Parliamentary questions

Carolyn Leckie

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

8 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 3,400 children in Scotland identified as having autistic spectrum disorder have received a clinical examination to identify the underlying causes of their condition since 1998, when it was hypothesised that the MMR vaccine may be the cause of autism and that it may be an …

Answer · Rhona Brankin: I refer the member to questionS2W-12070 answered on 26 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.s…

8 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the research recently published in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, volume 9, number 2, by Bradstreet, El Dahr et al confirming that measles genomic RNA has been detected in both the gut wall and the cerebrospinal fluid of some children with autism, what steps…

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive is not aware of any such steps being taken in Scotland. I also refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-11802 answered on 10 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the…

8 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the research published recently in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, volume 9, number 3, by GS Goldman and FE Yazbak confirming a rise in autism in Denmark following the introduction of the MMR vaccine, what steps are being taken to reintroduce single vaccines …

Answer · Andy Kerr: The weight of evidence, from studies around the world, confirms that MMR remains the safest and most effective way to protect children against these serious diseases, mumps, measles and rubella.The Executive has no plans to change the current policy in…

8 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the Social Work Statistics Branch Audit of Services for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder which found that over 3,400 children have been identified as having autistic spectrum disorder and in view of the government figures that the lifetime cost for each child is £2.94 m…

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The figure of £2.94 million isnot a government figure. It is cited in the Public Health Institute of Scotland’sNeeds Assessment Report as the estimated lifelong cost for a person with autisticspectrum disorder and learning disability, with costs for those wit…

8 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children aged 16 and under have a diagnosis of (a) spina bifida, (b) cerebral palsy, (c) Down’s syndrome and (d) leukaemia.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on how many children under the age of 16 who have spina bifida is not held centrally. However, as the majority of patients diagnosed with spina bifida will receive hospital treatment, an estimate can be derived using hospital discharge information…

8 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the Social Work Statistics Branch Audit of Services for People with Autistic Spectrum Disorder which found that over 3,400 children have been identified as having autistic spectrum disorder and given that the condition was previously significantly less prevalent, why the Chie…

Answer · Rhona Brankin: In his annual report Healthin Scotland 2002 the Chief Medical Officer advised that the Executive had commissionedthe then Public Health Institute of Scotland to co-ordinate a needs assessment onAutistic Spectrum Disorders in Scotland. The project brief…

8 Nov 2004 · Written Question

Answer · Rhona Brankin: In May 2002, during a parliamentarydebate on Autism Awareness Week, the then Deputy Minister for Health and CommunityCare made a statement about the Scottish Executive’s commitment to improving servicesfor people with autistic spectrum disorders and their fam…

8 Nov 2004 · Written Question

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Information from this baselinestudy indicated that over 3,400 children and young people were identified as havingbeen diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder. The figures provided produce a prevalencerate of 35 children per 10,000, which is less than the es…

8 Nov 2004 · Written Question

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Information from this baselinestudy indicated that over 3,400 children and young people were identified as havingbeen diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder. The figures provided produce aprevalence rate of 35 children per 10,000, which is less than the e…

1 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of a US Government investigation which concluded that patients immunised with the MMR vaccine are 20 to 30 times more likely to suffer orchitis, what action it is taking to inform parents of this research to allow them to make informed decisions about vaccinating their children.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Orchitis is a possible, but exceptionally rare, event after MMR (one case in 2,650,000 MMR doses in the study to which the question refers). This is in sharp contrast to orchitis after natural mumps infection, which is very common (four out of 10 adult male c…

28 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of scientific research published in the Journal of Paediatric Neurology, current issue, volume 2, number 3, by Paul Richard Dyken, MD, MLA, BS. Director of the USA/World SSPE and of the Institute for Research in Childhood Neurodegenerative Diseases, Mobile, Alabama, U.S.A., whic…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The weight of evidence, from studies around the world, confirms that MMR remains the safest and most effective way to protect children from these diseases and fails to support claims of links with autism, bowel disease or measles-induced neuroautistic encepha…

28 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11108 by Mr Andy Kerr on 25 October 2004, how it will ensure that heart attack patients live no more than 12 miles from an accident and emergency unit in order to increase their chances of survival, as indicated in research findings.

Answer · Andy Kerr: We continue to work to increase the chances of survival for heart attack patients by recognising that care for patients with life threatening conditions does not need to begin in a hospital setting, but can begin where the attack takes place. For many such pa…

27 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when results of negotiations with UNISON regarding Agenda for Change will be published.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Negotiations on Agenda for Change have been conducted at the Shadow Executive of the new NHS Staff Council, a partnership body involving the four UK Health Departments, employer representatives and health unions including UNISON.The results of these ne…

27 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to ensure that no staff were disadvantaged as a result of Agenda for Change.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The UK agreement under Agenda for Change provides salary protection up to 2011 at the latest for a minority of cases where pay before assimilation will be above pay under the new system. My predecessor, Malcolm Chisholm gave an undertaking in March 2003 that …

27 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcomes of the Agenda for Change pilot schemes were, broken down by staff group, and how many employees (a) were disadvantaged, (b) gained and (c) remained the same in respect of their pay and conditions under these schemes.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The original findings from the four pilot sites in Scotland, including a break- down across staff groups, were published in August 2004. Copies of the reports are available on the web at <a href="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/paymodernisation">www.show.sc…

21 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether health workers have at any time in the last year entered schools and administered MMR vaccinations to children without written parental consent and, if so, which schools.

Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally. Consent must always be obtained before immunisation. It is standard practice to obtain written parental consent prior to administration of any vaccine in schools. This process is generally managed in partnership with NH…

21 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to carry out MMR vaccination programmes in schools as part of an “extended-day” schools scheme, as reported in The Sunday Times on 17 October 2004.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive is not aware of any plans, local or national to implement such a scheme in Scotland.

21 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the allocation of £4.5 million two years ago for three PET scanners in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh has resulted in these scanners being available for patient use.

Answer · Andy Kerr: In March 2003 the Scottish Executive announced £5 million capital investment from 2004-05 to support the development of PET services in Scotland. The three Regional Cancer Advisory Groups and their constituent NHS boards are currently developing a national co…

21 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the answer to question S2W-10400 by Malcolm Chisholm on 4 October 2004, showing that two children have died from whooping cough in Scotland since 1990, is consistent with the statement in the Sunday Herald on 22 August 2004 by public health official Dr Syed Ahmed that, of 100 babies w…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The statistics given in the answer to question S2W-10400 are derived from data collected on discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric hospitals (SMR01) in Scotland. There is no change to the information previously provided inresponse to question S2W-1…

15 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10679 by Mr Andy Kerr on 11 October 2004, how many staffed NHS beds there were in the five years prior to 1998, broken down by NHS (a) board and (b) trust.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on average available staffed beds for Scotland and in each health board area for the years ending 31 March 1993-97 is shown in the table. Prior to 1997-98, the requested information was not collected nationally by NHS trust.NHSScotland - Av…

15 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9905 by Malcolm Chisholm on 9 September 2004, whether it will provide the table, hospital beds by specialty, in electronic form.

Answer · Andy Kerr: An electronic copy of Bib. number 33661 has been made available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

7 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure the continuing provision of consultant neurological services in the NHS Highland area.

Answer · Andy Kerr: This is a matter for NHS Highland. In planning and delivering services to its resident population, the board must meet targets and objectives laid down by the Scottish Executive.

7 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contact it has had with NHS Highland with regard to the continuing provision of neurological consultant services in the boards area.

Answer · Andy Kerr: This is a matter for NHS Highland, which is responsible for providing health services to people resident in the Highland area. The board has kept the Executive informed of its thinking on the issue.

4 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to address any concerns that have been notified to it about the Sodexho contract at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Following recent allegations in a newspaper article, the Executive has received assurances from the Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasgow.The Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasgow has made it clear to Sodexho that he expects nothing other than the hi…

4 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Health and Safety Executive improvement notices have been served on private cleaning facilities contractors holding contracts for NHS hospitals in each of the last five years, including any such notices served in respect of Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Health & Safety Executive has advised that private cleaning facilities contractors would be the responsibility of the Environmental Health Department of the appropriate local authority. We are unaware of any such notices served in respect of Glasgow Royal…

4 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure that the number of staff delivering cleaning contracts by private contractors at NHS hospitals is adequate.

Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS boards are responsible for ensuring that hospital cleaning in Scotland, whether undertaken by NHS staff or by cleaning contractors is adequate. NHS Quality Improvement Scotland has issued standards on Cleaning Services for Scotland. The Chief Medical Offi…

4 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the Sodexho contract at Glasgow Royal Infirmary is being monitored appropriately.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The monitoring arrangements between NHS organisations and contract providers is a matter for individual NHS organisations.The Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasgow has made it clear to Sodexho that he expects nothing other than the highest standards o…

4 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about cleaning standards at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Audit Scotland’s report on hospital cleaning (published in January 2003) provided an assessment of the cleanliness of wards and public areas in the individual hospitals reviewed including Glasgow Royal Infirmary.The Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasg…

1 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the population will live within 12 miles of an accident and emergency unit if all current NHS board proposals for centralisation of these services are carried out.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-11108 on 25 October 2004. 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…

1 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the population lives within 12 miles of an accident and emergency unit.

Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not available. Priorities in terms of accident and emergency services are to ensure that ambulance personnel are well trained and arrive quickly at the scene of an incident. It is also important that accident and emergency units are proper…