Parliamentary questions
Adam Ingram
1,244 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
21 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will implement in order to ensure NHS trusts are using standardised guidelines when prescribing anti-psychotic drugs.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The prime responsibility for ensuring that guidelines are implemented and complied with rests with NHSScotland.<P>The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland (CSBS) has developed a set of standards for schizophrenia, which includes two relating to the prescript…
21 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to initiate a national strategy for the treatment of schi'ophrenia.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland has published their review of schizophrenia services and associated audit tool. Combined they provide an effective national framework for service improvement in this very important area of care. The response by NHSSco…
21 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to audit treatment outcomes for schi'ophrenia and, if so, whether the methods employed will include a user perspective.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The published Clinical Standards Board for Scotland audit tool includes provisions to cover the very important user dimension. Further, £196,000 has been invested in the Scottish Schizophrenia Outcomes Study by the Clinical Resource and Audit Group. That stud…
21 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will implement a national training programme for multidisciplinary teams in order to ensure that people with schi'ophrenia have access to evidence-based social and psychological approaches to care.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are no immediate plans for a national training programme for multi-disciplinary teams. Reliance is placed upon the agencies to work together to ensure that the training required and given reflects care and quality of need and the multi-agency and profes…
21 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to tackle any problems highlighted by the recently published national overview on schi'ophrenia by the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Clinical Standards Board overview and published audit tool provide a national framework for service improvement in this very important area of care. The responsibility for improving current provision rests primarily with NHSScotland, supported as necessar…
20 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why no specific task force has been established for mental health, in line with the other national clinical priority areas.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25312 on 7 May 2002. My view remains that the remit, membership and approach of the Mental Health and Well Being Support Group is fit for purpose. However, as part of our commitment to on-going review a S…
20 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19860 by Nicol Stephen on 5 December 2001, which recommendations of the Discipline Task Group have been implemented to date; which recommendations have been rejected, and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: All of the recommendations of the Discipline Task Group Report were accepted. A timetable for implementation was published in December 2001 in the Joint Action Plan agreed with the COSLA, the Association of Directors of Education and the Association of Direct…
20 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19860 by Nicol Stephen on 5 December 2001, whether the update of Circular 2/98 Guidance on Issues Concerning Exclusion from School has been completed and, if so, whether it will place a copy in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The revision of Circular 2/98 <I>Guidance On Issues Concerning Exclusion From School</I> has been through an initial consultation process. Following further consultation, the final version will be issued at the beginning of the new academic year 2002-03. A co…
20 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Public Health Institute for Scotland will publish the results of the national review of child and adolescent mental health services.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A report is due to be published at the end of 2002. The review is being conducted in a consultative and participative manner and emerging findings will be communicated by a national conference on 14 June, at Strathclyde University, and followed up in a number…
20 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what grants have been awarded under its Alternatives to Exclusion Grant Scheme in each year since 1999 and, in respect of each such grant, (a) how much was awarded, (b) to which specific projects the awards was made and (c) what the duration is of the grant assistance.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Alternatives to exclusion funding since 1999 is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=408><TR><TD WIDTH="42%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Authority</TD><TD WIDTH="21%" VALIGN="TOP"><P> 1999-2000<P>(£)</TD><TD WIDTH="19%" VALIGN="TOP"><P> 2000-01<P>(£…
7 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was consulted by the UK Hydrographic Office on a licensing and fees regime for tidal information and what its response to any such consultation was.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive was not consulted by the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO), an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Defence, on a licence and fee regime for tidal information. I understand the UKHO does not consult on charges for its services.
7 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any role or powers in respect of tidal information.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has no specific powers in respect of tidal information. However, we contribute towards the cost of operating the UK National Sea Level Network, a series of tide gauges at key positions around the coast of the British Isles, in support o…
30 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it holds information on the names and addresses of residents who were victims of the Na'i regime in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.
Answer · Colin Boyd: The Scottish Executive does not hold this information.
30 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance was given to the International Organisation for Migration to publicise the compensation scheme made available by Germany from 12 August 2000 to former slave and forced labourers and other victims of Na'i injustice.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) did not request assistance from the Scottish Executive. The IOM publicised the scheme throughout the UK without any assistance from government.
24 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the purpose is of the Breathing Space helpline.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Breathing Space is a free helpline service for people living with low mood or depression or who are unusually worried. Deputy Minister Mary Mulligan wrote to the member on 17 April, giving further information about the helpline.
24 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what counselling services are offered by the Breathing Space helpline.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Breathing Space helpline provides confidential advice and support, as well as suggestions of services which callers may find useful in their own locality. The helpline operators have access to an extensive database of statutory and voluntary services, whi…
23 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to provide primary health care services with details of voluntary organisations in their areas.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The arrangements for the provision of advice on voluntary organisations are a matter for local NHS organisations, in liaison with other agencies. Local Health Care Co-operatives and primary care teams have an important role in providing information regarding …
23 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-3941 by Malcolm Chisholm on 25 October 2001, what actions the National Advisory Group has taken.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The National Advisory Group has met twice, on 21 January and 29 April. Its initial focus is on overseeing the development of a national programme for improving mental health, which will have the two main components of information collection and a range of pra…
23 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase the job prospects of those with mental health problems.
Answer · Iain Gray: Employment, including the employment of people with mental health problems, is a reserved issue. The responsibility for assisting disabled unemployed people into work rests with Jobcentre Plus.<P>The New Deal for Disabled People (NDDP) is a Department for Wor…
23 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the additional funding for health announced in the First Minister's ministerial statement on the UK 2002 budget will be spent on mental health projects.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Decisions on the allocation of the additional funds will be announced following the outcome of the Spending Review in September 2002.
23 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it currently provides for counselling services and what projects receive such funding.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.
23 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what current targets it has set for mental health services; how such targets are evaluated, and what improvements in mental health services have been made since 1997.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The <I>Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland</I> and more recently<I> Our National Health</I> set the agenda for change and improvement in mental health services in Scotland. Agencies are working toward the benchmarks provided in those documents an…
23 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that NHS boards set their priorities in line with the national clinical priorities.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The three national clinical priorities of Coronary Heart Disease/Stroke, Cancer and Mental Health are central to the local health plan produced by each NHS board area, in line with guidance issued by the health department. Additionally, on-going analysis of N…
23 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it will give to setting up a mental health task force and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Following a ministerial led consultation summit in January 2000, involving planners, statutory and voluntary sector providers and users of mental health services, it was agreed to establish a support group to help advance change and improvement. The arrangeme…
11 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning will reply to my letter of 27 February 2002 regarding the Larkhall to Milngavie railway line.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to my letter of 29 April 2002.
11 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23200 by Hugh Henry on 15 March 2002, whether it plans to make any representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding the level of benefit paid to patients in long-stay hospitals.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has no plans to make representations to the UK Government regarding the level of benefit paid to patients in long-stay hospitals. Ian McCartney, Minister for Pensions announced on 25 February that the Department for Work and Pensions ha…
11 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23427 by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 March 2002, when the anti-stigma campaign will be launched and who will be involved in developing this campaign.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24587 on 22 April 2002.
11 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23553 by Lewis Macdonald on 15 March 2002, in the light of Railtrack's announcement that it is completely pulling out of the Larkhall to Milngavie project, what alternative options the Executive is investigating and whether these will require the ame…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: In a letter dated 4 December 2001, Railtrack advised that at that time the delivery of its core maintenance and renewal programme left no signalling or management resources available to support the Larkhall-Milngavie rail project. Since then, the Scottish Exe…
11 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23036 by Iain Gray on 7 March 2002, what progress was finally made on the target of Eaga Partnership (Scotland) to install 3,500 heating systems under the Central Heating Installation Programme by March 2002.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Eaga met the target and installed 3,559 central heating systems in 2001-02.
27 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23427 by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 March 2002, what the details are of its plans to commission an anti-stigma campaign as part of the National Programme for the Improvement of Mental Health.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We have commissioned People Too to carry out a concerted, national anti-stigma initiative in Scotland. People Too is an alliance of the Highland Users Group, the National Schizophrenia Fellowship (Scotland), Penumbra, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and th…