Parliamentary questions
Mary Scanlon
4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
22 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that young adolescents with mental health problems are treated in appropriate healthcare settings rather than adult psychiatric wards.
Answer · Shona Robison: We continue our workwith NHS boards and other partners to deliver the objectives from the Mental Healthof Children and Young People’s Framework (Bib. number 38415) and Delivering a HealthyFuture (Bib. number 42137) designed to achieve early and sustained chan…
22 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children were sent to adult psychiatric wards in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) age group.
Answer · Shona Robison: The latest availablecomplete information is set out in the table entitled <i>The numbers of children(less than 18 years of age) admitted to general facilities in Scottish psychiatrichospitals for calendar years 2001 to 2005 </i>published by the Scottish Gover…
12 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the right of choice for patients of a private or NHS hospital, as confirmed by the Minister for Public Health on 27 September 2007 (Official Report c. 2209).
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Patients wantswift, high quality treatment as close to home as possible. That is what theNHS in Scotland aims to provide. In the event of an NHS boardbeing unable to meet national maximum waiting times for hospital inpatient andday case treatment (currently 1…
12 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what evaluation is undertaken to ensure that people receiving care in their own homes are given the appropriate level of care and support to meet their needs.
Answer · Shona Robison: Local authoritiesare responsible for co-ordinating the assessment of the care needs of people livingin their own homes and ensuring, with their local partners, that appropriate provisionis made to meet those needs.</p><p>The Care Commissionregulates agencies …
12 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how people receiving free personal care in their own homes are made aware of the minimum standards to which they are entitled.
Answer · Shona Robison: The National CareStandards – care at home set out the quality of care people can expect from a providerwhen they receive care in their own home. Standard 1 states that the service willprovide an introductory pack which clearly explains the service and what it…
12 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is made for cardiac rehabilitation by each NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards, in associationwith their cardiac Managed Clinical Networks and their local planning partners,are responsible for the provision of cardiac rehabilitation services in their area,in line with the thinking set out in the national strategy for CHD and …
10 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the proposed Aberdeen dental school will recruit properly trained clinical academic staff without there being any adverse effect on existing staff and courses at the Dundee and Glasgow dental schools and the Edinburgh Dental Institute.
Answer · Shona Robison: Job descriptions forsenior clinical posts are currently being finalised and will be advertised withinthe next few months. National Education for Scotland will continue to work with the dental schools to support appropriate recruitmentshould any difficulties a…
10 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether new and planned investment in infrastructure and facilities at Dundee and Glasgow dental schools and the Edinburgh Dental Institute will continue.
Answer · Shona Robison: All planned activitythrough the dental action plan and funded through National Education for Scotland will continue to be delivered.</p>
10 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will guarantee that the opening of an Aberdeen dental school will not have an impact on the staffing of the dental schools in Dundee and Glasgow and the Edinburgh Dental Institute.
Answer · Shona Robison: It is expected thatthere will be no adverse impact on the staffing levels of the two dental schoolsand the Edinburgh Dental Institute.</p>
10 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will guarantee existing funding for the Dundee and Glasgow dental schools and the Edinburgh Dental Institute, in light of the proposal to open an Aberdeen dental school in 2008.
Answer · Shona Robison: Funding for the newAberdeen dental school will be subject to normal businesscase considerations and there are no plans to reduce any existing funding whichhas already been guaranteed to Dundee and Glasgow dental schools and Edinburgh Dental Institute.</p>
10 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the method of measuring dental practices’ commitment to the NHS with a view to increasing patient access to the NHS and improving the formula for payments to dentists.
Answer · Shona Robison: We have no plans tochange radically the current NHS commitment criteria, but are considering possiblerefinements to the current system.</p>
10 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have accessed NHS dentistry in each year since the implementation of An Action Plan for Dental Services in Scotland.
Answer · Shona Robison: In the year April2005 to March 2006, there were 2,048,302<sup>1</sup> people who had at least onecourse of treatment in the NHS general dental service. In the year April 2006 toMarch 2007, there were 2,066,792<sup>1</sup> people who had at least one courseof …
9 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total permitted level of external borrowing is for each local authority.
Answer · John Swinney: The Local Governmentin Scotland Act 2003 (section 35) places a duty on each local authority to determinethe maximum level it can allocate to capital expenditure (and hence borrow). Indoing so, they must have regard to the CIPFA Prudential Code for Capital Fin…
9 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to each local authority is of servicing its external debt.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-5272 on 26 October 2007, and S3W-5343 on 26 October2007. The following table shows the latest available information on the costs toeach local authority of servicing their outstanding loans pool debt. Local autho…
9 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total external debt is for each local authority.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-5272 on 26 October 2007 and S3W-5344 on 26 October 2007. The Scottish Government did not historically collectinformation on the external debt of local authorities, and we do not have validateddata to provide suc…
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the external debt of each local authority has been in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Governmentdid not collect information on the external debt of local authorities in that timeperiod. However, the following tables show the total level of outstanding loanspool debt for each local authority in each of the last 10 years. Local auth…
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when Agenda for Change is due to be completed.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Confirming an exactdate for concluding assimilation is not possible but we already have over 136,000staff on the new pay scales and 110,000 have also been processed for payment ofarrears. Some boards have concluded the exercise and the majority of otherboards…
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the national tariff service agreements between NHS boards will be publicly available.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Detailed serviceagreements between NHS boards are dealt with at a local level by the NHS boardsinvolved. The Scottish Government does not hold details of these agreements.</p><p>A list of the Scottish National Tariff prices for 2006-07 was published on ISD’s …
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have presented to accident and emergency departments in each of the last five years.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information on attendancesat accident and emergency departments within NHS Scotland is available on the InformationServices Division (ISD Scotland) website:</p><p><ahref="http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4156.html">http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4156.html</a>.<…
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how paramedics and ambulance crews are being supported to take more responsibility for out-of-hours care.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish AmbulanceService, through its Developing Enhanced Skills Project Board and its Reducing HospitalAdmissions Project Board, has developed new roles, new ways of working and supportivetraining and education programmes that are designed to develop th…
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the recruitment and retention of GPs has improved as a result of the new GMS contract.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The recruitment andretention of GPs has improved since the introduction of the new GMS contract, asevidence by the continued growth in GP numbers.</p><p>The new GMS contractwas introduced on 1 April 2004. For the period 1 October 2004 to 30 September 2006 (in…
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to address the disparity between NHS boards in the cost of providing primary care out-of-hours services.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: It is recognised thatout-of-hours services in remote and rural areas face a number of unique challenges.</p><p>An out-of-hours strategygroup - made up of representatives from NHS boards, NHS QIS, NES, and NHS 24 - isdeveloping a strategy for future sustainabl…
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many doctors from countries outwith Scotland have been employed to provide locum support for out-of-hours and other GP services since the new GMS contract came into effect.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information isnot held centrally.</p>
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients aged over 65 were admitted to hospital two or more times as emergency patients in each of the last five years.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requestedis given in the following table:</p><p>Number ofPatients Aged 65+ with 2+ Emergency Admissions Within 1 Year</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=72 valign=top> <p align=center>Year</p> </td> …
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage hours of sickness absence have been in each of the last five years in each NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information for 2005onwards can be found at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/1347.html">http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/1347.html</a>.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td nowrap valign=bottom> <p> </p> </td> <…
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will meet the stage 3 payments in full to pay optometrists under the free eye test initiative, as agreed by the previous administration.
Answer · Shona Robison: Any increase inNHS eye examination fees for optometrists for 2008-09 will be subject to theoutcome of the spending review.</p>
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many homeowners have received a rural home ownership grant on the basis of (a) restricted ownership and (b) access in each of the last three years.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows.</p><p>The concept of restrictedownership does not form part of the scope of the rural home ownership grant scheme.</p><p>The scheme does dealwith re…
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many purchasers of new or existing properties not requiring improvement have received financial assistance through the rural home ownership grant scheme in each of the last three years.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Over the lastthree years, 170 purchasers of new or existing properties not requiring improvementhave been given financial assistance through r…
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many home owners have received a rural home ownership grant in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Over the pastthree years a total of 292 home owners have received rural home ownership grants(RHOG). The following table breaks this down by l…
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will legislate on the pricing of alcohol and alcohol promotions in retail outlets.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Governmentis considering the most suitable approach to alcohol pricing and irresponsible promotions.We will decide in due course which legislative measures are appropriate to achieveour policy objectives.</p>