Parliamentary questions
David Stewart
1,651 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
29 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to require fitting of automatic fire suppression systems in HMO (Houses in Multiple Occupation) accommodation.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: On 6 December 2018, The Ministerial Working Group announced a commitment for the mandatory installation of sprinklers in all flatted accommodation and in larger multi-occupancy dwellings and those which provide care. The detail of this proposal is still being…
29 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the planned timescale is to amend the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004 to provide for automatic fire suppression systems in housing.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: On 6 December 2018, The Ministerial Working Group announced a commitment for the mandatory installation of sprinklers in all flatted accommodation and in larger multi-occupancy dwellings and those which provide care. The detail of this proposal is still being…
29 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that all children's home and school care accommodation have working and efficient automatic fire suppression systems in place.
Answer · Ash Denham: Under the existing legislation it is for the dutyholder(s) of such buildings to ensure they have adequate fire safety measures in place, which may include fire suppression systems where deemed appropriate. This should be informed by fire safety risk assessmen…
29 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the insurance industry about the costs of insurance for domestic and commercial premises following the installation of sprinkler automatic fire suppression systems.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Officials met with representatives of the Association of British Insurers (ABI) in January 2019. Automatic fire suppression systems in all new social housing and all new flats were discussed. New build insurance is competitive and it is a matter for individu…
29 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) local authorities and (b) registered social landlords regarding the funding of sprinkler automatic fire suppression system installations post-2021.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government has confirmed that it will initiate legislation within the current session of the parliament to require new-build Scottish social housing to be fitted with sprinkler automatic fire suppression systems. We will engage with both local au…
29 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association report, Callow Mount Safer High Rise Living, into the retrofitting of sprinklers in domestic properties.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Automatic fire suppression systems (including retro-fitting) and other measures were discussed in detail at the fourth meeting of the Ministerial Working Group on 9 August 2017. The retrofitting of sprinklers in high-rise domestic properties, assessed in the …
29 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Scottish Water regarding water capacity projections in 2021, following the requirement to provide sprinklers in new-build housing.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Discussions with Scottish Water on water capacity projections will form part of the development of proposals, over the next year, to extend provision of sprinklers to new flatted and social housing. As is the case with current voluntary installations, for eac…
29 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to bring in transition provisions and guidance for housebuilders in the public and private sectors in connection with the requirement to provide sprinklers in new-build housing.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government currently has no plans for legislative transitional provisions for house builders in the public and private sectors. Building Regulations should be amended in 2020 and come into force in 2021 before the end of the current Parliamentary…
8 May 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take in light of the Scottish Affairs Committee's evidence session on seasonal agricultural workers.
29 Apr 2019 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made regarding the level of opiate addiction.
23 Apr 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how research capabilities in higher education have been affected by Brexit.
26 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what target it has set or plans for (a) children and (b) adults with type 1 diabetes to receive continuous glucose monitoring.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: We expect NHS Boards to plan and budget to meet the healthcare needs of their resident population, including the appropriate levels for continuous glucose monitors for children and adults. In 2016, the Scottish Government committed £10 million of additional …
26 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people from the rest of the European Economic Area (EEA) have received kidney dialysis treatment in Scotland under the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) scheme in each year since 2017.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Boards report that the number of EEA visitors who have received dialysis in Scotland using the EHIC scheme are:2016-17 – 15 patients (24 dialysis sessions)2017-18 – 21 patients (41 dialysis sessions)2018-19 – 17 patients (32 dialysis sessions)
25 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the decision by the Rural GP Association to resign from its Rural Working Group.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government values the views and contributions of rural GPs (including those members of Rural GP Association), and will continue to take their feedback into account as the Group continues its important work. The Rural Group has carried out a wide …
26 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist bereavement midwives are employed by each NHS board.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Information on the number of specialist bereavement midwives employed by each Health Board is not collected centrally. However, we know that some Health Boards have specialist bereavement midwives; other Health Boards have individuals or teams trained in, and…
26 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which maternity units (a) do and (b) do not offer specialist bereavement (i) rooms and (ii) care.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Information on which maternity units do and do not offer specialist bereavement rooms and care is not collected centrally. However, the main hospitals in all larger Health Boards have dedicated bereavement rooms or suites, or are in the process of opening/ re…
26 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what training in specialised bereavement care for parents who have lost a baby in late pregnancy or the neonatal period is offered to NHS staff, broken down by training provider.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The NHS Education for Scotland website ‘Support Around Death’ provides health professionals across Scotland with a range of resources on bereavement care after pregnancy loss, stillbirth or neonatal death, including short animated educational films. An e-lear…
7 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20862 by Kate Forbes on 23 January 2019, whether it will provide the information that was provided expressed as a percentage of (a) each NHS board's and the (b) total NHS workforce.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The information provided in S5W-20862 related to withdrawals from the scheme. The actual information sought is the number of opt outs from the scheme. The following table provides details of the opt outs from the scheme between 1 April 2016 and 31 January 201…
22 Jan 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of Brexit on the life sciences sector.
14 Jan 2019 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve fire safety standards for homes and commercial properties.
10 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the (a) UK Government, (b) MoD and (c) Airport Operators Association regarding measures to prevent drones grounding flights in Scotland.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Aviation safety and security and control of airspace are reserved to Westminster. Scottish Government officials discussed the potential impact of misuse of drones at Scottish airports with the Department for Transport on 9 January 2019, seeking an update on …
10 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when its Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland’s Alcohol Strategy (MESAS) will provide it with its first data regarding the impact of minimum unit pricing on retailer revenues.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The five year evaluation programme is being led by NHS Health Scotland and involves a portfolio of studies. One of the themes covered is the economic impact minimum unit pricing has had on the alcohol market. This involves analysing routine data, case studies…
9 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is for an initial consultation at a lipid clinic following a referral, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Information on waiting times for an initial consultation at a lipid clinic following a referral is not held centrally.
9 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been referred to a lipid clinic in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Information on how many people have been referred to a lipid clinic is not held centrally.
9 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of eligible (a) children and (b) adults have been allocated insulin pumps in each year since 2016, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The percentages of people with Type 1 diabetes using insulin pump therapy by age group and NHS Board is reported annually in the Scottish Diabetes Survey. Data for 2016 and 2017 can be found at http://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/Publications.aspx?catId=3 …
9 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the participation rate has been for bowel screening in each year since 2016, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Information Services Division (ISD) routinely publish statistics on the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme. This information can be found at: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp?#2095
9 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many employees have withdrawn from the NHS superannuation scheme in each year since 2016, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The figures in the following table represent the number of employees who have withdrawn from the NHS Pension Schemes between 1 April 2016 and 31 December 2018. The figures include some former scheme members who have left NHS employment entirely, excluding tho…
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds regarding cholesterol levels among the population, and whether this is available publicly.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Cholesterol levels among the adult population are available in chapter 8 of the Scottish Health Survey 2011 main report at https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-health-survey-2011-volume-1-adults/pages/70/ . The estimates of cholesterol levels come fr…
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the implementation of the recommendations of the Heart Disease Improvement Plan.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Heart Disease Improvement Plan is overseen by, and has been the cornerstone of the work of, the National Advisory Committee on Heart Disease, Progress has been achieved in all the priority areas. In addition, the Scottish Health Survey monitors health in …
20 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been (a) tested for and (b) diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolaemia through cascade testing in each year since 2009.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government does not collect this information.