Mary Scanlon

17 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what is being done at (a) local authority and (b) national level to consistently measure achievement and performance of pupils from P1 to S3.

Answer · Angela Constance: Local authorities and schools have tracking and monitoring arrangements in place to measure achievement and performance of pupils from P1 to S3, and report on this locally to elected members and parents. At a national level, the Scottish Survey of Literacy an…

17 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what strategic approach it will adopt to reduce the gaps in performance between the highest and lowest performing schools in similar areas of deprivation.

Answer · Angela Constance: Our approach to raising attainment is universal, and has a firm foundation in all our key policies and programmes which affect children and young people, the pillars of which are Curriculum for Excellence, Teaching Scotland’s Future, Getting it right for ever…

17 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to better understand the reason for levels of attainment varying between (a) local authorities, (b) schools and (c) different groups of pupils.

Answer · Angela Constance: Evidence from reports such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Closing the Attainment Gap in Scottish Education published in May 2014 and School Education, prepared by Audit Scotland in June 2014, have helped to inform work on raising attainment, including the …

17 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation it will make to ensure that spending is effective in improving pupil attainment and wider achievement.

Answer · Angela Constance: We are working with key partners to develop an improvement framework which will set out clearly how we will monitor and evaluate the progress and impact we are making in improving attainment and wider achievement. This will ensure that all partners in educati…

17 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much each NHS board has received in payments from private patients in each year since 2006-07.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHSScotland boards disclose private patients’ income in their annual accounts. The following table details income received from private patients in each year since 2006-07. The income from private patients represents only 0.05% of boards’ net operating costs.…

17 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will measure the delivery of vocational qualifications alongside other school performance measures and publish the results.

Answer · Angela Constance: Data on qualification awards, by type of qualification, are currently published annually (in August and updated in December) by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. In addition, the Scottish Government will publish an annual report on progress in implemen…

12 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24755 by Jamie Hepburn on 12 March 2015, given that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has responsibility for psychological therapy treatment, such as mindfulness, in England, what the equivalent authority is for approving …

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: In partnership with Scottish Government, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has produced and updated ‘The Matrix’ – A Guide to Delivering Evidence-based Psychological Therapies in Scotland since 2008. The Matrix summarises the evidence base for psychological th…

5 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what payment system is used for GPs when (a) diagnosing, (b) supporting and (c) treating people with stress, anxiety or depression.

Answer · Shona Robison: In all cases, decisions on the management of an individual’s healthcare, is a matter of professional judgement for the responsible healthcare provider. Based on their assessment of the condition and clinical need of an individual patient, a practitioner will …

5 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many hours and what proportion of trainee GPs’ studies is dedicated to mental health issues.

Answer · Shona Robison: Following graduation from medical school, postgraduate medical training encompasses two years of foundation training followed by, in the case of those choosing general practice, either three or four year GP specialty training which would lead to individuals j…

4 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which psychological therapies have been approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Medicines Consortium does not have responsibility for approving psychological therapies.

19 Feb 2015 · SPCB Oral Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what assistance it gives to school pupils from remote and rural areas to visit the Parliament.

17 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24330 by Jamie Hepburn on 17 February 2015, whether it will address the issue raised in the question regarding what action it has taken to improve psychological services in light of the criticism by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SI…

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: In November 2010 the Scottish Government introduced the Health improvement, Efficiency, Access and Treatment target: ‘Deliver faster access to mental health services by delivering 18 weeks referral to treatment for Psychological therapies from December 2014’ …

16 Feb 2015 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what is being done to comply with the habitats directive to conserve freshwater pearl mussels in the River Spey.

4 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there is no Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network guideline for the general management, including pharmaceutical, of depression.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guidelines are derived from a systematic review of the scientific literature and are designed to accelerate the translation of new knowledge into action to meet the aim of reducing variations in practice, and…

4 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether GPs are trained to (a) diagnose all mental health conditions and personality disorders and (b) identify the appropriate management of the conditions.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: All general practitioners are registered medical practitioners. All UK University undergraduate programmes in medicine include training in the diagnosis and management of mental disorder (including personality disorder) and illness. Graduation as a medical do…

4 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action was taken to improve psychological services following the observation in the 2010 Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN) 114 report, Non-pharmaceutical management of depression in adults, that the "provision of psychological therapy services across Scotland [was] p…

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Faster access to specialist mental health services for children and young people and to psychological therapies for people of all ages is one of our key challenges. Scotland was the first UK country to introduce a waiting times target. In 2009, Audit Scotlan…

4 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the commitment in the 2010 Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN) 114 report, Non-pharmaceutical management of depression in adults, that the report would "be considered for review in three years", has not been met.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Any decision whether to update a guideline is based on the volume of new evidence to update that recommendation and Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN) Council will prioritise topics for update in line with capacity within the SIGN programme. …

3 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24156 by Aileen McLeod on 8 January 2015, when the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage will conclude their work on the current ecological status standards for the River Spey Special Area of Conservation and other sit…

Answer · Aileen McLeod: As stated in the response to PQ S4W-24298 on 17 February 2015, the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) 2013-14 site condition monitoring survey of the River Spey Special Area of Conservation suggested four possible reasons for the decline in pearl mussel populati…

3 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24156 by Aileen McLeod on 8 January 2015, if “the water quality in the River Spey has in fact improved from an already high base over the last 10 years”, what it considers the reason is for the reported 50% drop in freshwater pearl mussels.

Answer · Aileen McLeod: Further to the answer to question S4W-24156, whilst Scottish Natural Heritage’s report of site condition monitoring survey of freshwater pearl mussels in the River Spey during 2013 and 2014 suggests four possible reasons for the decline in the Spey’s freshwat…

22 Jan 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-23636 by Aileen McLeod on 8 January 2015, whether it considers that the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's conclusions are consistent with Scottish Natural Heritage's recent finding that the "status quo" has resulted in a 50% drop in the fresh…

Answer · Aileen McLeod: The Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) report published in 2014 identified a number of potential impacts on the freshwater pearl mussel population, water quality and low flows being amongst these. As stated in the report, there is ongoing work between the Scott…

22 Jan 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what enforcement action has been taken against fish farms found to be in breach of regulations regarding the protection of wild fish.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) exist for the protection of wild Atlantic salmon in Scotland and aquaculture farms must comply with the Habitats Regulations in order to develop within a SAC or in an area which may affect a SAC. There are no instances of …

19 Jan 2015 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports college students to complete their studies.

7 Jan 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to expand modern apprenticeship training in colleges.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Skills Development Scotland allocates modern apprenticeship (MA) places through an annual contracting process with registered training providers, including colleges. Allocations are determined by analysis of bids received, providers’ previous performance, exp…

7 Jan 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason vocational activity in (a) schools and (b) colleges has fallen from 45,580 in 2010-11 to 26,330 in 2012-13.

Answer · Angela Constance: The data to which the member refers relates to the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) analysis of further education awards for year 2012-13 (source: SFC Infact database, January 2015). From 2010-11, the Scottish Government asked the SFC to refocus college fun…

7 Jan 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people under 25 have not been in education, employment or training in each year since 2007.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Annual Population Survey provides the preferred measure for not in education, employment or training (NEET) for the population in Scotland. The latest headline NEET estimates are published annually by the Scottish Government and cover the period from Janu…

18 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what scientific monitoring has taken place of the effect on wild fish of the by-products of commercial aquaculture.

Answer · Aileen McLeod: Marine Scotland Science monitors the return rate of sea trout at the river Sheildaig in Torridon and the Scottish Government fund the Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland to routinely carry out sweep netting across the west coast and islands to determine a…

18 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the regulatory framework for the commercial aquaculture sector is adequate to protect and conserve wild fish.

Answer · Aileen McLeod: Yes. Scotland’s regulatory framework provides the right balance between growing the sector and protecting the marine environment on which both aquaculture and wild fish sectors depend. It was further enhanced by the Aquaculture & Fisheries (Scotland) Act, whi…

18 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the "appropriate specialist capability in respect of developmental disorders" will be available for patients.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: In this context, developmental disorders refers to autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD services for children are already provided by specialist child and adolescent health services in partnership with s…

18 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what is being done to support female prisoners with borderline personality disorder.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-21623 on 16 June 2014. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottishparliament.uk/parliamentarybus…

18 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken the audit of the NHS inpatient estate for mental health patients as outlined in the Mental Health Strategy for Scotland 2012-15.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The ‘Mental Health and Learning Disability Bed Census: One Day Audit’ and the ‘Mental Health and Learning Disability patients: Out of Scotland and Out of NHS Placements Census’ was held on 29 Oct 2014. NHS boards are in the process of validating and submitti…