Parliamentary questions

Ross Finnie

558 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

15 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria would be applied in considering the introduction of (a) image assisted screening and (b) human papilloma virus (HPV) testing in screening for cervical cancer.

Answer · Shona Robison: The UK National Screening Committee provides expert advice to the four UK countries on screening programmes and is yet to fully consider HPV testing in screening for cervical cancer. In addition, the Breast and Cervical Screening National Advisory Group has r…

15 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the liquid-based cytology equipment used in primary screening for cervical cancer to come to the end of its working life.

Answer · Shona Robison: Liquid-based cytology equipment has a working life of between seven to 10 years. The original installation dates at each NHS board vary between 2001 to 2007 and NHS boards are responsible for the replacement of this equipment.

15 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a decision on the introduction of (a) image assisted screening or (b) testing for human papilloma virus (HPV) in screening for cervical cancer would be taken on a comparative or individual basis.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government commissioned a feasibility study of image assisted screening which took place between March 2009 and September 2010. The Feasibility Study Report can be found on the Scottish Government website at: <a hre…

15 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a pilot exercise is taking place, or is planned, for (a) image assisted screening or (b) testing for human papilloma virus (HPV) in screening for cervical cancer and, if so, over what timescale.

Answer · Shona Robison: (a) The Scottish Government commissioned a feasibility study of image assisted screening which took place between March 2009 and September 2010. The Feasibility Study Report can be found on the Scottish Government website at: <a href="http:/…

15 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to consider introducing (a) image assisted screening or (b) testing for human papilloma virus (HPV) in screening for cervical cancer and, if so, over what timescale.

Answer · Shona Robison: (a) The Cervical Cytology Laboratory Review Group has recommended the introduction of image assisted screening if cost effective to NHS Boards. The new Laboratory Consortium Steering Group has been asked to consider cost effectiveness as part of its work.…

15 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the benefits of (a) image assisted screening and (b) testing for human papilloma virus (HPV) in screening for cervical cancer.

Answer · Shona Robison: (a) The Scottish Government commissioned a feasibility study of image assisted screening and the recommendation has been made that image assisted screening meets the quality requirements and should be introduced where it is cost effective. The Feasib…

15 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the national screening programme for cervical cancer over the next five years.

Answer · Shona Robison: Cervical screening is and will remain an important part of the Scottish Government''s strategy on reducing the burden of cancer through early detection for many years to come. The introduction of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination programme is expect…

15 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address staffing pressures facing paediatric services in the West of Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39658 on 10 March 2011. 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…

15 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of concerns raised regarding staffing, training and planning issues for paediatric services in the West of Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The provision of paediatric medical services is one of the priority issues under consideration as part of a national, partnership-based project to bring medical workforce supply and demand into longer term sustainable balance, and to reduce reliance on traine…

20 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) average and (b) maximum waiting time is from referral to treatment for alcohol addiction, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38895 on 28 January 2011. 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/Ap…

20 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) average and (b) maximum waiting time is from referral to first assessment for alcohol addiction, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. We are, however, introducing a drug and alcohol waiting times database which from 1 April 2011 will accurately capture national alcohol treatment waiting times. Data from this system will be published for …

20 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the 28-day hospital readmission rate following discharge from a mental health speciality was for patients aged (a) under 18, (b) 18 to 44, (c) 45 to 64 and (d) 65 and over in (i) 2009 and (ii) 2010, also broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The following table shows the latest figures for the number of discharges from mental health hospitals (SMR04) that have a subsequent readmission to a mental health hospital within 28 days. Number of discharges from mental health hospitals in Scotla…

20 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital admissions resulted from deliberate self-harm by people under 16 in 2009-10.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The number of hospital admissions for patients aged under 16 with a diagnosis of intentional self-harm for the year 2009-10 was 438. Caution is advised when interpreting these figures as the procedures in place for admitting cases of intentional self-harm may…

20 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital admissions resulted from deliberate self-harm by people aged 16 and over in 2009-10.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The number of hospital admissions for patients aged 16 and over with a diagnosis of intentional self-harm for the year 2009-10 was 13,872. Caution is advised when interpreting these figures as the procedures in place for admitting cases of intentional self ha…

20 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths there were where obesity was mentioned on the death certificate in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There were 196 deaths registered in Scotland in 2009 for which the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code for obesity (E66) was identified as either the underlying cause of death or as on…

20 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged (a) under five, (b) five to 18 and (c) over 18 had teeth extracted in the (i) NHS general and (ii) hospital dental service setting in 2009-10.

Answer · Shona Robison: The information you requested in provided in the following tables. Table 1 Number of Patients in Scotland who had Teeth Extracted in the NHS General Dental Service (GDS) Setting in 2009-10 <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > …

20 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many teeth were extracted in the NHS general dental service setting in 2009-10.

Answer · Shona Robison: Records show that in 2009-10 there were 518,685 teeth extracted in the NHS general dental service in Scotland. Source: MIDAS (Management Information and Dental Accounting System).

7 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37929 by John Swinney on 16 December 2010, what the status of the 2011 National Planning Framework Monitoring Report will be in project decision-making and development plan preparation.

Answer · John Swinney: The purpose of the 2011 National Planning Framework Monitoring Report is to keep the National Planning Framework under review, so the weight attached to it in decision-making and development plans will be for the decision maker. The second National Planning F…

7 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the need for national developments established by their identification in the National Planning Framework for Scotland 2 can be outweighed by other considerations and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · John Swinney: The Annex on National Developments in the second National Planning Framework is clear that developments designated as national developments will still require to secure planning permission and other consents. Section 25 of The Town Planning (Scotland) Act 199…

7 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will carry out an environmental assessment of the policies laid out in the Draft Electricity Generation Policy Statement 2010 and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government published a draft version of the Electricity Generation Policy Statement to coincide with the publication of the Report on Proposals and Policies (RPP). The RPP has common proposals and was subject to a Strategic Environmental Assessme…

7 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it will adopt the policies laid out in the Draft Electricity Generation Policy Statement 2010.

Answer · Jim Mather: Following strategic environmental assessment process outlined in the answer to question S3W-38634 on 27 January 2011, the Scottish Government will review the evidence gathered before formally adopting the policies in the Draft Electricity Generation Policy St…

7 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) status and (b) role of the Draft Electricity Generation Policy Statement 2010 will be in (i) decisions on planning applications, (ii) the preparation of development plans, (iii) decisions on applications under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 and (iv) marine planning.

Answer · Jim Mather: Statements of Government policy can be expected to inform the development of policies in development plans and marine plans. The decision maker may have regard to a Draft Statement of Government policy when considering a planning or Electricity Act applicatio…

23 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of calls to NHS24 during the recent severe weather that were deemed GP routine was responded to within 60 minutes.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38590 on 19 January 2011. 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/Apps…

23 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of calls to NHS24 during the recent severe weather that were deemed GP priority was responded to within 20 minutes.

23 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of calls to NHS24 during the recent severe weather was answered within 30 seconds.

23 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many calls NHS24 has received during the recent severe weather and how this compares with normal call levels.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS 24 received 99,407 calls over the period of severe weather between 27 November 2010 and 23 December 2010, this is in line with expected call levels for that time period. 95.17% of those calls were answered within 30 seconds. 99.97% of calls requi…

13 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many falls the Scottish Ambulance Service has responded to during the recent cold weather conditions and how this compares with the same period in 2009.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Ambulance Service has advised that between 26 November 2010 and 12 December 2010 they responded to 3,231 incidents where the dispatch code was recorded as falls. This compares with 1,306 over the same period in 2009, and represents an increase of…

13 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether estimated figures are available on the number of attendances at accident and emergency departments due to falls and fractures during the recent cold weather conditions and how this compares with the same period in 2009.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish Government Health Delivery Directorate collected information to assess the impact of an increase in falls and fractures on services over the period 28 December 2009 to 3 January 2010. This was in response to NHS boards highlighting falls and fracture…

13 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37924 by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 December 2010, whether estimated figures are available on the number of attendances at accident and emergency departments due to falls and fractures during the winter of 2009-10.

13 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37924 by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 December 2010, for what reason it was not possible to provide the data when it provided similar information in response to question S3O-9094.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There was an administrative error in the answer to question S3W-37924 of not referring to the related answer to question S3O-9094 on 14 January 2010. The information on the number of attendances at accident and emergency departments due to falls and …