms of the 18-week GP referral to treatment referred to in Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-4584 on 18 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…
14 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the £37 million to strengthen primary health care in the most deprived areas, as referred to in Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007, will include remote and rural communities where deprivation is not localised.
Answer · Shona Robison: This budget will beused to support anticipatory care programmes, targeted at chronic disease prevention,largely through primary health care programmes, which reach deprived individualsand communities. Such anticipatory care programmes will build on the experi…
14 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is being made to address mental health issues at the earliest opportunity and to ensure appropriate services for all people with mental health problems.
Answer · Shona Robison: We are workingwith all partners on early diagnosis. Through this we would expect to see amore positive impact on the person and their diagnosis as the earliest possibleintervention and support of the right services at the right time will have amuch greater ef…
14 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what improvement initiatives are planned for the A9 and A96, as referred to in Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: In our current trunkroad investment programme to 2012 we plan to deliver over a dozen improvement schemeson the A9 and the A96 which will improve safety, provide additional overtaking opportunitiesand help to reduce platooning and driver frustration.</p>