Parliamentary questions
Jim Hume
1,310 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to consider whether group B streptococcal infections should be notifiable under the terms of the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Surveillance of streptococcal group B infection in Scotland (including invasive disease) is based on laboratory confirmed reports received through the electronic reporting system, Electronic Communication of Surveillance in Scotland. Therefore Health Protecti…
18 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to people on low incomes to meet the Scottish dietary goals.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Improving food access is an important aspect of the Scottish Government’s work to tackle health inequalities and close the opportunity gap. The Scottish Government does so by supporting a broad range of policy initiatives. These are in addition to actions und…
18 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to address the reported 17% increase in referrals to foodbanks over a six-month period.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-28549 on 1 December 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…
18 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to prevent the need for people to use foodbanks.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-28549 on 1 December 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…
18 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that foodbank use has reached a record high in Scotland, and what it considers the reasons are.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government is extremely concerned that the number of people accessing food banks is increasing and finds it unacceptable that in the twenty-first century there are people who cannot afford to feed their families. A range of sources since 2010 sta…
18 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the (a) frequency and (b) rate of rent increases in private rented housing since 2000, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government does not have information on rents in private sector housing, broken down by local authority area. The main source of the Scottish Government’s rent data for private sector housing is the Rent Service Scotland, Market Evidence Databas…
18 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the success rate of the revised Scottish dietary goals for each decile of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Food Standards Scotland (FSS) undertakes a rolling programme of surveillance to monitor progress towards the Scottish Dietary Goals (SDGs). Data on deprivation is presented as quintiles of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation and analysed in three year …
18 Nov 2015 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to Reston and East Linton railway stations being operational by December 2016.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government is committed to providing services that can call at Reston and East Linton subject to the completion of the stations by the promoters and the granting of necessary track access rights, however, the date of December 2016 was not given a…
17 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13413 by Paul Wheelhouse on 14 March 2013, what progress there has been on improving the information held on contaminated land.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: The Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 provides for the removal of areas from the contaminated land register once the relevant local authorities (or in the case of special sites, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency) are satisfied that appropriate re…
16 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28199 by Shona Robison on 13 November 2015, whether it will provide the information requested and for what reason it has not done so.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. Circumstances will arise where a practice experiences capacity issues and is unable to routinely accept new patients onto its list. We expect health boards to work with practices as constructively and as flexibly as is …
13 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS GP practices have been unable to accept new patients because of capacity issues in each year since 2010-11, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: Circumstances will arise where a practice experiences capacity issues and is unable to routinely accept new patients onto its list. We expect health boards to work with practices as constructively and as flexibly as is appropriate to help manage the situation…
13 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28199 by Shona Robison on 13 November 2015, what it considers those circumstances to be.
Answer · Shona Robison: Circumstances for each patient list may vary and it would not be correct for Scottish Ministers to speculate on the nature of these circumstances. On these occasions, health boards are expected to work with the practice as constructively and as flexibly as p…
13 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28227 by Shona Robison on 13 November 2015, what it considers the reasons are for patients to be admitted to NHS boards outwith their NHS board of residence.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-28452 on 25 November 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/parliamentar…
13 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28227 by Shona Robison on 13 November 2015, what it considers the reasons are for the increases in admissions of patients to NHS boards outwith their NHS board of residence.
Answer · Shona Robison: There are many reasons why patients are treated out with their local board area, such as patients requiring to be seen or treated in a national or regional centre. Also many patients may choose to be treated in a hospital in a neighbouring area because it is …
13 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28225 by Shona Robison on 13 November 2015, whether it will provide details on when it expects such guidance to be implemented by NHS boards and whether data on crowding will be publicly available.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Emergency Department Guidance was launched on 30 September 2015. On 6 November 2015 the Scottish Government held an event, with all health boards represented, to further develop the implementation plan. While all health boards have escalation measures in …
13 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28198 by Shona Robison on 13 November 2015, whether it will provide details of what it considers the reasons for the 11 practices receiving support from their respective NHS boards.
Answer · Shona Robison: Information on the reasons, nature and extent of any support being given to practices must remain confidential and is the responsibility of the contracting NHS board. Scottish ministers would expect boards, as the responsible body for the provision of primar…
13 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27298 by Shona Robison on 15 September 2015, how the £100,000 to fund the returner scheme will be used.
Answer · Shona Robison: This money will provide an opportunity for GPs who are: on (or eligible to be on) the general medical council’s GP Register; on a NHS National Performers’ List; and who have previously worked in NHS general practice to safely return to general practice follow…
12 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28020 by Margaret Burgess on 10 November 2015, whether it has an agreement with the Local Affordable Rented Housing Trust on the number of properties that it should make available for rent in 2015-16.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government loan agreement with the Local Affordable Rented Housing Trust (LAR) is for the delivery of long term affordable mid-market rented homes. LAR is expected to deliver up to 1,000 homes over five years. Decisions about the acquisition and …
12 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28020 by Margaret Burgess on 10 November 2015, how many properties it expects the Local Affordable Rented Housing Trust to make available for rent in 2015-16.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government loan agreement with the Local Affordable Rented Housing Trust (LAR) is for the delivery of long term affordable mid-market rented homes. LAR is expected to deliver up to 1,000 homes over five years. Decisions about the acquisition and …
12 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28020 by Margaret Burgess on 10 November 2015, whether it has set a limit to the amount that the Local Affordable Rented Housing Trust can draw down in 2015-16 from the financial transactions consequentials.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government will support the Local Affordable Rented (LAR) Housing Trust with a £55 million loan. No limit has been set on the amount that LAR can draw down in 2015-16 from the financial transaction consequentials.
10 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27933 by Shona Robison on 29 October 2015, in light of the information requested not being provided in the answer to question S4W-27932, whether it will confirm the number of diversions from the hospital because of bed shortages.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally, therefore we are unable to provide it.
9 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to (a) publish or (b) update any guidance on the support offered by local services to people bereaved by suicide.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-28349 on 17 November 2015 which provides information on useful current guidance which is available for use in supporting people who have been bereaved by suicide. NHS Health Scotland undertakes regular updates …
9 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to people bereaved by suicide.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: People bereaved by suicide can obtain support in the first instance from their GPs. Support is also available from national and local bereavement organisations, a number of which are funded through suicide prevention planning groups led by Choose Life Co-ordi…
9 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has published guidance to support people bereaved by suicide.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Guidance Supporting people bereaved by suicide: A good practice guide for organisations that respond to suicide was published by NHS Health Scotland in 2013 http://www.chooselife.net/uploads/documents/67-SupportingPeopleBereavedBySuicide.pdf. NHS Health Scotl…
9 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many (a) adults and (b) people under 18 have been bereaved by suicide in each year since 2007.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The number of people bereaved by suicide are not held centrally, nor is it clear how such would be determined as any death by suicide can have an impact on a wide range of people beyond immediate family.
9 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS staff members have (a) reported issues with mental health and (b) been diagnosed with a form of mental ill-health in each year since 2010.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Information on sickness absence data for NHS Scotland is published on an annual basis and available on the ISD website, however the specific information requested in a) and b) is not held centrally.
9 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to develop peer-working networks following publication of the paper, Reviewing Peer Working: A New Way of Working in Mental Health, by the Scottish Recovery Network in 2013.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Subsequent to publication of Reviewing Peer Working: A New Way of Working in Mental Health, the Scottish Government has provided funding to the Scottish Recovery Network to take forward work on developing peer-support networks in Scotland. Discussions with st…
9 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to extend the number of robot-assisted prostatectomies taking place in Aberdeen and, if so, to what timeline.
Answer · Shona Robison: The robot assisted surgery service based at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, is not yet fully up and running as surgeons are still in training. To date, 20 or so cases have been completed since the robot was installed in August 2015. The service is expected to bec…
9 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many UK residents residing in Scotland have sought treatment for cancer outwith the UK in each year since 2006-07; how many of them applied for cost reimbursement from the NHS, and at what cost.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. Decisions on applications to travel for treatment outwith the UK are matters for the patient’s local NHS board.
9 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients the NHS has reimbursed for travel outwith (a) Scotland and (b) the UK for (i) cancer and (ii) prostate cancer treatments.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. Travel costs are either paid for, or reimbursed, by NHS boards.