Parliamentary questions

Dr Richard Simpson

2,702 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

25 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-10120 by Shona Robison on 29 February 2008, whether it will issue guidance to NHS boards on the expenditure of their share of the additional £85 million allocated to tackle alcohol problems and, if so, what the priorities set out in that guidance wil…

Answer · Shona Robison: We wrote to NHS boards on 20 March 2008 setting out details of allocations for public health topics, including alcohol misuse, for 2008-09. The letter explained that first call on resources is to deliver screening for alcohol problems and brief inter…

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-10125 by Kenny MacAskill on 3 March 2008, whether it will publish details of the risk assessment criteria used by Reliance in reaching a decision as to whether expectant female prisoners should be handcuffed when in hospital to give birth.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows: Prior to admission to hospital Reliance attend a pre-birth case conference involving the SPS. The risk assessment of the p…

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the recommendation from Alcohol Focus Scotland and others that the National Licensing Forum should be re-established to provide both an overview of the effectiveness of licensing law and of its local implementation, whether it intends to re-establish the forum and, if so, whe…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Alcohol licensing in Scotland is presently undergoing a transition to the system introduced by the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005. This will be completed on 1 September 2009, when the new licences under the 2005 act come into effect. Local licensing forums ha…

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the budget for smoking cessation will be allocated in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11, shown in real terms at 2007-08 prices and broken down by NHS board, local authority or other relevant geographical unit.

Answer · Shona Robison: In addition to funding available from NHS boards'' general allocations “ around £2 million per annum - the following table provides information on the specific allocations made for smoking cessation services and related tobacco control activity shown in real …

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-10125 by Kenny MacAskill on 3 March 2008, how many expectant female prisoners, following risk assessment, (a) were and (b) were not handcuffed at any point during their hospital stay in (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows: SPS does not hold this information. We have also been advised by Reliance that they do not hold the information either. Reliance are…

6 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many retailers have on more than one occasion been (a) warned and (b) prosecuted for selling tobacco products to underage customers in each year since 2005, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Data on the number of warnings issued by trading standards is not held by the Scottish Government. In 2005-06, the latest year for which data is available from the Scottish Government court proceedings database, no persons were prosecuted in Scottish…

6 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many retailers have been prosecuted for selling tobacco products to underage customers in each year since 2005, broken down by local authority area and showing the fines issued in each case.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: In 2005-06, the latest year for which data is available from the Scottish Government court proceedings database, there were two persons with a charge proved in Scottish courts for selling tobacco to underage customers. The sentences were fines of £100 in East…

6 Mar 2008 · Written Question

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows: The budget allocated to the Association of Visiting Committees for 2008-09 is provisionally set at £30,400. The budgets for 2009-10 and 20…

6 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what costs it has budgeted in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10 for the preparation and publication of the proposed annual ownership report on the NHS, and what will be contained in the report.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Better Health Better Care Action Plan indicated our commitment to the concept of mutuality and an annual ownership report. Distributed free of charge to all Scottish households, this will set out information on the rights and responsibilities of p…

6 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to issue new guidance on standards for the provision of drug users’ paraphernalia, following the publication of the Substance Misuse Research report and survey, Needle Exchange Provision in Scotland.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10715 on 17 March 2008. 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/webap…

6 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with Scottish Training on Drugs and Alcohol about providing training for those working in needle exchanges, following the publication of the Substance Misuse Research report and survey, Needle Exchange Provision in Scotland.

Answer · Shona Robison: Officials in the Scottish Government''''s Public Health and Wellbeing Directorate have had discussions with Scottish Training on Drugs and Alcohol (STRADA) about providing training for people working in needle exchanges. STRADA have recently developed a needl…

6 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to issue new guidance on the provision of needle exchanges, following the publication of the Substance Misuse Research report and survey, Needle Exchange Provision in Scotland.

Answer · Shona Robison: As part of our consideration of the actions in the Hepatitis C Action Plan for Scotland: Phase II, we will consider whether to establish a working group to develop guidelines for services that provide injecting equipment to injecting drug users. We would expe…

6 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken, or will take, to review the three-year Respect and Responsibility sex education programme.

Answer · Shona Robison: In summer 2007 the Scottish Government commissioned a stock-taking review of Respect and Responsibility, Scotland''s sexual health strategy. The review of how Respect and Responsibility has been implemented thus far and to identify any gaps in implementation …

28 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, following the publication of Health and Community Care Research Findings No. 60/2008, whether it intends to commission research into the usefulness of “green cards” in the prevention of suicide among individuals who are known to practice self-harm.

Answer · Shona Robison: The research on the effectiveness of interventions to prevent suicide and suicidal behaviour was commissioned by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government is currently considering this research''s recommendations for future research and practi…

28 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, following the publication of Health and Community Care Research Findings No. 60/2008, what steps it is taking to train NHS therapists in cognitive behaviour therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is committed to improvement in mental health services. As part of that on-going attention we have published a commitment to work with NHS Education for Scotland to extend access to and provision of evidence based psychological therapie…

28 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, following the publication of Health and Community Care Research Findings No. 60/2008, what practical steps it proposes to take to improve suicide prevention measures.

28 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-505 by Adam Ingram on 18 June 2007, when it will respond to the consultations on Getting it right for every child and whether it intends to introduce legislation to make it a duty for all agencies to co-operate and share information, similar to the s…

Answer · Adam Ingram: Implementation of Getting it right for every child is continuing through testing the core components, principles and values in pathfinding activity and in partnership with agencies. The issues raised in the consultation, published in October 2007, are…

28 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to meet the SNP manifesto commitment to ensure that all agencies share information and intervene promptly to identify and support children at risk.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government is committed to supporting all children especially those at risk and ensuring that those who need help get a timely and proportionate response. Relevant information-sharing across agencies and prompt intervention are key components in …

22 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the option of purchasing added years as part of the NHSiS Superannuation Scheme is to be withdrawn on 1 April 2008, as has been announced for England and Wales.

Answer · John Swinney: The option to buy added years in the NHS Superannuation Scheme in Scotland is being withdrawn from 1 April 2008, as part of the pension reform package agreed with NHS employers and trades unions.