Mr Lloyd Quinan

14 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many officers from Strathclyde Police additional to those normally deployed were required at the Faslane Naval Base on (a) 11 February, (b) 12 February and (c) 13 February 2002; who requested their deployment, and who will be responsible for covering the costs for this extra deploymen…

Answer · Jim Wallace: Strathclyde Police officers do not routinely police the perimeter of Faslane Naval Base. This normally falls to the Ministry of Defence Police. Officers from Strathclyde Police are only engaged in such duties when there are large anti-nuclear demonstrations a…

8 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Minister for Health and Community Care and/or either of his deputies have had with the Chief Medical Officer regarding the postponement of tonsillectomy operations in the Argyll and Clyde NHS Board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Following the postponement of non-emergency tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies across Scotland, the Executive continues to monitor the situation. The Chief Medical Officer is keeping ministers fully appraised of the most up-to-date position.

23 Jan 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the report of the Review of Educational Psychologists will be published.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The report of the Review of Educational Psychologists is currently under consideration. It is expected to be published in February 2002.

16 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest figures are for the uptake of the MMR vaccine, broken down by health board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Figures published by the Common Services Agency (CSA) confirm that the percentage uptake of MMR for children aged up to 24 months at quarter ended 30 September 2001 was 86.9%. This was broken down by NHS board as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDIN…

16 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what housing provision is available for 16- to 18-year-olds with autism or Asperger's Syndrome in each local authority area.

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

16 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people over 35 have a diagnosis of (a) autism and (b) Asperger's Syndrome, broken down by (i) age, (ii) gender and (iii) health board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

16 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many 16- to 18-year-olds currently have a diagnosis of (a) autism and (b) Asperger's Syndrome, broken down by health board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

14 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints have been lodged through the NHS complaints procedure in each of the past three years, broken down by health board area and by category of complaint.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is available at the following web address: <A HREF="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/complaints/index.htm">http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/complaints/index.htm</A>. This site records complaints against health boards and trusts and provides ana…

14 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are followed by the emergency services on whether to contact other emergency services when dealing with (a) a road traffic accident, (b) a house fire during the day, (c) a house fire during the night and (d) suspected suicide.

Answer · Richard Simpson: The emergency services are in constant touch through their respective control rooms in handling 999 incidents and follow established procedures and guidance in attending singly or together at the kind of incidents described. If the member has a particular iss…

14 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to 999 operators on which emergency services to contact when dealing with a call relating to (a) a road traffic accident, (b) a house fire during the day, (c) a house fire during the night and (d) suspected suicide.

Answer · Richard Simpson: BT operators connect a 999 caller to the service they ask for but in cases where it is not clear they go through a series of prompts. Where more than one, or all three emergency services are required, BT will connect with each service in turn. If the member h…

14 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21136 by Nicol Stephen on 10 January 2002, whether it will detail any funding packages which have been awarded specifically for projects relating to autism and/or Asperger's syndrome, including the total amount of funding and the duration and remit o…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Further to the answer given to question S1W-21136, £147,409 has been awarded over the period October 2001 to March 2004 to the Stevenson College element of the Career Development Edinburgh and Lothians Inclusiveness project. <P>This project will research the …

14 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21136 by Nicol Stephen on 10 January 2002, whether it will provide details about the project set up by Stevenson College on research into the needs of young people with communication impairment and Asperger's syndrome including the remit of the group…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Further to the answer given to question S1W-21136, this project will research, through a development worker, the transitional needs of young people (aged 14-25) who have communication impairment and are AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) users a…

14 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21136 by Nicol Stephen on 10 January 2002, what Innovation Grants Programme awards to projects specifically relating to autism and Asperger's syndrome have been made since the programme's conception.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Executive's SEN Innovation Grants Programme has made awards to four voluntary organisations to run six projects specifically relating to Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The projects as listed in the following table cover a range of aspects affecting a c…

14 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued regarding the purchase, quality and supply of single use disposable instruments.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The department advised the service in May 2001 that a central supply contract for single use instruments had been established. The contract was negotiated on a UK basis with Scottish Healthcare Supplies, a division of the Common Services Agency, leading for S…

14 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contact it has had with Argyll and Clyde Acute Hospitals NHS Trust regarding any suspension of tonsillectomies at the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Medical Officer wrote to all relevant parties in Scotland on 21 December 2001, advising that non-emergency tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies should be postponed. This advice was given following reports of adverse effects associated with single use…

14 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to health boards regarding the safety of surgical equipment in the context of the outbreak of new variant Creut'feldt Jakob Disease.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Guidance has been issued on a number of occasions. These include guidance to prevent the possible iatrogenic transmission of vCJD (MEL(1999)65) and on the decontamination of medical devices (MEL(1999)79 and HDL(2001)10). Copies can be accessed on the internet…

8 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) psychiatrists and (b) psychologists classify autism and Asperger's Syndrome as their main speciality, broken down by health board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: While a number of psychiatrists specialise in the treatment of specific conditions, they will treat patients with a wide range of psychiatric needs. Information is not collected on those who deal only with autism and Asperger's Syndrome, as staff data is clas…

8 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Chief Scientist Office has been approached regarding the funding of research into autism and Asperger's Syndrome in people aged 40 and over.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Scientist Office has received no approaches to fund research into autism and Asperger's Syndrome in people aged 40 and over, but would be pleased to consider funding research proposals into this matter which would be subject to the usual peer group …

8 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Chief Scientist Office has been approached to fund research into links between autism and dementia in the last three years.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Scientist Office has received no approaches to fund research into links between autism and dementia in the last three years but would be pleased to consider funding research proposals into this matter which would be subject to the usual peer group a…

8 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations are being made to the Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education to ensure that clinical psychologists are adequately trained in autistic spectrum disorders.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education commissions training to meet the professional accreditation requirements for chartered clinical psychologists. Formal teaching for and clinical experience of psychology services for children, …

8 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what methods it uses to promote the postgraduate education allowance for general practitioners and other professions.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not currently available.

8 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current postgraduate education allowance is for general practitioners; whether general practitioners are required to apply for funding or whether the allowance is paid automatically; what the duration of the allowance is, and what other professions are eligible to receive the all…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Postgraduate Education Allowance (PGEA) is designed to encourage general practitioners (GPs) to keep themselves educationally up to date by attending five days accredited training per year. The allowance is paid on a progressive scale reaching a maximum of £2…

14 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on any research carried out on any links between autism and dementia; when and by whom any such research was carried out, and whether it will place copies of reports from any such research in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The National Research Register (NRR) reports that there are no research projects on links between autism and dementia. A copy of the NRR is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 17404).

14 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on any research carried out into people over 40 diagnosed with autism in each of the last five years; what the (a) name, (b) date and (c) author of any such research was in each case, and whether it will place copies of reports from any such research in the Scotti…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The National Research Register (NRR) records that there were no research projects carried out in the last five years into people over 40 diagnosed with autism. A copy of the NRR is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 17404).

14 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what projects in respect of transition between (a) primary and secondary education and (b) secondary education and further education or employment have been set up since 1999 for those diagnosed with autism or Asperger's syndrome in each local authority area.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Details of local authority projects are not held centrally. However, the Scottish Executive's Innovation Grants programme for voluntary and non-statutory organisations has funded several projects on various aspects of transition for young people with special …

14 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what incentives are currently available for clinical psychologists, teachers, GPs and psychiatrists to specialise and train in autism and Asperger's syndrome.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are currently no specific incentives for clinical psychologists to train in autistic spectrum disorders. However, the Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education (SCPMDE) is considering a number of initiatives to ensure that the train…

14 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what training specific to autism and Asperger's syndrome is currently offered by health boards in Scotland to all staff.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is the responsibility of each trust, as the employer, to ensure that individuals have the training required to provide effective patient care. The amount of additional training provided locally by trusts for the treatment of specific conditions will differ…

14 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what training specific to autism and Asperger's syndrome is currently available in the teacher training curriculum.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Guidelines for initial teacher education courses in Scotland, which are in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 18071), require that courses prepare teachers entering the profession to be responsive to the needs of all pupils in respect of health an…

14 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many psychiatrists currently deal only with autism and Asperger's Syndrome in each health board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: While a number of psychiatrists specialise in the treatment of specific conditions, they will treat patients with a wide range of psychiatric needs. Information is not collected on those who deal only with autism and Asperger's Syndrome, as staff data is clas…

14 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what training is available to psychiatrists in respect of autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A theoretical knowledge of autistic spectrum disorder is required for all candidates sitting the examination for membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which is the first level qualification for all those aspiring to become consultant psychiatrists…