Parliamentary questions
Adam Ingram
1,244 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
24 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3840 by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 November 2003, why the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is working with vaccine manufacturers to make every effort to remove or reduce the thiomersal component in vaccines and what advice the agency h…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There is strong evidence tosuggest that thiomersal in vaccines does not cause any harm (except for skinrashes or local swelling at the site of injection). Despite this, and as partof a global goal to reduce exposure to mercury from avoidable sources ingeneral…
20 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3845 by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 November 2003, what the estimated timescale will be with regard to initiating research into the reasons for the level of suicide rates in Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: At present, there are twostages to the research process in support of the Choose Life Strategy andAction Plan. The first of these – a scoping exercise – is being commissioned inJanuary 2004. The overall aim of this scoping exercise is to collect andco-ordinat…
13 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3653 by Ross Finnie on 10 November 2003, how many students at each Scottish Agricultural College campus are studying a degree course and, of these, how many are first year students.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The information requested isset out in the following table. The information relates to students enrolled onthe Scottish Agricultural College’s degree programmes as at 28 October 2003</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Ca…
13 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3729 by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 November 2003, what is involved in the consultations for those 75 or over and whether there are plans to extend the starting age to 65 years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The arrangements for theannual consultation for those aged 75 or over are contained in the terms of servicefor general practitioners set out in the NHS (General Medical Services) (Scotland)Regulations 1995.</p><p>The general practitioner isrequired to invite …
6 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional support is being offered to (a) NHS boards and (b) local authorities to implement the recommendations of the Scottish Needs Assessment Programme's report on the mental health needs of children and young people.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The multi-agency ChildHealth Support Group Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) DevelopmentGroup met with the Child Health Commissioners in August to discuss the supportneeded for implementation of the recommendations of the Scottish NeedsAssessment Prog…
6 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to (a) NHS boards and (b) local authorities in respect of the mental health needs of children and young people.
Answer · Tom McCabe: A Framework for MentalHealth in Scotland (Bib. number 7392) includes a service elementsection for planners and commissioners of services specifically on child andadolescent mental health services and sections dealing with PsychologicalInterventions and Eating…
6 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made by the Child Health Support Group and NHS boards in implementing the recommendations of the Scottish Needs Assessment Programme's report on the mental health needs on children and young people.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Child Health SupportGroup has established a multi-agency and multi-disciplinary Child andAdolescent Mental Health (CAMH) Development Group to work with the Scottish Executive Health Department and NHSScotland to ensure implementation of the recommendation…
4 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the suicide rate in Scotland is double that of England and Wales and whether any research has been commissioned to investigate the factors involved.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There is no single knownreason to explain why suicide rates in Scotland are higher than those in England and Wales.However, under the work of the National Programme for Improving Mental Healthand Well-Being, plans are in hand to co-ordinate the available evid…
4 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-297 by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 June 2003, what the current timescale is for phasing out the use of vaccines containing mercury.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Medicines and Healthcareproducts Regulatory Agency (MHRA), responsible for the safety of all medicinesavailable on the UK market, has advised that there is no set timescalefor the removal of thiomersal (ethylmercury) from vaccines. Manufacturers arerequir…
4 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33207 by Malcolm Chisholm on 24 January 2003, what its interpretation of a precautionary measure is in the context of the phasing out of the use of thiomersal in vaccines.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: “Precautionary” is commonlydefined as describing an action taken in advance to avoid potential risk orensure a good result.</p>
4 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence of suicide has been amongst drug and alcohol abusers in each of the last five years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>
4 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients discharged from psychiatric units have committed suicide within one month of release in each of the last five years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table showsthe amount of patients discharged from psychiatric units who have committedsuicide within one month of release, over the last five years:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p align=left>Year</p> …
4 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children leaving care have committed suicide in each of the last five years, broken down by age, gender and local authority area.
Answer · Euan Robson: The information requested isnot held centrally. Information onsuicides of young people is published in the Social Justice Annual Report (see <ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/social/emsjm-00.asp">Social Justice...a Scotland where everyone matters - …
4 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many male prisoners diagnosed with a mental illness have committed suicide in each of the last five years, broken down by age.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:</p><p>The information requested isnot known. Prisoners who are diagnosed as being mentally ill under terms of theMental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 …
4 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many male prisoners have committed suicide in each of the last five years, broken down by age.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish PrisonService to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The following table showsthe number of male self-inflicted deaths in custody in each of the last fiveyears, broken down by age. Year totals a…
4 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many males released from prison have committed suicide within three years of release in each of the last five years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
31 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that all teaching staff are aware of, and sensitive to, the needs of young people with a mental illness.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Measures are already inplace. Probationer teachers must achieve the Standard for Full Registration(SFR) before being fully registered by the General Teaching Council for Scotland andthus becoming eligible to apply for permanent teaching posts. The SFR sets ou…
31 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is offered to parents of children under 14 who have been diagnosed with a mental illness.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Our National Health (December 2000, Bib.number 10298) and Partnership for Care (February 2003, Bib. number 26689) areexplicit about the need for the NHS to work with patients and their carers toensure that they have the support and information they need to be…
31 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources have been allocated to each local authority to reduce the number of suicides.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: In June this year my departmentissued guidance to local authorities on implementation of the Choose LifeNational Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent Suicide in Scotland.This guidance, which is available through the website of the National Programmefor Improvi…
31 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were used when drawing up the list of priority areas for the National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-Being.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The priority areas and keythemes detailed in the National Programme’s three-year action plan weredeveloped in consultation with the programme’s national advisory group, overthe course of five meetings from January 2002 to February 2003. This processwas carrie…
31 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to local authorities regarding the implementation of Choose Life: A National Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent Suicide in Scotland, in particular on local co-ordination, training and local community-based initiatives and activities.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: In June this year my departmentissued guidance to local authorities on implementation of the <i>Choose LifeNational Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent Suicide in </i><i>Scotland</i><i>.</i> This guidance, which isavailable through the website of the National…
29 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the use of vitamin and mineral supplements for elderly people has been considered as a preventative action in relation to the long-term health of elderly people.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is currently considering the risks andbenefits associated with vitamin and mineral supplements for the elderly. Thiswork is being taken forward as part of the implementation of <i>Adding Life toYears</i>, the report of the expert group …
29 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the cost of the healthy living campaign to date.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The figures on the cost of the healthy living campaign are laid out in the following table.</p><p>Cost of the Healthy Living Campaignfrom 7 January to 4 November 2003</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p> </p> </td> <td> <p align=…
29 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to monitor the success or failure of the healthy living campaign.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A comprehensive monitoringand evaluation programme has been in place since the launch of the healthyliving campaign. We are tracking awareness and understanding of the TV adverts.We are monitoring the number and type of calls to the advice line and level oftr…
29 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are mechanisms in place to monitor the quality of food served in NHS hospitals and, if so, what such mechanisms are.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Hospitals are expected tomeet the new clinical standards for Food, Fluid and Nutritional Care issued byNHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHSQIS) on 19 September 2003. NHSScotland’s performance against these standards will be monitored bya process of self asse…
29 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many dieticians are currently employed in each hospital.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: <p class=Confidentiality>Theavailable information on all dieticians employed in NHS Scotland is shown byorganisation in the table. Information by individual hospital is not availablecentrally.</p><p class=Confidentiality>DieticiansEmployed in NHSScotland by O…
29 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether guidelines have been issued on the recommended number of dieticians employed in hospitals.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The British DieteticAssociation is currently working on guidelines on the number of dieticiansrequired across a number of general specialty areas. However the associationhas made no recommendations about numbers of dieticians in hospitals. Noguidelines have b…
29 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to hospitals regarding patients' nutrition.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive recognisesthat high quality, nutritious food is essential to improving the health andfunctional ability of hospital patients. In February 2002, the NationalNursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting Advisory Committee published a report; <i>Promotin…
29 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to introduce full annual health checks for those aged 75 and over.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The terms of service forgeneral practitioners already require them each year to invite each of theirpatients aged 75 or over to participate in a consultation to assess whether thepatient has any need for general medical services.</p>
29 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current recommended intake levels of selenium are for (a) males and (b) females.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I have been advised by theFood Standards Agency that the Reference Nutrient Intake for selenium is 75mcg/d for an adult male and 60 mcg/d for an adult female. An increase of 15mcg/d is recommended for lactating women.</p>