Aileen McLeod

2 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the NHS maintains its level of (a) quality and (b) service provision.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government is taking a number of steps to ensure that the NHS maintains its level of (a) quality and (b) service provision. The Healthcare Quality Strategy for Scotland is our means to achieve care that is safer, more effective and more person-…

2 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role staff representatives played in the development of the NHS workforce planning tools.

Answer · Alex Neil: Representatives from the Royal College of Nursing Scotland, Royal College of Midwifery, UNISON and Unite have been involved with the development of the workload tools since their inception and continue to be represented on the Nursing and Midwifery Workload a…

2 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the NHS workforce planning tools are used by all NHS boards.

Answer · Alex Neil: A suite of nursing and midwifery Workload tools has been developed covering 95% of all service areas within NHS Scotland. Speciality-specific Workload tools have been used by all territorial boards; the Neonatal and SCAMPS™(Paediatric) tools are used on a twi…

29 Apr 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the Detect Cancer Early Programme.

15 Apr 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what basis the share of UK debt to be assigned to an independent Scotland should be calculated.

8 Apr 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to ensure that the university, college and SME sectors in Scotland are well placed to take advantage of the opportunities under the EU’s Horizon 2020 funding programme.

18 Mar 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on the delivery of next generation broadband for the South of Scotland.

11 Mar 2013 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking with regard to the environmental impact of the test firing of depleted uranium munitions by the MOD at the Dundrennan range on the Solway coast.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government is strongly opposed to the testing by the MoD of depleted uranium shells in Scotland. The OSPAR Convention (the Convention for the protection of the marine environment of the North East Atlantic) of which the UK is a signatory, prohib…

4 Mar 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it will give to the potential implications of the Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill on the Scottish Courts Service proposals in Shaping Scotland’s Court Services.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Court Service consultation on future court structures is separate from the courts reform work in that the SCS work is on the court estate and getting that right for the 21st Century. In developing its proposals, however, the Scottish Courts Servi…

7 Feb 2013 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funds it is making available to NHS boards for 2013-14.

Answer · Alex Neil: Territorial Boards have been given a general allocation increase of £256 million for 2013-14, an overall average increase over the equivalent 2012-13 allocation of 3.3%. Special boards allocations have increased by 1.0%. In addition, differential efficiency …

4 Feb 2013 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what progress the Scottish Government has made on tackling hospital acquired infections.

1 Feb 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many consultants specialising in emergency medicine were employed by the NHS in September (a) 2006, (b) 2007, (c) 2008, (d) 2009, (e) 2010, (f) 2011 and (g) 2012 and what the annual change was, expressed as a percentage.

Answer · Alex Neil: The information requested on how many consultants specialising in emergency medicine were employed by the NHS as at 30 September for each of the last seven years can be found in the following tables. Table 1 shows the total headcount of consultants specialis…

14 Jan 2013 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government how value-based pricing will impact on the availability of orphan and ultra-orphan medicines such as Kalydeco.

17 Dec 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to the public health implications of the recently published Energy Action Scotland discussion paper, The Relationship Between Fuel Poverty and Health.

26 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which long-term conditions did not provide exemption from prescription fees prior to their abolition in April 2011 and how many people had such conditions at that time.

Answer · Alex Neil: Prior to abolition of prescription charges in 2011, the list of conditions which entitled people to free prescriptions were: Hypoparathyroidism Hypoadrenalism (for which specific substitution therapy is essential) Diabetes insipidus and other forms of hypo…

22 Oct 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the energy efficiency of the NHS estate.

1 Oct 2012 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has received from the European Commission regarding minimum unit pricing for alcohol. 

12 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is offered to cancer care patients for travel arrangements to appointments.

Answer · Alex Neil: The patients’ travelling expenses scheme allows for the reimbursement or partial reimbursement, of travel costs for eligible patients, and where medically necessary escorts, attending hospital for treatment. Eligible patients are those who are in receipt of …

12 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what training is given to GPs advising cancer care patients on travel arrangements for appointments.

Answer · Alex Neil: We expect General Practitioners to refer patients with cancer to relevant specialists according to locally agreed pathways in their health board areas. Each health board may have different referral pathways and associated requirements to suit their local circ…

12 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what advice is given to patients requiring lengthy travel to cancer care appointments.

Answer · Alex Neil: Our Better Cancer Care: An Action Plan (October 2008), sets out our commitment to ensure that people with cancer have access to specialist services that are both safe and sustainable, and provided as locally as possible. Where radiotherapy is required as part…

27 Jun 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Commission on the Delivery of Rural Education has considered the issues regarding school transport and the current statutory limits for this.

23 May 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support the economy in the south of Scotland.

16 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce an oil stamp saving scheme.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Last year Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, invited the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum to undertake an independent review of the Scottish Government’s Fuel Poverty Strategy, to ensure that we are best able to assist fuel poo…

16 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been done into introducing oil stamp saving schemes in Scotland.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Last year Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, invited the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum to undertake an independent review of the Scottish Government's Fuel Poverty Strategy, to ensure that we are best able to assist fuel poo…

3 May 2012 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made toward its target to deliver 30,000 affordable homes, and what funding and arrangements are being put in place for local programmes within the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is on track to deliver in excess of 6,000 affordable homes per year, of which in excess of 4,000 will be social homes. I am today publishing guidance to set out councils' responsibilities for bringing forward Strategic Local Programmes…

26 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding spectrum fees being kept in proportion with network investment for telecommunications companies.

Answer · Alex Neil: Implementation of spectrum fees is a reserved matter and one in which the Scottish Government has no jurisdiction. We did not raise this issue in our recent discussions with the UK Government on telecommunications matters.

26 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms there are to allow telecommunications companies to access publicly-owned land.

Answer · Alex Neil: Access by telecommunications companies to publicly owned land is a reserved issue, governed by the Electronic Communications Code. The code is granted to network providers by Ofcom under a direction made following a public consultation and consideration of th…

26 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the planning procedures for facilitating mobile telecommunications development.

Answer · Derek Mackay: We have no plans at present to review the permitted development rights which exempt certain telecommunications development from the need for a planning application. We are engaged in a public consultation on proposed amendments to planning application procedu…

25 Apr 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how EU project bonds could be used to support infrastructure investment in Scotland.

18 Apr 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it supports research and development in the small and medium-sized enterprise sector in South Scotland.