Parliamentary questions

Mary Scanlon

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

15 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to the consultation on children’s oral health Towards Better Oral Health in Children and whether it will indicate its position on compulsory water fluoridation.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The outcome of our consultation on measures to improve the oral health of children in Scotland will be announced as soon as we have completed our consideration of the many responses we have received.As previously stated, the Executive is neutral on the…

8 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines on self-harm will be implemented and, if so, on what date.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The National Institute for ClinicalExcellence clinical guidelines are recommendations on the appropriate treatmentof people with specific conditions within the NHS in England and Wales. They representdevelopmental standards which are expected to be achieved o…

8 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to assist people with mental health illness to return to training, education and the work environment.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Employment policy on jobsearch and support is reserved to the UK government. Nevertheless, the Scottish Executive isaware that people with mental health problems are among the most disadvantagedgroups when it comes to gaining access to education, training and…

8 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which psychiatric drugs are currently being prescribed for children under the age of 18 that have not been licensed for this age group.

Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not available centrally. Prescription data collected centrally are not patient-specific but relate to the number and cost of prescribed items dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors.

8 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how clinicians calculate the correct medicine and dosage for children with mental health problems when the drugs prescribed have been tested on adults only.

Answer · Andy Kerr: In coming to a decision about the use of a medicine not specifically licensed for children, clinicians will take into account guidance from various sources including “Medicines for Children”, a UK paediatric formulary produced jointly by the Royal College of …

7 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications would be in respect of default on a mortgage when an order has been made against a landlord stating that rent is not payable in accordance with the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: An order or notice under the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 suspending the tenant’s liability for rent will not have any direct effect on the landlord’s other legal liabilities. If the house is a heritable security for a loan and the landlord d…

7 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the potential impact on the buy to let market of the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We are aware that the buy to let market is sensitive to a range of matters including, in particular, the financial yield from this form of investment as conditions in the housing market change. We are also conscious that the requirement to register under the …

7 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what fee is proposed for a landlord to register a property for let under the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We have established a working group to make recommendations on secondary legislation and guidance in connection with Parts 7 and 8 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004. This will include recommendations on the use of powers to determine how fe…

7 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding will be allocated to publicise the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: During the development of the detailed implementation of the registration scheme we will contact a wide range of stakeholders to provide information and to seek views. We have established a website at <a href="http://www.betterrentingscotland.com/">www.better…

7 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost will be of setting up the administrative and IT systems for the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The cost of the administrative and IT systems for the registration scheme will depend on the detailed design of the scheme. This is being examined by a working group established to make recommendations on the implementation of Parts 7 and 8 of the Antisocial …

7 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords will be self-financing and, if not, what the estimated cost of the scheme will be.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We expect local authorities’ running costs for the registration scheme to be covered by the fees for registration. The Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 gives ministers powers to make grants to local authorities in connection with the registration…

7 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who will pay the costs of the appeal system against refusal of registration as a private landlord under the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: An appeal against a refusal to register will be by summary application to the sheriff court and the normal arrangements for such an application will apply. The parties will require to meet court fees and their own costs including costs of legal representation…

7 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how local authorities will have access to background details used to determine whether a landlord is a fit and proper person to be registered under the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Local authorities will use a variety of information about the way that individual landlords have acted in the past which will be available to them from a number of sources including, for example, people who present as homeless or seek assistance with tenancy …

23 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether adequate placements will be available in medium secure units to comply with the requirements of the transitional implementation of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: NHS boards and their local authority partners have already provided new forensic psychiatric facilities and services for East Scotland and plans are advancing for further new provision across Scotland in accordance with the established policy set out in NHS M…

23 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive where the proposed medium secure units will be located and how many places will be available in each unit.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Orchard Clinic was opened on the Royal Edinburgh Hospital campus in 2001 and has 50 beds. Planning permission has been granted for a 76 bed unit at the Stobhill Hospital site in Glasgow. On 23 March 2004, the four West of Scotland NHS Boards (with the exc…

23 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients at the State Hospital, Carstairs, are waiting for a placement in a medium secure unit.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: At the end of August, there were 230 patients from Scotland and Northern Ireland being cared for at the State Hospital, 42 of whom had been assessed by State Hospital clinicians as being ready for transfer. For 10 out of the 42 clinical agreement had been rea…

21 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how fresh talent can be encouraged to work in the NHS in Scotland when trained doctors from other European Union countries may not be aware of NHS protocols and administrative requirements.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Any doctor undertaking work in Scotland, or the rest of the United Kingdom, must be registered with the General Medical Council. Information on registration and employment requirements is made available to interested doctors from the EU. It is an essential co…

15 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the pilot scheme for single surveys will be completed.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The pilot will run for a minimum of eight months and a maximum of 12, depending on take-up. As it began on 14 July 2004, it will therefore finish between March and July 2005.

15 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many single surveys would have to be carried out to be considered as sufficient information to reach conclusions on recommendations from the pilot scheme project.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The aim is to have at least 1,200 surveys. Should the total fall short of that, we would need to assess the reasons why before drawing conclusions.

15 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many single surveys have been carried out in each pilot scheme area.

Answer · Margaret Curran: As at 23 September 2004, a total of 41 single surveys had been commissioned: 40 in the Greater Glasgow North and West pilot area, one in the Edinburgh North and Leith area and none in the Dundee and Inverness areas.

15 Sep 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to combat the spread of ragwort.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department investigates allwritten complaints about ragwort infestations, and where necessary, requiresoccupiers to carry out control measures to prevent spread of the weed. Whereinfestations occur on non-a…

8 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which areas have a surplus of housing and what action is being taken to regenerate these areas in order to utilise existing stock.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to reply. Her response is as follows:The Executive has been conducting a wide-ranging review of affordable housing in Scotland. As part of this review Communities Scotland commissi…

8 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the extent of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in private hospitals.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No information is available.

8 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether visitors to hospitals are given any advice on guidelines to combat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Answer · Andy Kerr: All NHS boards provide information for patients, however, the provision of advice to visitors would be a matter for individual NHS boards. The Chief Medical Officer recently issued five top tips for the public on how to help bring Healthcare Associated Infect…

8 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people contracted methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) during a stay in hospital in each of the last five years, broken down by hospital.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.Data is available on the rates of episodes of MRSA bacteraemia (blood poisoning) by health board. This information is published quarterly by the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (see…

8 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) should be recorded on a death certificate in circumstances where it is a contributory factor in a person's death.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The medical certificate of cause of death completed by doctors in Scotland conforms to World Health (WHO) recommendations. In Part I of the form doctors record up to four causes covering the sequence of conditions that led to death. Other significant conditio…

2 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been commissioned into the number of people with learning disabilities in prison or in secure accommodation and what arrangements are in place to assess them and provide them with care, as recommended in The same as you? A review of services for people with learning disa…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The Scottish Executive commissioned additional research into this area entitled On the Borderline? People with Learning Disabilities and…

2 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how non-departmental public bodies can have charity status that requires independence if they are required to adhere to ministerial direction.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The inconsistency of ministerial powers of direction over non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) with charitable status was highlighted by the 2001 McFadden Report.Consequently, Scottish ministers agreed that the position of charitable NDPBs would be s…

2 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all NHS boards are now employing more people with learning disabilities, as recommended in The same as you? A review of services for people with learning disabilities.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Information about the numberof people with learning disabilities in their employment is not collected byNHS boards. From 2006, all public bodies will be required to report generalfigures on the number of people with disabilities they employ. This informationw…

2 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS boards now have appropriate community services for assessment and treatment of people with learning disabilities, as recommended in The same as you? A review of services for people with learning disabilities.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Home at last? report on hospital closure and service re-provision, published in January 2004, describes some examples of community based assessment and treatment services and sets out a number of action points to assist NHS boards to achieve this g…