Parliamentary questions
Nanette Milne
1,264 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
1 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what sum remains unspent from the sale of the former Commonwealth Institute in Rutland Square, Edinburgh and what plans it has to spend that money.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Scottish Executive were not involved in the sale of this building which we understand was owned by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.</p>
7 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected increase in NHS spending on diabetes will be over the next (a) one year and (b) three, (c) five and (d) 10 years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally.</p><p>It is not possible to calculate projected increases in NHS spending on diabetes because of uncertainty about how diabetes incidence and treatment options will change in the future.</p><p>It is clear that the numbe…
7 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of treating diabetes and its effects was in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003, expressed also as a percentage of the total NHS budget in each year.
Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not heldcentrally. However, the Scottish Diabetes Framework (April 2002) included an estimatethat diabetes accounts for about 5% of NHS costs. It also outlined the difficultyof producing a more accurate figure.</p>
7 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital appointments were made by, and for, patients receiving in-patient care for, and treatment of, diabetes-related complications in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information is not available centrally.</p>
7 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many days patients spent in hospital for in-patient care for, and treatment of, diabetes-related complications in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information is not available centrally.</p>
22 Sep 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support young carers in Aberdeen and the north east of Scotland.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Local authority social work departments and a range of other bodies, for instance schools and GP practices, have a key role to play in identifying young carers, and helping them to access support as children in need. In addition to our Carers Strategy, other …
22 Sep 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision will be taken on the exact location of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: We will hold a series of public exhibitions later this year showing the emerging preferred route. The statutory draft road and compulsory purchase orders will be published in the spring of 2005.</p>
12 May 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to making asthma a national priority in health care in light of new research from Asthma UK stating that for 20% of people with asthma in Scotland, there are still no medicines that adequately control their condition.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The importance we attach to tacklingasthma is reflected in the range of measures currently underway in Scotland, including:</p><p>The new GP contract includesasthma as a condition, which will attract extra remuneration for doctors, if theymeet standards of ca…
21 Apr 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to establish the competency of professionals who have gained their medical qualifications and training in the EU accession states and who seek to work in the health services in Scotland.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Professionalswho have gained their medical qualifications and training in the EU accession stateswho wish to seek work in the health services have the right to automatic recognitionof their qualifications.</p><p>We would expectemployers to ensure that their s…
16 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the budget of Careers Scotland is calculated.
Answer · Jim Wallace: On its establishment inApril 2002, Careers Scotland brought together some 80 guidance-relatedorganisations. Its original budget was based on the total of the supportprovided by the Executive to these conjoining organisations, supplemented byspecific funding f…
16 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Careers Scotland has a specific requirement to target young people not in education, employment or training.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Young people not ineducation, employment or training are a priority group for Careers Scotland. Weare, together with Careers Scotland, currently reviewing its targets.</p>
16 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the population has used Careers Scotland for guidance and advice, broken down by age.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6978 on 29 March 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…
16 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual running costs of the Careers Scotland website have been in each year since its establishment.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6978 on 29 March 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…
16 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total budget of Careers Scotland has been per head of population in each year since its establishment.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive provides funding to the Enterprise Networks to support economicdevelopment, including the delivery of a national all-age guidance servicethrough Careers Scotland. Issues in relation both to the use of this serviceand the costs of provid…
25 Feb 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the recent findings of the Global Initiative for Asthma that Scotland has the highest incidence of childhood asthma in the world, what consideration it has given to making asthma a national priority in primary health care.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: In 2002, Scotland took part in an international studyof asthma and allergies in Schoolchildren which suggested that, while thediagnosis of asthma had become more common since 1995, the prevalence ofsymptoms had declined. The Global Initiative for Asthma has s…
17 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses have undergone specialist asthma training in each NHS board in each of the last three years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.</p>
17 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money each NHS board has spent on asthma services in each of the last three years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Data are not held centrally on costs associated with specific conditions such as asthma.</p>
17 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding will be made available to NHS boards to achieve the rapid implementation of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network asthma guidelines.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Scottish IntercollegiateGuidelines Network (SIGN) guidelines are best practice guidelines primarily foruse by clinicians, and are not intended to serve as mandatory standards ofmedical care. Their implementation is a matter for NHS boards, and any costswould …
23 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will address any backlog of unmet training needs within the voluntary social work sector over the next four years.
Answer · Euan Robson: Information on unmettraining needs within the voluntary sector is not held. Training is a matterfor the individual employer.</p><p>In October 2003, the Executive announced an additional £9 million over the next three years forlocal authorities to invest in tr…
23 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support voluntary groups that carry out work normally undertaken by the public sector.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Our strategy for encouraging the growth and sustainability ofvoluntary organisations involved in the delivery of public services was set out in <i>A Review of the </i><i>Scottish Executive</i><i>’sPolicies to Promote the Social Economy</i>,which was published…
23 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the recruitment and retention of social workers.
Answer · Euan Robson: We have introduced a number of measures to complement the action planinstigated last year. These include a fast-track scheme for 120 graduates to train as socialworkers within 15-18 months, an incentive scheme for eligible social workgraduates to work in prio…
1 Oct 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to revise planning guidance available to local authorities in relation to wind farms.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: <i>National Planning Policy Guideline6: Renewable Energy Technologies </i>balancesour obligation to tackle climate change with the need to safeguard communities andthe environment. Like all national planning policies this is kept under review.</p>
24 Sep 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made by COSLA in conjunction with independent and church care home sectors in their examination of the true cost of care for older people.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2O-559 today, which is available on the Parliament’s website,the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/sch/search">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/sch/search</a…
2 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to encourage NHS boards to issue whistle-blowing kits to NHS trusts.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Partnership InformationNetwork (PIN) issued a PIN Guideline prepared by the service for the service inJanuary last year entitled “Dealing with Employee Concerns”.</p><p>This partnership prepareddocument includes guidance and a model freedom of speech poli…
2 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to facilitate the reporting by staff of any bad practice and issues of staff failure in the NHS.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Partnership InformationNetwork (PIN) issued a PIN Guideline prepared by the service for the service inJanuary last year entitled “Dealing with Employee Concerns”. </p><p>This guideline promotes arange of options by which employee concerns in their widest …
29 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland about the steps required to address issues highlighted by the national overview on schi'ophrenia published by the board in March 2002 and what the outcome was of any such discus…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive Health Department has on-going discussions with NHS Quality ImprovementScotland on a range of issues, including the follow up to its published schizophreniastandards. One outcome has been the current review of service compliance with th…
29 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that the NHS takes account of advice from the Health Technology Board for Scotland on the use of modern atypical anti-psychotic medicines for people with schi'ophrenia.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: On 25 July 2003 NHS Quality ImprovementScotland advised NHSScotland that the National Institute for Clinical Excellenceguidance on the use of newer (atypical) antipsychotic drugs for the treatment ofschizophrenia is as valid for Scotland as it is for England …
29 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many atypical anti-psychotic medicines for the treatment of schi'ophrenia have been dispensed by (a) community pharmacists and (b) doctors in each NHS board area in the last two years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table shows the total number of prescribed items for atypical anti-psychotic medicines dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors. These data do not take into account medicines dispensed by hospitals or hospital-based clinics.</p>…
1 Aug 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on which road locations in Aberdeenshire fatal and serious road accidents have been recorded in each year since 1999.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Central Statistical Database contains information on the road class and number (if any), the grid reference of the locations of road accidents, local authority area and police force area.</p><p>Figures for the numbers of accidents on individual roads can …
23 Jun 2003 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Executive will take to improve the quality and availability of information for patients diagnosed with diabetes.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Our Scottish Diabetes Framework recognises good patient information as an essential part of diabetes care. An action plan on patient information is currently being developed.