Parliamentary questions
Michael McMahon
323 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Jun 2012 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs have been created by the small business bonus scheme and how this evidence was collected.
11 Apr 2012 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on delivering the Curriculum for Excellence.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is been implemented progressively in all publicly funded schools in Scotland from August 2010.
3 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) six and (b) 12 month mortality rates were for patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for bowel cancer in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2010-11.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Table 1 shows the percentage of patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy who died with six and 12 months. Adjuvant chemotherapy is defined here as any chemotherapy received subsequent to surgery associated with a colorectal cancer. Data for 2011 are not yet a…
3 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of patients with cancer detected by the bowel cancer screening programme in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2010-11 died within (i) six months and (ii) one year of diagnosis.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The bowel screening programme was rolled out in December 2009. Data for 2005-06 are not available. Table 1 shows the proportion of deaths subsequent to detection of bowel cancer by the screening programme for the financial year 2009-10, the most recent year f…
3 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the operative mortality rate was for patients undergoing surgery for bowel cancer detected via the screening programme in (a) Scotland and (b) the NHS Lanarkshire area in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2010-11.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The bowel screening programme was rolled out in December 2009. Data for 2005-06 are not available. Data for 2011 are not yet available; data for financial year 2009-10 are provided as the most recent available. Year is based on year of treatment, not of cance…
3 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the mean improvement in the number of days has been from referral to first treatment for people undergoing curative cancer surgery since bowel cancer screening was introduced.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally.
3 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many colonoscopies were carried out on patients aged between 75 and 80 in the NHS Lanarkshire area in 2010-11 compared with 2005-06.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The following table shows information on the number of diagnostic colonoscopies which have been performed on an inpatient or day case basis in NHS Lanarkshire hospitals on patients aged between 75 and 80 in 2010-11 compared with 2005-06. Number of diagnostic…
3 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many colonoscopies were carried out in the NHS Lanarkshire area on patients aged 80 and under in 2010-11 compared with 2005-06.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The following table shows information on the number of diagnostic colonoscopies which have been performed on an inpatient or day case basis in NHS Lanarkshire hospitals on patients aged 80 and under in 2010-11 compared with 2005-06. Number of diagnostic colo…
3 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the change in life-expectancy for patients with colorectal cancer was in the NHS Lanarkshire area in 2010-11 compared with 2005-06.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally.
3 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the change in cancer-specific survival times was in the NHS Lanarkshire area in 2010-11 compared with 2005-06.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally.
3 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much NHS Lanarkshire spent on colorectal services in 2010-11 compared with 2005-06.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally.
3 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients died of colorectal cancer in the NHS Lanarkshire area in 2010-11 compared with 2005-06.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Data are not yet available for 2010-11. Data for 2009-10 are provided as this is the most recent data available. The following are the number of deaths due to colorectal cancer registered in the given year for patients in NHS Lanarkshire: 2005-06 – 157 death…
3 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many more colonoscopies NHS Lanarkshire conducted in 2010-11 compared with 2005-06.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The following table shows information on the number of diagnostic colonoscopies which have been performed on an inpatient or day case basis in NHS Lanarkshire hospitals in 2010-11 compared with 2005-06. Number of diagnostic colonoscopies1 which have been per…
3 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive by how many days the (a) median and (b) mean patient waiting time for a colonoscopy in NHS Lanarkshire improved between 2005-06 and 2010-11.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information is published on the number of patients waiting for key diagnostic tests, including colonoscopy. This includes the total number waiting for the key diagnostic tests, number waiting over nine weeks, number waiting over six weeks and number waiting o…
3 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) faecal occult blood test letters and (b) test kits were sent out in 2010-11; how many have been (i) returned and (ii) processed; how many progressed to a colonoscopy, and what these activities cost NHS Lanarkshire.
Answer · Michael Matheson: NHS Lanarkshire sent out 96,767 bowel screening kits (Faecal Occult Blood test and Faecal Immunochemical test kits) to individuals, accompanied by letters, between April 2010 and March 2011. Reminder letters and teaser letters (to forewarn of a coming test) …
28 Mar 2012 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to the use of social impact bonds in the delivery of public services.
1 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many modern apprenticeships have been completed at SVQ level (a) 2, (b) 3 and (c) 4 in each year since 2005.
Answer · Angela Constance: Apprenticeship numbers in Scotland have increased from 15,010 in 2007-08 to 21,561 in 2010-11. We will support 25,000 modern apprentice opportunities in 2011-12, the highest ever number of apprenticeships in Scotland. The Scottish Government does not hold th…
29 Feb 2012 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to the use of Social Impact Bonds in the delivery of public services.
27 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the appointment to the Scotland Committee of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) of the Head of Patient Focus, Equalities, in its Directorate of Healthcare Policy and Strategy (a) compromises the EHRC's independence and (b) undermines the principles underpinning its A …
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Under the Equality Act 2006, the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (“EHRC”) is required to establish a Scotland Committee. The appointment of members to that Committee is the responsibility of the EHRC. Matters relating to any potential conflict with t…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times ministers have contacted court appointed administrators in relation to football clubs entering administration in each year since 2007 and which (a) administrators and (b) football clubs were involved.
Answer · Shona Robison: I have been in contact, twice by phone with the administrators of Rangers FC (Duff and Phelps) and offered the support of the Scottish Government’s national programme for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE)…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times ministers have contacted court appointed administrators regarding companies entering administration in each year since 2007; which administrators were involved, and what companies were subject to the administration.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However, the Scottish Government does publish, on a monthly basis six months in arrears, details of all engagements carried out by all Ministers since 1 April 2008. T…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) central and (b) accessible resource the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy will establish to allow people and organisations representing the protected characteristics to compare performance across all NHS boards in setting and delivering equality outcomes…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05904 on 6 March 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusi…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy will issue to members of NHS boards to ensure that (a) governance arrangements, (b) accountability and (c) transparency in the setting and delivery of equality outcomes is (i) regularly considered at board level…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05904 on 6 March 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybu…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy has to monitor, in partnership with people and organisations representing the protected characteristics, the performance of NHS boards in evidencing the delivery of the equality outcomes to published by each board …
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05904 on 6 March 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybu…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what baseline data relating to levels of discrimination in the NHS the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy will use to monitor the effectiveness of NHS boards in setting equality outcomes.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05904 on 6 March 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybu…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what checks the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy will put in place to ensure that the equality outcomes to be published by each NHS board by 31 December 2012 (a) are fit for purpose, (b) comply with the guidance to be published by the Equality and Human Rights C…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05904 on 6 March 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybu…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy will ensure that all NHS boards engage with people and organisations representing the protected characteristics and that their daily experiences of discrimination in the NHS are built into the equality outcomes to be publ…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The regulations which cover the specific requirements that will be placed on listed public authorities have not yet been made. When they do come into force we expect that they will be accompanied by guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission. On…
22 Feb 2012 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the membership and functions of Partnership Action for Continuing Employment.
23 Jan 2012 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government considers any local authority to be not fit for purpose.
18 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason no NHS board has published an equal pay review similar to NHS24's previous analysis of the pay differentials between (a) disabled and non-disabled staff, (b) staff in different age bands and (c) black and minority ethnic (BME) and other staff.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: As I have set out in previous answers, it is for NHS boards as employers to decide when they can publish an equal pay review based on the information available to them. With the exception of NHS 24, NHS boards are awaiting the final element of the Agenda for …