Parliamentary questions
Nanette Milne
1,264 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to research squirrel pox virus disease.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Red Squirrel South Scotland was allocated £10,000 by the Scottish Executive in September 2005. This funding will support monitoring of the local populations of red squirrels in Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders and allow examination and implementation of …
6 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in respect of the conservation of native red squirrels, in light of the Scottish Strategy for Red Squirrel Conservation 2004.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Considerable progress has been made following the launch in February 2004 of this strategy, which identifies specific actions to conserve red squirrels in Scotland. These include addressing threats such as the effect of grey squirrels, changes to woodland hab…
6 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the UK Government and European Commission in relation to the protection and conservation of the native red squirrel.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: <p>My officials are in regular contact with staff in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Welsh Assembly Government on a number of species related matters, including red squirrels.</p><p>Red squirrels are not currently protected unde…
6 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from interested groups in relation to the protection and conservation of the native red squirrel.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Red Squirrel South Scotland (RSSS) and Dundee Red Squirrel Project made representations to the Scottish Executive, receiving £15,000 and £25,000 respectively for 2005 to 2007 under the Biodiversity Action Grants Scheme. This funding will allow them to employ …
28 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when all pending decisions regarding the future of acute hospital accident and emergency and maternity services in Western Isles Hospital, Caithness General Hospital, Belford Hospital, Perth Royal Infirmary, Forth Park Hospital, Queen Margaret Hospital, Stirling Royal Infirmary, the Vale …
Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS boards are responsiblefor determining the future pattern of accident and emergency and maternityservices in their areas in the context of their own service strategies,provided these strategies are consistent with national policy and guidance.</p><p>Boards…
27 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the number of environmental health officers required in each local authority area to police the smoking restrictions provided for by the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 and whether it believes that the current number of officers is sufficient to…
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Smoking, Health andSocial Care (Scotland) Act 2005 places a duty on local authorities toenforce the smoke free legislation. It is for local authorities to take a viewon the appropriate level of staffing to enforce the legislation.</p>
27 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what stage discussions relating to increasing the NHS pension age from 60 to 65 have reached.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The UK Government is currently in discussion with trade unions to establish the overall policy framework for pension reforms and these are expected to be completed by the end of October. The UK Government will then set the pension policy parameters and contex…
27 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to encourage a higher uptake of the use of statins for those who could benefit from treatment but are not yet accessing the medicines.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Statins are available to patients on NHS prescription. These medicines are widely prescribed and, as with all medicines, the decision whether or not to prescribe a drug is a matter for the clinician concerned, in discussion with the patient.</p> <p>Over the p…
27 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has meet its 2005 targets on (a) physical activity, (b) diet and (c) alcohol.
Answer · Andy Kerr: (a) There are no set targets for physical activity for 2005. The National Strategy for Physical Activity sets out a long-term target for 50% of all adults over 16 and 80% of all children aged 16 and under to meet the minimum recommended levels of physical act…
27 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS boards are meeting the recommended response time of 60 minutes to administer thrombolytics for those suffering heart attacks and what strategies are in place to help meet this response time in rural areas.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Following an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), treatment with thrombolytic drugs can reduce heart muscle damage and offer a better chance of survival. The benefits of thrombolysis are much greater if the treatment is administered as soon as possible…
26 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that the proposed exposure limits referred to in EU Directive 2004/40/EC on physical agents (electromagnetic fields) could threaten the ability of the medical community to diagnose and treat patients effectively and have adverse consequences, such as limiting the abili…
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive Health Department is aware of these concerns and is liaising on relevant issues with the Health and Safety Executive and other relevant UK departments and agencies.</p>
26 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government in respect of EU Directive 2004/40/EC on physical agents (electromagnetic fields) which seeks to define safe levels for equipment operators' exposure to electromagnetic fields.
Answer · Andy Kerr: EU Directive 2004/40/EC deals with exposure of workers to electromagnetic fields which is a matter reserved to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The HSE is aware of concerns that adoption of the exposure limits defined in the directive might restrict wor…
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on publicly funded health publications in each of the last six years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally.</p>
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many publicly funded health publications there have been in each of the last six years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested is not held centrally.</p>
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS staff have been employed in the production of NHS board publications in each of the last six years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on the number of NHS staff employed in the production of publications is not held centrally.</p>
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS staff are employed in the production of NHS publications.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on the number of NHS staff employed in the production of publications is not held centrally.</p>
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to each NHS board for NHS publications in each of the last six years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: No specific allocations are made to NHS boards for NHS publications. The costs of NHS publications are met from the annual allocation each NHS board receives to meet the health care needs of its resident population.</p>
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS board publications there have been in each of the last six years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested is not held centrally.</p>
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been provided for NHS Scotland publications in each of the last six years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: It is not possible tocollate these figures from the accounting system since expenditure onpublications and consultations is met from a variety of programme lines and anumber of suppliers are involved.</p>
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS Scotland publications there have been in each of the last six years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested is not held centrally.</p>
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in deciding whether to purchase protection for care workers, health workers and groups at risk in the event of a pandemic.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is working closely with Health Departments across the UK to prepare for pandemic influenza.</p> <p>Until the pandemic influenza strain is identified, it will not be possible to produce a vaccine. However, the Scottish Executive has deci…
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the phases specified in the UK Influenza Pandemic Plan published in March 1997 became inconsistent with the phases which trigger public health action, as defined by the World Health Organisation, and when it anticipates that the World Health Organisation will next amend the phases.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The World Health Organization (WHO) introduced new pandemic influenza planning phases in 1999 which were then inconsistent with the 1997 UK Health Departments' Influenza Pandemic Plan. A newly updated plan, taking into account the latest available information…
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to hasten the development of a vaccine in the event of an outbreak of an influenza pandemic.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Until the pandemic strain is identified it will not be possible to produce a vaccine. However, the Scottish Executive is working closely with the UK Health Departments to ensure that all necessary preparations are in place to facilitate vaccine production whe…
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to publicise the steps that the public should take to minimise the risk of transmission and infection in the event of an outbreak of an influenza pandemic.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Plans have been in place since 1997, and a newly updated UK Health Department’s UK Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan, taking into account the latest available information, was published on the 1 March 2005. A version reflecting organisational arrangements i…
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has on the effectiveness of stockpiling Oseltamivir to reduce the impact of an influenza pandemic and how many doses of Oseltamivir it has obtained.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive has ordered approximately 1.3 million courses of oseltamivir (known as Tamiflu), an antiviral medicine (not a vaccine) which may reduce deaths and complications from flu, as part of the UK contract for delivery over the next two financi…
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the documents known as "sleeping scripts", referred to in UK Health Departments' UK Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan, to be published by NHS 24 to provide advice to patients in the event of an influenza pandemic and how frequently such scripts will be reviewed.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Emergency protocols, or “sleeping scripts” as referred to in the UK Health Departments UK Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan, are now available and are currently being developed for use in Scotland. This information will be will be kept under review.</p>
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether arrangements in Scotland meet the UK Department of Health's timetable for (a) rolling out an influenza pandemic plan and (b) meeting the target for vaccine procurement.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The timetable for arrangements for pandemic influenza is being taken forward on a UK basis. The UK is in the forefront of preparations for pandemic influenza and Scotland has been working closely with Health Departments across the UK to put such preparations …
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the target rate for the uptake of immunisation against infection in the event of an influenza pandemic will be, assuming that an effective vaccine has been obtained.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The target rate for the uptake of immunisation against infection in the event of an influenza pandemic will be dependant on a number of factors including the number of people affected by the virus and expert medical advice.</p>
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources will be made available to NHS boards in the event of an outbreak of pandemic influenza.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is working with NHSScotland on the planning arrangements for any potential outbreak of pandemic influenza. The extent of the additional resources required will be dependent on the nature and extent of that outbreak.</p>
22 Sep 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place to monitor the development by NHS boards of multi-agency contingency plans for an outbreak of pandemic influenza.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Plans have been in place since 1997. All NHS boards have submitted their Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plans to the Scottish Executive for initial review. The Scottish Executive will provided feedback to NHS boards to enable them to further develop their pla…