Parliamentary questions
Dr Richard Simpson
2,702 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had at (a) official and (b) ministerial level with the UK Government before making the decision to reduce the nursing student intake in each of the last two years.
Answer · Alex Neil: Nursing and Midwifery pre-registration education in Scotland is a devolved matter falling within the remit of the Scottish Government.
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had at (a) official and (b) ministerial level with the UK Government before it closed the (i) Glasgow Caledonian, (ii) Dundee and (iii) Stirling midwifery schools.
Answer · Alex Neil: Nursing and Midwifery Pre-Registration Education in Scotland is a devolved matter falling within the remit of the Scottish Government.
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Strategic Engagement Group referred to in Health and Wealth in Scotland: A Statement of Intent for Innovation in Health, has been established and what its terms of reference are.
Answer · Alex Neil: The remit of the Medicines Strategic Engagement Group is currently being considered in the context of the role and remit for the new Innovation Partnership Board which will meet for the first time on 17 December 2012.
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how NHS boards’ compliance with guidance on access to new medicines is monitored.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government monitoring of implementation of the Scottish Government guidance CEL 17 (2010) and subsequent related guidance published in 2011 and 2012 is on-going. The recently announced New Medicines Review to assess the current systems for makin…
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what cost per quality-adjusted life year the Scottish Medicines Consortium considers acceptable.
Answer · Alex Neil: The SMC published a policy statement which clarified how it uses a tool called the Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) as part of its decision-making as to whether or not a medicine is value for money for the NHS in Scotland. The QALY is not the only criteria …
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much the NHS has spent on (a) orphan, (b) branded medicines and (c) other medicines in each of the last five years.
Answer · Alex Neil: Figures relating to spend on orphan drugs can not be provided from data held centrally. The spend relating to branded and other medicines in each of the last five years can be found in the following table. Figures relate mainly to primary care prescribing an…
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of equity of access to orphan medicines between each NHS board and the rest of the (a) UK and (b) EU.
Answer · Alex Neil: Orphan medicines which have been accepted for use by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) are available to prescribers within NHSScotland in accordance with clinical need. Where the SMC have not accepted a medicine, NHS boards are not expected to make it …
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what methodology the Scottish Medicines Consortium uses to factor the views of (a) the Patient and Public Involvement Group and (b) patients' interest groups into its appraisal process.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Patient and Public Involvement Group (PAPIG) has three public partners who are members of the Scottish Medicines Consortium and contribute to the decision making. Where there are Patient Interest Group submissions for medicines under assessment, these are…
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the terms of reference are of the Scottish Medicines Consortium's Patient and Public Involvement Group; who the group's members are, and what method was used to appoint them.
Answer · Alex Neil: The role of the SMC's Patient and Public Involvement Group are articulated on the SMC website. A link is attached: http://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk/Public_Involvement/Role_of_Patient_and_Public_Involvement_Group. The current Patient and Public Involvemen…
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what methodology the Scottish Medicines Consortium uses to factor modifiers into its appraisal process.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has developed modifiers which allow greater flexibility in its decision making to allow consideration of additional factors in certain circumstances when the pharmaceutical company has submitted a robust case. These may…
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has issued on NDM-1 infection and when.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-11253 on 28 November 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/parliamenta…
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of NDM-1 infection reported since 2010 have not been associated with international travel.
Answer · Michael Matheson: One case of NDM-1 with no obvious international travel history has been reported since 2010 (and since this organism emerged).
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it decided to merge Health Protection Scotland and the Information Services Division and what benefits it expects from this.
Answer · Alex Neil: This is not a matter for the Scottish Government. It is a decision for the board of NHS National Services Scotland (NSS). However, the proposed merger was discussed with the Minister for Public Health at the NSS Annual Review 2012. Health Protection Scotland…
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on whether the remit of the Health Research Authority of the NHS in the rest of the UK to improve the speed at which health research is approved will be beneficial to researchers in Scotland.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Health Research Authority (HRA) is a NHS organisation established as a Special Health Authority to protect and promote the interests of patients and the public in health research in England. Scotland has a very efficient NHS research approval systems, an…
19 Nov 2012 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government will take in response to concerns that out-of-hours paediatric services at NHS Lothian, Fife and Borders are at risk due to a shortage of trainee doctors.
15 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how (a) many times and (b) much G4S has been fined for not transporting offenders to court in the allocated timescale in the last three years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, chief executive of the Scottish prison service, to respond. His response is as follows: “G4S assumed responsibility for the provision of prisoner escorts from 10 January 2012. The information requested is as follows: Year Peri…
15 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints the Scottish Prison Service has received from prisoners regarding passive smoking since 2006.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, chief executive of the Scottish prison service, to respond. His response is as follows: “The Scottish prison service does not centrally classify or record complaints specifically regarding passive smoking.”
15 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken since 2006 to ensure that non-smoking prisoners are not exposed to second-hand smoke in (a) their cells, (b) communal areas and (c) workshops.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, chief executive of the Scottish prison service, to respond. His response is as follows: “Since 26 March 2006 prisoners have not been permitted to smoke in communal areas and workshops within Scottish prison service establishment…
15 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken in the last three years to introduce a ban on smoking in psychiatric hospitals.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Smoking has been banned in public places in Scotland since 2006 by virtue of the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005. However, the law includes an exemption for residential mental health institutions and permits smoking in designated indoor ro…
15 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken in the last three years to ensure that there is no smoking in the grounds of all hospitals other than psychiatric hospitals.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Smoking is prohibited by law only in wholly or substantially enclosed public places. Areas in the open air, such as hospital grounds and car parks, are not covered by this legislation. The Scottish Government issued guidance on smoking policies for the NHS, l…
15 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average, (b) medium and (c) longest delay has been in Alloa Sheriff Court in relation to hearings involving children in the last three years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.
15 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many sitting days at Alloa Sheriff Court have been taken up by (a) family and (b) non-family civil cases in the last three years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.
15 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) children’s referrals, (b) appeals under section 51 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, (c) permanence applications, (d) adoptions, (e) cases under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 1995 and (f) guardian applications involving children were heard in Alloa Sheriff Cou…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.
15 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Clackmannanshire Council will be the only mainland local authority that no longer has a court if Alloa Sheriff Court is closed.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.
15 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the economic impact on Clackmannanshire will be if Alloa Sheriff Court is closed.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the chief executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.
15 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs will be lost if Alloa Sheriff Court is closed.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the chief executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.
15 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the risk to legal businesses in Clackmannanshire if Alloa Sheriff Court is closed.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the chief executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.
15 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what costs have been incurred through property acquisitions to expand or increase facilities at Alloa Sheriff Court since 1990.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.
15 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been spent on upgrading and maintenance of the Alloa Sheriff Court building since 1990.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.
15 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the potential alternative uses are for the Alloa Sheriff Court building; what the likelihood is of selling the building, and what its sale value is.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.