Parliamentary questions

Nanette Milne

1,264 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

11 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on extending the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme to all 12 and 13-year-old boys before 2017 on the grounds of equality of public health protection.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The main aim of the current HPV vaccination programme is to protect girls against cervical cancer, rather than protecting against the risks associated with HPV overall. Vaccinating girls also helps to stop the spread of HPV to boys. When enough people are imm…

11 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on extending the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine programme to all 12 and 13-year-old boys in advance of any recommendation by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

6 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) children and (b) adults requiring a psychiatric inpatient care place have been sent to other parts of the UK for treatment in each year since 1999, broken down by the NHS board area in which they reside.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Placements are arranged by individual NHS boards or local authorities. This information is not held centrally.

6 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) child and (b) adult psychiatric inpatient care places there are, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The following table shows the average number of a) child and adolescent beds and b) adult psychiatric inpatient beds available by NHS board. Average available staffed beds broken down by NHS board -financial year ending 31 March 2014 (a) Child and Adolescen…

6 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to each local authority for public art projects in each year since 1999, also broken down by project.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This government does not believe in micromanaging how local authorities spend their money as it is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate their own financial resources on the basis of local needs and pri…

5 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that all eligible 70 to 79-year-olds are aware that they are entitled to be vaccinated against shingles and whether it would consider a public awareness campaign.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Those eligible for the shingles vaccine receive a letter from their GP practice inviting them to attend for immunisation. GPs can if they wish offer the shingles vaccination at the same time as the seasonal flu vaccine. In 2013, following feedback from membe…

5 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost of the around 600 hospital admissions for shingles and postherpetic neuralgia has been in each of the last three years.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not held centrally.

5 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to accelerating the shingles catch-up programme for all eligible 70 to 79-year-olds.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation reviewed all the available medical, epidemiological and economic evidence as well as vaccine safety and recommended a universal herpes zoster vaccination programme for adults aged 70 years up to and includin…

5 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential benefit to the local economy of the dualling of the A90 between Ellon and Peterhead.

Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-23009 on 13 November 2014 which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

5 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports the dualling of the A90 between Ellon and Peterhead and, if so, when it will take place.

Answer · Keith Brown: We recognise that the A90 north of Aberdeen is an important route for businesses along the north east coast and Transport Scotland has been working with Nestrans as they develop a brief for the ‘Energetica corridor - all modes study’ which will consider the p…

4 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on ministerial car journeys in each year since 1999.

Answer · John Swinney: The following table details the yearly cost of the government car service since 1999. Year Total cost (1) 1999-2000 £388,607 (2) 2000-01 £532,389 (2) 2001-02 £589,412 (2) 2002-03 £705,933 (2) 2003-04 £636,882 (2) 2004-05 £47,298 (2…

4 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many cleaning staff have been directly employed by each NHS board in each year since 1999.

Answer · Alex Neil: Information on how many cleaning staff have been directly employed by each NHS board in each year since 1999 is not centrally held. Cleaning duties for the hospital environment and patient equipment in NHSScotland are routinely carried out as part of the dut…

4 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when data from Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s indicators for palliative and end of life care will be reported (a) at NHS board level and (b) nationally.

Answer · Alex Neil: Healthcare Improvement Scotland palliative and end of life care indicator data is not available at an NHS board or national level. Scottish Government officials have been working with colleagues from Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Information Services Div…

4 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS boards regarding displaying the number of nurses on duty.

Answer · Alex Neil: Application of the Nursing and Midwifery Workload and Workforce Planning tools has been mandatory since April 2013, and all NHS boards are expected to use the tools to inform local nursing and workforce planning. As part of the wider mandating process, NHS b…

3 Nov 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action Police Scotland is taking to address the issue of puppy farms and puppies being imported illegally.

20 Aug 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are made to provide influenza vaccination to older and at-risk prisoners and to prison staff.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Health boards are responsible for the healthcare of the population in their areas, including prisoners. Prisoners who are ‘at-risk’ or are over the age of 65 would receive the flu vaccine in prison from their local NHS board. The Scottish Prison Service (SPS…

20 Aug 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the extent of B-type mismatch between the influenza types covered by the trivalent influenza vaccination and actual strains of infection in the adult population in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Table 1 summarises the influenza B vaccine strains and circulating influenza B virus types for each of the previous three seasons: 2011-2012, 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. Information has been provided for all ages due to the small numbers of samples in two out of…

20 Aug 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set a separate default tariff reimbursement price for quadrivalent vaccines for influenza in at-risk adults and older people.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The arrangements for the ordering and reimbursing of generic flu vaccine for the 2014-15 flu season were advised in NHS Circular PCA (P)(2014)1/PCA (M)(2014)6 issued on 11 February 2014.

20 Aug 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it will give to NHS boards about the use of quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) in light of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's position that, “all other factors being equal, QIV is preferable to trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine”.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) issued guidance to the NHS in Scotland in relation to both the routine seasonal flu programme and the childhood flu programme on 18 June 2014. These letters provide professional guidance for those involved in delivering vaccina…