Shona Robison

1 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any advice concerning the suspension of routine surgery to remove tonsils and adenoids until such a time as all such surgery can be carried out using single-use instruments.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-12997.

1 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact any delays in health trusts' acquisition of single-use surgical instruments will have on waiting lists for the surgical removal of tonsils and adenoids.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-12997.

1 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when all health trusts will be fully equipped with single-use instruments for the surgical removal of tonsils and adenoids.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-12999.

1 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to introduce single-use instruments for surgery involving the removal of tonsils and adenoids.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Work is ongoing with surgeons and manufacturers with a view to introducing single-use instruments as quickly as possible so that doctors and patients/parents no longer have to face the dilemma of whether or not to undertake/undergo this type of surgery.<FONT …

1 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether health trusts have been advised to suspend routine surgery for the removal of adenoids and tonsils.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-12997.

1 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has received about the possible transmission of variant Creut'feldt Jakob Disease through contaminated surgical instruments and when it first received such advice.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Executive is advised on this matter by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC), which has stressed the importance of rigorous washing and decontamination in reducing risk. In November 2000, the committee endorsed the concept of a pilot sch…

24 Jan 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the financial deficit of Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust is projected to increase to #10 million in the current financial year.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Trust is forecasting that it will keep to its financial plans and return a reduced overspend of £8 million this financial year.

4 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average time taken by each health board to fill nursing vacancies was in each year from 1990 to the current year.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is not available centrally, but can be obtained from individual health boards and Trusts. The names and addresses of all health boards and Trusts are available on the Scottish Health on the Web website at <A HREF="http://www.show.sco…

14 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make additional funding available to local authorities and schools to meet the costs of providing English language support to refugee and asylum seeking children.

Answer · Jack McConnell: We have no firm plans to do so at this point, but will look further into this issue in the light of experience of the dispersal arrangements for the children concerned.

14 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the per capita level of support being made available for the educational requirements of refugee and asylum seeking children is in (a) this financial year and (b) the next financial year and how these figures compare with the equivalent figures for England and Wales.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Local authorities receive general financial support for the education of all children regardless of their status through the annual local government finance settlement. Support for local authority education services is not expressed on a per capita basis and …

12 Nov 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional preparations are being made by the NHS to cope with winter pressures.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Winter always brings additional pressures on the NHS through for example seasonal increases in flu and respiratory diseases. This year, we are already seeing a marked rise in GP consultations arising from flu and flu-like illnesses. The NHS is making addition…

9 Nov 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that appropriate care and support is available to people diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Cancer is one of three national clinical priorities for the NHS in Scotland.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Mesothelioma is a particularly distressing disease, for which the treatment options are the same as for all cancers i.e. chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. Dec…

9 Nov 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research is being carried out into mesothelioma.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11085.

9 Nov 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to overcome any current shortage of wheelchairs available from the NHS in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Funding for wheelchairs is included in the revenue allocation to health boards. The Rehabilitation Technology Information Service (ReTIS) has been established to provide health boards with evidence-based information to assist in taking decisions on the provis…

9 Nov 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether trials of the new combination drug to treat mesothelioma which are currently taking place in Newcastle will be extended to Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department is aware of 25 current studies into mesothelioma in the UK, none of which take place in Newcastle. Details of these are available from the National Research Register, a copy of w…

30 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review what information should be made publicly available by the Procurator Fiscal's office regarding any decision it has taken.

Answer · Colin Boyd: The nature and type of information which can be made available to victims regarding Crown decision-making is being reviewed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal service as part of the planning process for the Victim and Witness Assistance Service. There …

26 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on its review of the impact of the Immigration and Asylum Act as referred to by the Deputy Minister for Community Care on 9 February 2000 (Official Report, col. 910); what format the review is taking, and what steps are being taken to gather evidence on an ong…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The review of operation of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 will take place around 18 months after it came into operation in Scotland. As the Act came into operation in April 2000, the review will not be undertaken until October 2001. Decisions about the f…

18 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what health services exist in each health board area which specifically target members of the ethnic minority communities.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Health boards are required to commission services to meet the needs of their resident population including those from minority ethnic communities.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">While the information requested is not currently held centrally, a stocktake of how the needs …

18 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many requests for information were received from members of the public by means of its website in each week from 1 August 2000 to date, what the average response time was in each week and whether it is its practice to issue holding replies to such requests.

Answer · Tom McCabe: There are a number of options on the Scottish Executive website through which members of the public can send in email correspondence. The table below shows the main mailboxes on the website and the number of e-mails received through these since 1 August 2000.…

11 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional money will be available to each local authority to pay for publicly funded nursing home places in each of the next three financial years.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Within the additional £1.2 billion investment in local government grant over the next three years announced last month, allowance is included for substantial increases in support for councils' expenditure on community care services. Provisional settlement all…

11 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for a publicly funded nursing home place in each local authority area.

Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10381.

11 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are currently on a waiting list for a publicly funded nursing home place in each local authority area.

Answer · Iain Gray: The information requested is currently not available centrally on a consistent basis.

11 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional funding each local authority would have to devote to the provision of publicly funded nursing home places to provide sufficient places to meet expected demand for such places up to the end of financial year 2000-01 in addition to places for all those currently on a wai…

Answer · Iain Gray: The information requested is not available centrally.

11 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional funding each local authority would have to devote to the provision of publicly funded nursing home places to provide a place for every person currently on a waiting list for such a place.

Answer · Iain Gray: The information requested is not available centrally.

4 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of NHS hospital equipment was provided by charitable organisations over the last five years.

Answer · Susan Deacon: At 31 March 2000, the total value of donated NHS hospital equipment, which includes equipment purchased through the use of charitable funds, and those assets donated by charitable organisations and individuals, was £4,132,000. This includes equipment with a p…

4 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people suffering from eating disorders are awaiting treatment at each NHS hospital.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is not available centrally.

4 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to local authorities on implementing the new food safety licensing laws.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Food Standards Agency issued Guidance Notes to all local authorities on 14 July 2000. I am advised by the FSA that this was followed by updates in August and September. The Scottish Food Co-ordinating Committee (SFCC) also produced and distributed a furth…

4 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures have been taken to ensure that local authorities are implementing the new food safety licensing laws in a consistent manner.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that guidelines have been issued by both the FSA and the Scottish Food Co-ordinating Committee to all local authorities on the arrangements and criteria for licensing. In addition the FSA have been in direct contact w…

21 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7086 by Susan Deacon on 26 June 2000, why, when Ninewells Hospital has 29.3% of oncology patient episodes, 8.9% of Scotland's oncologists are working within Tayside University Hospital's NHS Trust.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Table 2 in question S1W-7086 showed the average number of patient episodes per consultant at each of the cancer centres and not the total number of episodes. The total number of oncology patient episodes at Ninewells Hospital for the year ending 31 March 2000…

20 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on reviewing interpretation and translation services.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: As part of the ongoing development of the Equality Strategy the Executive will be working together with the Commission for Racial Equality, the Disability Rights Commission and public sector interests to develop a national framework of guidance for the public…