Parliamentary questions

Mr Lloyd Quinan

401 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

15 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to local authorities to ensure a coherent approach in supporting adults with autism and Asperger's syndrome.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-14014 on 22 March 2001.Guidance to local authorities and health boards on the preparation of Partnership in Practice agreements (PiPs) advised that PiPs should look specifically at the needs of people …

15 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the progress of the work carried out by the Scottish Service Network is accurately monitored.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-15788.

15 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures have been implemented to date as a result of the recommendations in The Same as You?.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answers to questions S1O-3134 and S1W-13979.

15 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit of the Scottish Service Network for autistic spectrum disorder will be.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-15788.

15 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set out the areas of priority for the Scottish Service Network for autistic spectrum disorder.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-15788.

15 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the establishment of a Scottish Service Network for autistic spectrum disorder and who any members appointed to the network are.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The same as you? recommended that the Scottish Society for Autism, supported by the National Autistic Society, should bring together all those with an interest, to set up a national service network for children and adults with…

27 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who was consulted on the decision that the Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs should have responsibility for Europe and external affairs.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The allocation of ministerial responsibilities is entirely a matter for me as First Minister.

27 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish its policies on Europe and external affairs and, if so, when.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-3468 on 24 May 2001.

23 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who supplies the instruments needed to carry out tonsillectomies and what the average time from initial order to delivery of stock is in each health board area.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to S1W-15237.

23 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether sufficient supplies of instruments needed to carry out tonsillectomies are available to deal with the number of patients on waiting lists in each health board area.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Sufficient stocks of reusable instruments are available but, with the reported risk of surgical transmission of vCJD, ENT surgeons decided to wait until supplies of single-use equipment are more readily available unless, in their professional judgement, the d…

23 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients are currently on the waiting list for a tonsillectomy, broken down by health board area.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is not available centrally. Information on the number of patients waiting for inpatient and day case treatment is collected at specialty level only.

20 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give details of any inclusiveness projects initiated to date for those diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: On 11 April, I announced the allocation of £15.1 million to take forward inclusiveness projects to improve assessment and tracking, and to develop keyworker support for some of Scotland's most disadvantaged young people. 16 inclusiveness projects will be up a…

20 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reform the way in which information is collected and collated for the school census by giving a more detailed breakdown of the categories covered.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive is seeking to develop the way in which information is collected and collated for the school census, by maximising the potential for electronic data interchange with schools, in line with National Grid for Learning objectives. We are wor…

20 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the Scottish Prison Service's Estates Review will be published.

Answer · Jim Wallace: It is not possible to give a date at this stage. Priority is being given to completion of the independent financial assessment of the review. Unfortunately this exercise is taking longer than originally hoped but the issues are complex and such a crucial issu…

19 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures of support and guidance are in place after release from prison for those wrongly convicted of an offence.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Local authorities have a duty to provide advice, guidance and assistance on request within 12 months of a person's release from custody. This includes those released following an appeal against conviction and/or sentence.Any person who considers that he or…

6 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14015 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 22 March 2001, who the four voluntary organisations in receipt of funding from its Innovation Grants Programme are and whether it will detail the six projects aimed at supporting children and their families with autisti…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Society for Autism runs two projects a) the Social Inclusion Partnership Project - a pro-active service to address difficulties causing school exclusion and family breakdown and b) Video Interaction Positively - use of video technology to promote…

6 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14015 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 22 March 2001, which careers service companies have been asked to co-ordinate the multi-agency bids for projects to improve the transition from school to employment for those diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: All the 17 careers service companies in Scotland were asked to co-ordinate multi-agency bids for inclusiveness projects to improve transition from school to further education, training and employment for Scotland's most vulnerable young people.The addition…

23 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13054 by Susan Deacon on 19 March 2001, whether any complaints against general practitioners (GPs) who have administered the single measles vaccination have been made under the Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisation etc.) Regulations 1994 o…

Answer · Susan Deacon: The regulation and safety of medicines is a reserved matter. The Medicines Control Agency has advised that no proceedings are pending. The Executive holds no information about any such proceedings involving the General Medical Council.

14 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what responsibilities local authorities have in relation to the continuing care of those young people with autistic spectrum disorders who are being educated in residential establishments once they are beyond the school leaving age.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: If the young people are looked after by local authorities in terms of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, the authorities retain a duty to support them until they reach the age of 18 years and a power to do so until aged 21 or until any full time educational co…

8 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome have had a Record of Needs in the last three years, broken down by (a) age, (b) gender and (c) health board area.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Statistics are collected on the numbers of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder by age and gender in each school. The statistics are not broken down by severity or type, and it is, therefore, not possible to provide information specific to children diagno…

8 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many adults diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome have had a Community Care Assessment in the last three years, broken down by (a) age, (b) gender and (c) health board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.

8 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail all research projects carried out on Asperger's Syndrome; what the costs were of each project, and who met these costs.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department is aware of 46 recently completed or ongoing studies into Asperger's Syndrome in the UK, 3 of which are in Scotland. None of these have been funded by the CSO. Details of the project…

8 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients within psychiatric wards have been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in the last three years, broken down by (a) age, (b) gender and (c) health board.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is shown in the table. Due to the small number of patients identified, this table has only been split by age for males and has not been split by health board for males or females. This avoids divulging personal information. <FO…

8 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives are being taken to assist people diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in making the transition from school to employment or further education.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Executive is committed to supporting individuals with additional support needs into further education, training or employment. The Scottish Executive Innovation Grants Programme is providing …

8 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to introduce specialised support facilities for adults with autism and/or Asperger's Syndrome across health boards, social work departments and local authorities.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The learning disability review, The Same As You?, explored the needs of people with autism and learning disability. Twenty-nine recommendations were made, including assessment of local need by local authorities and health boards, and the establishment …

26 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements and changes in the diagnosis of autism have occurred in each year since 1979, by what means and how GPs and other health officials were made aware of any such changes.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The diagnosis of autism ultimately remains a clinical one, which may require input from a number of different disciplines.Initial results from the Borders Multi-Agency Service for Children with Autism provide evidence that autism can be detected earlier in…

26 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) measles, mumps and rubella, (b) mumps and rubella, (c) single antigen measles, (d) single antigen rubella and (e) single antigen mumps vaccines were administered in each health board area in each year since 1979.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information is not available in entirety in the form requested. What is available is set out in the following tables. Neither a mumps and rubella combined vaccination nor single antigen mumps vaccine has been offered by the NHS in Scotland. In response to…

2 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to take any action in relation to any general practitioners who are administering single measles vaccinations and, if so, what action will be taken.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The regulation and safety of medicines is a reserved matter. The importation and supply of unlicensed single measles vaccine is controlled and restricted under the Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations Etc.) Regulations 1994 and the Medicines (Sta…

2 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria research projects must meet in order to receive funding from the Chief Scientist Office.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Chief Scientist Office is largely a response mode funder of research and this role is well known and advertised throughout the healthcare and academic community. Research proposals are assessed on the basis of their scientific quality and potential releva…

2 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research projects received funding from the Chief Scientist Office in each year from 1997-98 to 1999-2000.

Answer · Susan Deacon: A list of research projects being funded before the 1997-98 financial year, but continuing to be funded in that year, has been provided to the Parliament's Reference Centre. Details of new research awards made in each of the financial years 1997-98, 1998-99 a…