Dr Richard Simpson

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to research the effects on children of being exposed to the promotion of drink and retail food establishments in films and on TV.

Answer · Michael Matheson: We have no plans at present to commission any research which specifically looks at the effects on children of exposure to the promotion of drink and retail food establishments in films and on TV. There is a lot of existing academic research conducted here an…

10 Apr 2013 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of increased levels of measles reported in Europe and the current outbreak in Wales, what steps it has taken to ensure that an outbreak does not occur in Scotland.  

28 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what local authorities will use in place of the eCare programme.

Answer · Alex Neil: The transition from the national “one size fits all” approach of eCare, to locally led initiatives, has resulted in the seven local authorities involved migrating on to a range of locally developed innovative solutions. These provide more extensive informatio…

27 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that prisoners serving sentences of (a) five months or fewer, (b) six to 11 months, (c) one to two years and (d) more than two years retain any GP registration that they have at their home address.

Answer · Alex Neil: All prisoners with sentences of five months or fewer retain any registration they hold with their community General Practice and are registered as temporary residents with the prison healthcare centre. All prisoners with a sentence of six months or more ar…

27 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has asked the researchers at the University of Sheffield what the reason is for a 1% reduction in alcohol consumption resulting from the ban on alcohol discounting rather than the 3.8% that they predicted and what implications this has for the expected reduction following the …

Answer · Michael Matheson: The most recent update of the University of Sheffield alcohol pricing model was published in January 2012 and can be accessed at: http://www.shef.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.156503!/file/scotlandjan.pdf. This estimated that a total ban on off-trade discounting would …

26 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) outpatients and (b) inpatients have been removed from waiting lists using waiting times code (i) 20, (ii) 21, (iii) 37, (iv) 38, (v) 40, (vi) 41 and (vii) 42 in (A) March, (B) June and (C) December in each year since 2008, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Alex Neil: I have arranged for the information requested to be placed with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number: 54884).

26 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what basis doctors in training at levels ST (a) 1 to 6, (b) 7 and (c) 8 are distributed between NHS boards and whether this takes into account the number of doctors in Foundation Years 1 and 2.

Answer · Alex Neil: Doctors in training at levels ST (a) 1 to 6, (b) 7 and (c) 8 are broadly distributed amongst NHS Boards on the basis of population in the 4 NES Deaneries. The current allocation of trainees across the 4 Deaneries is roughly in the proportions of 50% West, 25%…

26 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government with which (a) NHS boards and (b) hospitals it has had discussions in the last two years on the levels of readmissions and what the outcomes were.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has only been in regular contact with NHS Highland regarding high levels of surgical and medical readmissions reported by the board’s Belford Hospital site over the last 2 years. The board’s re-admission rates were being artificially …

26 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government with which (a) hospitals and (b) NHS boards it has had discussions in the last two years about hospital standardised mortality ratio data and what the outcomes were.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government commissions Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Information Services Division to review Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio data on its behalf, to provide feedback on their findings, and to escalate to the Scottish Government any…

26 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what account is taken of the presence on-site of a NHS hospice when collating (a) predicted and (b) actual hospital standardised mortality ratio data.

Answer · Alex Neil: On site hospice or palliative care is not adjusted for in the Hospital Standardised Mortality Rate (HSMR) model. The presence of patients admitted for palliative care is accounted for to a limited extent by the categorisation of diagnostic codes used in the H…

26 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has ensured that school meals contain no industrial trans fats.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2008 set strict food and nutrient standards for the provision of school food that, as far as possible, mitigates against the presence of industrially produced trans fatty acids …

26 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the use of industrial trans fats in Scotland.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government continues to keep the use of industrial trans fatty acids in Scotland under review, using the latest evidence to inform policy. The most recent National Diet and Nutrition Survey shows that consumption of total trans fatty acids is co…

26 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many neural tube abnormalities would be prevented by the introduction of mandatory folic acid in bread or flour, as recommended by the Food Standards Agency in Scotland.

Answer · Michael Matheson: It has been estimated that there are between 700 and 900 pregnancies affected by neural tube defects (NTD) each year in the UK. Modelling work by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) showed that, across the UK, between 77 and 162 NTD-affected…

26 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) benefits and (b) risks are of introducing the attenuated live nasal influenza vaccine for children.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) carried out a comprehensive review of the evidence associated with the introduction of the attenuated live nasal vaccine, Fluenz. This review considered the health burden of flu on the population, the…

26 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce the attenuated live nasal influenza vaccine for children.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Scottish Ministers have considered and accepted the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to extend the influenza vaccination programme to include children aged between two and 17 years. The vaccination of children with the at…

26 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that no so-called gagging clauses are applied in agreements with NHS staff where these might impact on patient safety or the integrity of NHS systems.

Answer · Alex Neil: I wrote to NHS boards on 22 February 2013 reminding them that they should frequently review their behaviours and practices to ensure they have a culture which actively encourages and supports members of staff to raise concerns. I stressed that I expect them t…

26 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish an analysis of the calls made to the NHS National Confidential Alert Line broken down by subject matter and, if so, whether this will include a breakdown of the (a) number of calls made to and (b) action taken by each NHS board.

Answer · Alex Neil: We have no plans to publish an analysis of the calls made to the NHS National Confidential Alert Line.

26 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish details of the issues raised by people using the NHS National Confidential Alert Line in a way that ensures anonymity.

Answer · Alex Neil: We have no plans to publish details of the issues raised by people using the NHS National Confidential Alert Line.

26 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that NHS staff are aware of the new NHS National Confidential Alert Line.

Answer · Alex Neil: NHS boards have been provided with posters and business cards marketing the National Confidential Alert Line. The intention is that every member of staff should receive a business card.

26 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the NHS National Confidential Alert Line will be operational.

Answer · Alex Neil: The National Confidential Alert Line for NHSScotland staff has been operating as a Freephone service since 2 April 2013.

26 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives to (a) people and (b) the families of people who have served a prison sentence and whose conviction is subsequently overturned.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Local authorities have a statutory duty under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to provide voluntary throughcare which consists of advice guidance and assistance to people who request such a service within 12 months of their release from custody, including …

20 Mar 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what additional support will be provided to cities, such as Stirling, in order to ensure that adequate infrastructure is in place for the year of the homecoming.

19 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the UK Government scheme to provide education scholarships for the children of military personnel who have died in service applies in Scotland.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Military Scholarships applies to all bereaved children across the UK (of personnel who have died in service) to enable them to complete further and higher education studies.

19 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether communities signed up to the armed forces community covenant allow applications for schools from military personnel using a British Forces Post Office number as an address.

Answer · Michael Russell: Under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 local authorities have a duty to provide adequate and efficient provision of school education for all children residing in their local area. It is for local authorities to determine how they accommodate a request for a …

19 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many communities in Scotland have signed up to the armed forces community covenant.

Answer · Keith Brown: Community covenants are in place across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland, the first in Glasgow on 2 November 2011 while the last was signed in Aberdeenshire on 28 February 2013.

19 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the regulations on class size permit exemptions in relation to the admission of the children of service personnel.

Answer · Michael Russell: The regulations on class sizes, which relate to P1, P2 and P3 classes only, include “excepted pupils”’ provisions. The effect of these provisions is that in certain circumstances a child may be admitted to a class but not be counted within the total number of…

19 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Ministry of Defence support funding to state schools taking children of service personnel applies in Scotland.

Answer · Michael Russell: This fund is available across the UK.

19 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing in Scotland the service pupil premium available to service families in England.

Answer · Michael Russell: There are currently no plans in Scotland to implement the pupil premium available to service families in England. The Scottish Government has a strong legislative and policy framework to address the wide ranging causes of educational disadvantage. The princi…

19 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is of the size of the bee population.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Currently there are 1,014 active Scottish beekeepers with 8,769 colonies registered on BeeBase. All beekeepers in Scotland are encouraged to sign-up to this database to enable effective communications throughout the country. The Scottish Government is also a…

19 Mar 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what research it is carrying out on the (a) benefits and (b) risks to pollinators of the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Together with other funders, the Scottish Government contributed £500,000 towards the Insect Pollinators Initiative (IPI). The IPI supports nine research projects to help identify the main threats to bees and other insect pollinators and gain a better unders…