Parliamentary questions
Malcolm Chisholm
362 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
1 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many routine inspections were carried out of the Elsie Inglis Nursing Home in 2010 and what the result was in each case.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I understand from Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland that the Care Commission carried out two routine inspections of this service in 2010. The announced inspection carried out on 8 June 2010 resulted in grades 4 (“good”) and 5 (“very good”) bein…
1 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the procedures for care home inspections, in light of the problems that arose at the Elsie Inglis Nursing Home despite routine inspections in 2010.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The problem at Elsie Inglis Nursing Home arose under the previous inspection arrangements which since have seen changed to create a system under which more inspection activity is focused on those services where there is a concern about quality or safety. Thos…
1 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland next visited the Elsie Inglis Nursing Home after the last routine inspection of 2010.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I understand from Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland that after the inspection in October 2010 the next visit to the service took place on 23 November 2010, to carry out a complaint investigation.
1 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive at what point after the last routine inspection of 2010 a complaint was first received concerning the Elsie Inglis Nursing Home.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Care Commission received a complaint about the service on 9 November 2010.
25 May 2011 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for how long a care home will be able to operate without being subject to inspection under the recently revised inspection procedures.
24 Jan 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Justices of the Peace have been appointed since December 2007, broken down by (a) gender and (b) ethnicity.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: There have been 59 new Justices of the Peace (JPs) appointed since December 2007. Details are as follows:</b></p> <p >(a) Gender</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td valign=top > <p >Gender</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p …
24 Jan 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Justices of the Peace there were in each sheriffdom in (a) November 2007 and (b) January 2008, broken down by (i) gender and (ii) ethnicity.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: There were some 2,700 Justices of the Peace (JPs) in November 2007, of whom some 2,200 demitted office on 10 December 2007, leaving about 470 remaining JPs in January 2008. This decrease in the number of JPs was a result of reforms to the summary justice syst…
7 Dec 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information is available to people who are blind or partially sighted regarding self-referral to the breast-screening programme.
Answer · Shona Robison: Information about the Scottish Breast Screening Programme is available from NHS Health Scotland</p> <p >NHS Health Scotland publications are available in alternative formats for example: Braille, large print and audio versions. These can be requested by cont…
7 Dec 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information is available to women over 70 explaining the process for self-referral to the breast-screening programme.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information about the Scottish Breast Screening Programme is available from NHS Health Scotland.</p> <p >The <i >Breast Screening Explained</i> leaflet outlines how the breast screening service is organised including information on self-referral for women ov…
7 Dec 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that women over 70 are aware that they can self-refer to the breast-screening programme.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26752 on 10 September 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Ap…
7 Dec 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to increase the number of women over 70 who self-refer to the breast-screening programme.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26752 on 10 September 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Ap…
7 Dec 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many women over 70 have self-referred to the breast-screening programme in each of the last 10 years for which information is available.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Details are as follows:</p> <p >Number of Self/GP Referrals Screened by the Scottish Breast Screening Programme</p> <p >Women Aged Over 70, Scotland: 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2009</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td valign=top …
29 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether (a) NHS Quality Improvement Scotland staff or (b) staff transferred from the Care Commission will carry out the inspection of independent healthcare establishments from April 2011.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: From April 2011 Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) will be responsible for regulating independent healthcare providers and inspections of such providers will be carried out by a person authorised by HIS.</p> <p >It is a matter for HIS to ensure that thos…
29 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government following its decision not to commence the socioeconomic duty in the Equality Act 2010.
Answer · Alex Neil: I wrote to the UK Minister for Women and Equalities on 2 December 2010 expressing disappointment that the UK Government propose to not commence the socio-economic duty. I urged the UK Government to commence Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010, and to consult full…
18 Nov 2010 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what discussions Forth Energy has had with it regarding the supply of heat energy.
Answer · Alex Johnstone: The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has had no discussions with Forth Energy regarding the supply of heat energy.</p>
28 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is to the (a) public purse and (b) electricity consumer of the biomass developments proposed by Forth Energy at Leith and elsewhere in Scotland.
Answer · Jim Mather: In Scotland, applications to build and operate power stations in excess of 50 megawatts (MW) are made to the Scottish ministers for consent using the Section 36 application process. </p> <p >Developers wishing to make a Section 36 application are required t…
23 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve referral and treatment pathways for patients experiencing lymphoedema following breast cancer treatment
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government will be taking a keen interest in the findings of the short-life working group of the Scottish Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee (SMASAC) in scoping lymphoedema services across Scotland, as well as outcomes from the Joint Lymph…
23 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to collate figures regarding the number of people who develop lymphoedema, particularly following breast cancer treatment
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government recognises the concerns expressed around the need for more, and better, data about people who have developed lymphoedema following breast cancer. A study of Edinburgh Breast Unit patients with lymphoedema being undertaken by Queen Marg…
23 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that all patients experiencing lymphoedema after breast cancer treatment have access to compression garments where clinically appropriate
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35462 on 16 August 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2…
23 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that all patients experiencing lymphoedema after breast cancer treatment have equal access to appropriate treatments
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network), has produced <i >Guidelines on the Management of Breast Cancer</i> (No. 84), which cover certain aspects of the treatment and management of lymphoedema. NHS boards are expected to implement these guidelines …
23 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether national guidelines will be developed on the management of lymphoedema following breast cancer treatment
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There are existing SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network) Guidelines which cover certain aspects of the treatment and management of lymphoedema. These include <i >Guidelines on the Management of Breast Cancer</i> (No. 84). NHS boards are expected …
27 May 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what account it will take of local opposition before coming to a decision on whether to grant permission for the proposed biomass plant at Leith docks.
Answer · Jim Mather: Public representations are a material consideration when determining an application under s36 of The Electricity Act and all representations made by members of the public will be recorded and considered alongside comments from consultee bodies.</p>
27 May 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make a decision on the proposed biomass plant at Leith docks if an application is submitted by Forth Energy in summer 2010.
Answer · Jim Mather: Due to the size and complexity of large-scale s36 applications it is difficult to accurately predict processing timescales however, Scottish ministers have set an aspirational target to determine any new application submitted under s36 of The Electricity Act …
27 May 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people submitted views to its Energy Consents Unit following the environmental scoping study for the proposed biomass plant at Leith docks.
Answer · Jim Mather: Thirty-one organisations submitted comments on the proposed plant at Leith. The full <i >Scottish Government Scoping Opinion</i> incorporating these comments was published on 26 April 2010 and can be accessed at:</p> <p align=left ><a href="http://www.scotl…
27 May 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contact there has been between its officials and Forth Energy in relation to the proposed biomass plant at Leith docks.
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33941 on 9 June 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Bu…
27 May 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contact there has been between its officials and Forth Energy in relation to the proposed biomass plant at Leith docks.
Answer · Jim Mather: Officials from the Scottish Governments Renewable Energy Division receive regular updates from Forth Energy on the status of their proposals and have provided guidance on procedures. Scottish Government officials also chair the Biomass Stakeholder Engagement …
27 May 2010 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when regulations concerning inspections as required by section 58 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 will be laid.
Answer · Shona Robison: Regulations concerning inspections as required by section 58 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 will be laid in time for the effective operation of the new scrutiny bodies'' regulatory regime from April 2011. Full consultation on the regulation…
17 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the final version of the Draft Guidance for meeting the best interests of children facing homelessness, published on 20 March 2009.
Answer · Alex Neil: The final version of the Draft Guidance will be published by the end of June. This follows a consultation period which ended in June last year and the release of the National Statistics which shows the impact of the draft guidance. It should be noted that the…
11 Feb 2010 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive , further to the answer to question S3W-29930 by Nicola Sturgeon on 11 January 2010, whether the rules regarding legal authority to access medical records without explicit consent apply equally to children and adults.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The rules regarding legal authority to access medical records without explicit consent apply equally to children and adults.</p>
9 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether unsuccessful applicants to the Town Centre Regeneration Fund, such as Leith, will be able to access any money from that fund that has not been spent by successful applicants by the end of the financial year.
Answer · Alex Neil: There is no intention to revisit the unsuccessful Town Centre Regeneration Fund applications.</p>