Parliamentary questions
Shona Robison
1,014 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to ensure that the findings of Sheriff Dunbar on 7 March 2003 in the fatal accident inquiry into the death of James Mauchland are adopted by all NHS boards and hospitals.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We are committed to constant improvement in the care and support of people with learning disabilities. Lessons have been drawn from the fatal accident inquiry report, including training needs and first aid equipment.<P>The inquiry report findings will inform …
24 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10970 by Angus Mackay on 25 January 2001, how many publications it produced from 12 May 1999 to 31 July 2000 and how much each publication cost to produce.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The details of Scottish Executive publications produced in the period from 12 May to 31 July 2000 are as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=559><TR><TD WIDTH="80%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=17><P>Publication</TD><TD WIDTH="20%" VALIGN="TOP…
24 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34337 by Mr Andy Kerr on 11 March 2003, how many publications it has produced since 31 January 2003 and how much each publication cost to produce.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The details of Scottish Executive publications in the period 31 January 2003 to 30 June 2003 are as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=446><TR><TD WIDTH="76%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=17><P>Publication</TD><TD WIDTH="24%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=1…
24 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many norovirus infection outbreaks have been reported to the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following figures, published by the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH), reflect reported outbreaks of confirmed or suspected norovirus (NV) in Scotland each year since 1999 (including the first quarter figures for 2003):<TABLE …
9 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research is being undertaken to establish whether women are at risk from synthetic progestins; what guidance is being issued by the Chief Medical Officer to medical practitioners about using products containing such progestins, and what public information is being made available in …
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The safety of medicines is reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The MHRA has advised that research into the risks associated with synthetic progestins is conducted in the UK and worldwide on a c…
4 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many whole-time equivalent dermatologists are employed by each NHS board and how many there were employed in each of the last five years.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Information on whole-time equivalent dermatologists employed by boards in 1998 to 2002 is provided in the following tables 1 to 5 respectively.<P>Table 1<P>Dermatologists Directly Employed by NHSScotland by NHS Board<SUP>1</SUP> Whole-Time Equivalent at 30 Se…
4 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital beds were available for dermatological problems in (a) Scotland as a whole and (b) each NHS board area in each of the last five years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is as follows:<P>NHSScotland: Average Available Staffed Beds<SUP>1</SUP> in the Specialty of Dermatology, by NHS Board Area of Residence: Years Ended 31 March 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003<SUP>P</SUP>.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CE…
4 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the median waiting time has been for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant dermatologist in (a) Scotland as a whole and (b) each NHS board in each year since 1997.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is as follows:<P>NHSScotland: Median Waiting Times for a First Out-patient Appointment with a Consultant in Dermatology, Following a General Medical Practitioner Referral, by NHS Board of Residence: Years Ended 31 March 1997, 1998, 1…
29 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 in order to empower local authorities to introduce a licensing scheme for vendors of fireworks.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The licensing of the vendors of fireworks falls within the reserved subject of consumer protection. The Scottish Executive is keeping in close contact with the UK Government about the progress of Bill Tynan's Private Member's Fireworks Bill at Westminster whi…
29 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional powers it plans to give to local authorities to tackle the "nuisance of fireworks", as referred to in the First Minister's statement on 28 May 2003 (Official Report, c 89).
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive and UK Government plan to give local authorities a range of powers to control the sale of fireworks and the times and places that fireworks can be used.
22 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Church of Scotland regarding its financial situation.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Scottish Executive and COSLA officials meet regularly with Church of Scotland representatives to discuss a wide range of issues. The last such meeting was on 27 May and another meeting will be held after the Church's review of services for the elderly is publ…
22 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether elderly people in Church of Scotland care homes that are closed will be required to move outside of their communities and away from support networks.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-392. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">ht…
22 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that no elderly person residing in a Church of Scotland care home becomes homeless as result of the church's current financial situation.
Answer · Tom McCabe: We understand the Church of Scotland is considering the future of its care homes and no decision has yet been made on closures. Local authorities are required to ensure that appropriate care is provided for older people in their areas.
22 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support Dundee as the location for the Scottish Water customer management centre in line with its policy of dispersing civil service jobs.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The decision to locate the customer management centre at Fairmilehead, Edinburgh was an operational decision for Scottish Water. This decision is part of a much larger reorganisation which will see Scottish Water consolidating services in Aberdeen, Dundee, Gl…
15 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance could be given by national and local government for the statutory services provided by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I understand the society has taken certain actions towards improving its financial position and will be considering the results of these actions shortly. The society has not made any application to the Executive for financial assistance. It is not known wheth…
15 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to meet the board of management of the Scottish Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals in order to discuss the possible closure of seven of the society's animal welfare centres.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The society has not sought a meeting with the Executive.
15 May 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that animal welfare services are available in the light of possible closure of seven of the 13 animal welfare centres run by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Executive has no such plans.
5 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be provided to develop carer information strategies, as referred to in chapter 3 of Partnership for Care: Scotland's Health White Paper.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive is committing record levels of investment in the NHS, ensuring that NHS boards have sufficient funds to meet local health care needs in line with the priorities set out in out in <I>Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for cha…
5 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been set aside to implement the "Fair for All" strategy, as referred to in chapter 3 of Partnership for Care: Scotland's Health White Paper.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A key principle of the "Fair for All" approach is that the distinctive health needs of individuals and family groups from ethnic minority communities should be met and funded by culturally competent mainstream services. The Scottish Executive provid…
5 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #250 million for free personal care has been allocated to each local authority.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The overall allocation was £107 million for 1 July 2002 to 31 March 2003 and £143 million for 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004. The table shows the breakdown for individual authorities.<P>Free Personal Care Allocations<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WI…
25 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to comments by Steve McCabe, MP for Birmingham Hall Green, referring to free personal care as "the failed 'free' care policy pursued in Scotland"
Answer · Frank McAveety: Free personal care has been in place since 1 July 2002.<P>The evidence is that implementation is progressing well and the Executive would regard the policy as a success.
12 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will give to assist Broughty Ferry beach in securing yellow flag status this year and what bearing being designated an officially designated bathing beach would have on securing such status.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Scottish Water has recently invested £100 million in upgrading the sewage treatment works for Dundee, which has resulted in much cleaner waters at Broughty Ferry. This may help Broughty Ferry achieve yellow flag status.<P>The yellow flag is a Seaside Award wh…
12 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Broughty Ferry beach is the best candidate for becoming a new designated bathing beach.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive plans to undertake a review of beach usage in Scotland this summer. Ministers will consider the results of this study before deciding on future bathing water designations.
12 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reconvene the Bathing Waters Review Panel to designate further beaches as official bathing beaches and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Ross Finnie: There are, at present, no plans to reconvene the Bathing Waters Review Panel. While discussions continue at a European level about the revision of the Bathing Water Directive, it makes sense to work closely with our partners to ensure that we have the right i…
12 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will wait until the implementation of the new EU bathing water directive in 2006 before it designates any further beaches as official bathing beaches.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive intends to carry out a bathing waters survey this summer to find out what use is made of beaches around Scotland. Ministers will consider the findings of this survey and decide what future actions are needed.
12 Feb 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made towards introducing a licensing scheme for the vendors of fireworks.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I met Melanie Johnson, Consumer Protection Minister at the Department of Trade and Industry, at the end of last year to discuss the irresponsible sale and use of fireworks. Further to this I have had discussions with the Association of Chief Police Officers i…
3 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many medical procedures have been (a) cancelled in advance and (b) aborted unexpectedly due to problems with the sterilisation of clinical equipment in each year since 2001, broken down by NHS trust.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.<P>However, the Glennie Group and the department have worked closely with NHSScotland to achieve technical compliance and only a small number of instances of cancelled operations have been reported to date.
3 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the recommendations made in the Glennie framework on decontamination services and provision that the cleaning of hospital equipment should be moved to central sterile service departments.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: At present there are no plans to review the recommendations made in the Glennie framework.
3 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which specialities in each NHS trust are currently using disposable clinical equipment in order to comply with the technical requirements on decontamination processes set out in the Glennie framework on decontamination services and provision.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Glennie framework looked at and built upon the best practice standards that exist for the decontamination of re-usable medical devices. As such no technical requirements have been set which stipulate the use of disposable clinical equipment.<P>However, in…
3 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS trusts are not on target to completely comply with the interim technical requirements on decontamination processes by March 2003 as recommended in the Glennie framework on decontamination services and provision.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is expected that all sites will comply with the interim technical requirements. <P>However, one of the requirements for interim compliance is the installation and commissioning of compliant washer disinfectors. The demand for washer disinfectors currently …