Parliamentary questions
Jim Hume
1,310 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
25 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that schools educate people under 18 about eating disorders.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) Act (Scotland) 2007 places a number of duties on local education authorities including ensuring that schools are health promoting. This includes promoting physical, social, mental and emotional wellbeing by support…
25 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the (a) Scottish Council for Internet Safety and (b) Scottish Stakeholder Group on Internet Safety regarding the development of an integrated e-safety strategy and action plan that includes pro-eating disorder sites in discussions on harmful web-content.
Answer · Fiona McLeod: There have been no specific discussions. As the regulation of the internet is a reserved matter, the Scottish Government is represented on the Executive Board of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety. Members represent organisations who are actively involv…
25 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many referrals GPs have made for eating disorders in each year since 2012, broken down by (a) age and (b) gender.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: GP referrals for eating disorders to acute inpatient, day case or outpatient services is not collected centrally. It is possible for Information Services Division Scotland to identify the number of GP referrals to psychiatric inpatient hospitals for eating di…
25 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many student nurses have (a) begun, (b) completed, (c) interrupted and (d) dropped out of their nursing training in each of the last five years.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government manages the supply of registered nurses and midwives into NHSScotland through the commissioning of student numbers on nursing and midwifery programmes at Scottish Higher Education Institutions. This process is informed by workforce pla…
25 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) clinical and (b) surgical readmissions there have been in each NHS board since 2010, broken down by month.
Answer · Shona Robison: I have arranged for the information requested to be placed with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib number 57066).
25 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have been (a) accommodated in a hospital in their own NHS board area and (b) sent to hospitals outwith their NHS board area in each year since 2010.
Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested on the number of patients admitted within their own health board and admitted to hospital outwith their own health board area at any stage during each calendar year since 2010 is provided in the following table: Year Patients adm…
25 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been admitted as inpatients to non-specialised hospital wards in each year since 2010, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is not held centrally.
22 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans each NHS board has to increase the number of inpatient beds for children and adolescent mental health services.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: It is the responsibility of health boards to provide services appropriate to the needs of their local population. For adolescent inpatient beds, the boards collaborate in three regions and the bed base is as follows: Unit Number of beds Area served Ro…
22 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the number of inpatient beds for children and adolescent mental health services at the South Glasgow University Hospital has been reduced from nine to six, following the transfer of the child inpatient psychiatric service from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhil…
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: NHS National Services Scotland carried out a review of the national child inpatient psychiatry service (for children under the age of 12) in November 2014 (http://www.nsd.scot.nhs.uk/services/specserv/inpsych.html) and found that since 2009 the bed occupancy …
22 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4F-02890 by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 June 2015 (Official Report, c.20), what action it is taking to raise awareness of the dangers of diabetes among (a) the general public and (b) people at increased risk of developing the condition.
Answer · Maureen Watt: We want to ensure that people with diabetes are diagnosed as soon as possible and supported to manage their condition to minimise the risk of complications. This is reflected in our Diabetes Improvement Plan, published in November 2014, which includes the pr…
22 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are for allocating the £40 million announced in November 2014 for the improvement and support of GP and primary care services.
Answer · Shona Robison: Over the next three years, £50 million will be invested to address immediate workload and recruitment issues, as well as putting in place long-term, sustainable change within primary care. In addition, £10 million of the already announced mental health fund w…
11 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the recent Midlothian and Borders Tourism Destination Audit, what work it is undertaking with (a) local authorities, (b) businesses, (c) economic development agencies and (d) tourism agencies to produce an economic strategy for the reinstatement of the Waverl…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government, Transport Scotland, VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and the relevant local authorities of City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Borders Council and Midlothian Council have already been working together to fully realise the tourism be…
11 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the recent Midlothian and Borders Tourism Destination Audit, whether it will hold a meeting of local authorities, businesses, economic development agencies and tourism agencies with the aim of maximising the economic potential for businesses in Midlothian and…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26091 on 26 June 2015. 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/parliamentary…
11 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the recent Midlothian and Borders Tourism Destination Audit, what support and guidance it will offer to (a) local authorities, (b) economic development agencies and (c) tourism agencies to maximise the economic potential of the reinstatement of the Waverley r…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26091 on 26 June 2015. 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/parliamentary…
11 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the recent Midlothian and Borders Tourism Destination Audit, when it last met (a) local authorities, (b) businesses, (c) economic development agencies and (d) tourism agencies to discuss the economic opportunities from the reinstatement of the Waverley railwa…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26091 on 26 June 2015. 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/parliamentarybusi…
11 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people under the age of 18 have been admitted to adult psychological units in each year since 2010.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The number of children admitted to non-specialist facilities since 2010 was: 2010-11 128 2011-12 115 2012-13 148 2013-14 179 Source:- The Mental Welfare Commission Young Person monitoring report 2013-2014
10 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that social media can have on young people at risk of eating disorders.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Online safety in Scotland is monitored by the Scottish Government led Stakeholder Group on Child Internet Safety; and through its membership of the executive board of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety. The Scottish Government recognises the need for th…
9 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the pay of carers.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: We are committed to improving the quality of care in Scotland and to promoting social justice, including through working with COSLA, Scottish Care and other partners to consider how to improve pay and working conditions in the care sector.
8 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates unpaid carers save health and social care services each year.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government does not have its own estimate on the estimated costs of all the hours of care being provided by unpaid carers.
8 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to local authorities to ensure that (a) social care and (b) healthcare support workers are given sufficient training to obtain the necessary vocational qualifications.
Answer · Shona Robison: It is the responsibility of employers of social service workers, whether public, voluntary or private, to support and assist workers to achieve the qualifications required for the role they undertake and for their continuing professional development – in line…
8 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to local authorities to encourage people to work as carers.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The delivery of social services is carried out by providers in the public, voluntary and private sectors. The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), a non-departmental body established by the government to regulate the social services workforce in Scotla…
8 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the working conditions of (a) paid and (b) unpaid carers.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26008 on 19 June 2015 regarding the pay of the social care workforce. The Scottish Government is committed to working with COSLA, Scottish Care and other partners to consider how to improve pay and working c…
8 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the rights of unpaid carers are protected and promoted.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The national carers strategy 2010-15 acknowledges the immense contribution that carers and young carers make to society. However we want to accelerate the pace of change to strengthen support to, and further the rights of carers and young carers. That is why …
8 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support and guidance it provides to unpaid carers to ensure that they are informed of their rights.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The redesigned Care Information Scotland service, launched on 5 June 2015 by NHS24 and funded by the Scottish Government, includes information and advice on carers' rights. The NHS Board Carer Information Strategy funding of nearly £34 million from 2008 to…
8 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people assessed under the pre-April 2015 guidelines receive fully-funded continuing health care, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information is available from the Information Services Division Scotland website via the annual continuing care census: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Health-and-Social-Community-Care/NHS-Continuing-Care/Publications/. This census was taken on …
8 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of how the £85 million to improve mental health services that it announced on 24 May 2015 will be allocated and how much of it will be spent on child and adolescent mental health services.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Decisions on how the additional £85 million will be allocated over the next five years are still being finalised but we will be working with NHS Scotland and its partners to ensure that we get maximum benefit from the investment. However, broad areas for inve…
8 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that at least 5,044 primary-aged children have been referred for mental health treatment since 2012, whether it will review the number of inpatient mental health care facilities.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The adolescent inpatient estate is managed on a regional basis. NHS boards are responsible for ensuring that there is adequate inpatient care for their local population. NHS Directors of Planning monitor the situation on an on-going basis. NHS boards are also…
8 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to (a) review the impact of and (b) update the Mental Health Strategy for Scotland 2012-2015.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: We will assess the status of each commitment within the current mental health strategy towards the end of 2015. Consideration of the next mental health strategy is at a very early stage. We will be developing work for post the 2012-15 mental health strategy …
5 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many inpatients there have been in each year since 2010 in (a) low- (b) medium- and (c) high-secure mental health hospitals, and how many have been clinically assessed as posing a security risk to themselves and others.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Information about numbers of inpatients is not held centrally in the format requested. The Mental Welfare Commission holds information on persons subject to detention orders in mental health hospitals. The following table includes information about the number…
5 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent in each year since 2010 on supporting adults with learning difficulties who are inpatients in mental health hospitals, broken down by programme.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The information requested is not centrally held.