Parliamentary questions
Richard Lyle
333 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
5 Nov 2014 · SPCB Oral Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what action it is taking to clean the wall and hanging glass panels in the chamber.
11 Aug 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking regarding the provision of a specialist centre for robot-assisted surgery for radical prostatectomies.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing announced on Tuesday 19 August 2014 that Scottish men will soon be able to benefit from state of the art robotic surgery. The Scottish Government is investing up to £1 million to purchase a robot to assist surge…
4 Aug 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the cost of childcare.
9 Jun 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the value is of art treasures, paintings, artefacts and national treasures that it or the Scottish National Gallery holds.
29 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make more money available to the water and sewerage charges exemption scheme for small third sector organisations.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-21259 on 30 May 2014. 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/parliamentarybus…
29 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how changing the basis for eligibility for the water and sewerage charges exemption scheme for small organisations from net to gross income would impact on churches.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: An explanation of how the proposals for the exemption scheme were derived is set out in the consultation document. This is available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/11/9119. Once a decision has been reached, a report on the consultation respo…
29 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will take forward the findings of its consultation on the water and sewerage charges exemption scheme for small organisations.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-21259 on 30 May 2014. 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/parliamentarybu…
28 Apr 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs last met Historic Scotland and what was discussed.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I met Historic Scotland officials at Stirling Castle on 1 May 2014 as they finalised preparations for the Wallace, Bruce and Scotland’s contested crown exhibition. I discussed the significance of 700 year-old letters relating to William Wallace and Robert the…
17 Apr 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider proposals to amend the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 in relation to the licensing of funfairs in light of the reported economic impact on showpeople.
3 Apr 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the then administration instructed the Lord Advocate to raise with the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council the issues raised in Report of the Expert Group on Financial and Other Support, which was published in 2003, and, if so, what the response from the committee was and wha…
Answer · Alex Neil: Following the publication of the Report of the Expert Group on Financial and Other Support in March 2003, on 29 August 2003 the Secretary of State for Health and Health Ministers of the Devolved Administrations announced that a UK wide scheme would be set up …
19 Mar 2014 · SPCB Oral Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, in light of a member of the public recently accessing the Parliament's roof, whether it plans to implement extra security measures.
11 Mar 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the comment on anticoagulation monitoring in the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guideline 129 that "self monitoring and self dosing is safe and effective and can be considered for some patients"; whether it plans to implement the recommendation…
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government expects health boards and clinicians to take account of Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guideline 129 Antithrombotics: indications and management (published in June 2013) recommendations, when effective practice in t…
11 Mar 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that patients receiving paediatric care at hospital who self-test or self-manage their international normalisation ratio (INR) testing and who receive warfarin are supported when moving to adult anticoagulation services regardless of where they live.
Answer · Alex Neil: Local protocols for the delivery of models of anticoagulation management vary across Scotland, but are in line with Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guideline 129 Antithrombotics: indications and management published in June 2013. At transit…
11 Mar 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the 2020 Vision objectives that “the person should be at the centre of all decisions” and “people [should be able to] get back into their home or community environment as soon as appropriate”, how it will support warfarin patients who want to self-test or self-manage their i…
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government’s ambition for NHS Scotland is for a safe, effective and person centred care which enables people to live well at home or in a homely setting. The decision on which drug to take, and if that is warfarin, how best to manage internationa…
11 Mar 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a national service delivery model for anticoagulation international normalisation ratio (INR) testing.
Answer · Alex Neil: There are no plans to introduce a national service delivery model.
13 Jan 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it would take to improve the situation of farmers in an independent Scotland.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The member will know that this Scottish Government has always sought to put the best interests of our farmers, and indeed our wider rural communities, at the very forefront of our decisions. However, there is no doubt that we could do much more if we were an …
3 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Lanarkshire has stopped supplying bump support belts free of charge to pregnant women and, if so, for what reason.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has contacted NHS Lanarkshire which has provided the following response: Bump support belts have not been supplied by NHS Lanarkshire for the last few years. The decision to stop supplying the belts was taken by the physiotherapy serv…
20 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the highest recorded number of whole time equivalent staff employed by NHS Lanarkshire was and how many it employed in September 2013.
Answer · Alex Neil: The number of whole time equivalent (WTE) staff employed by NHS Lanarkshire (excluding General Practitioners and General Dental services) is 10,131.2 WTE as at 30 September 2013. This is the highest number of staff in NHS Lanarkshire on record. The number o…
12 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it provided to the Association for the Victims of Medical Accidents in 2012-13 to contribute to the cost of providing a service in Scotland.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has provided no direct financial assistance to the Association for the Victims of Medical Accidents in 2012-13.
12 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to (a) develop counselling services, (b) develop advice and assistance in securing appropriate assurance and insurance, (d) set up a proactive publicity campaign to find recipients and (d) develop improved access to palliative care and symptom management services …
Answer · Alex Neil: These recommendations stem from the Ross Report of the Expert Group on Financial and Other Support which was published in 2003. The hepatitis C (HCV) landscape in Scotland has evolved significantly since 2003, most notably via the Scottish Government’s Hepati…
12 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish its legal advice regarding its powers to (a) award compensation and (b) make ex-gratia or other payments to the recipients of infected blood, as recommended in the Report of the Expert Group on Financial and Other Support.
Answer · Alex Neil: It is the long-standing practice, followed by both the Scottish Government and the UK Government that the fact and content of any legal advice is not released outwith Government.
12 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many ex-gratia payments NHS trusts and boards have made in each year since 2002-03 in relation to lesser injuries experienced by victims of medical accidents.
Answer · Alex Neil: The information requested is not held centrally.
12 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the complexity of the complaints system in the NHS, in light of the findings in A Study of Medical Negligence Claiming in Scotland.
Answer · Alex Neil: The NHS Complaints procedure was reviewed as part of the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011, which introduced a right to give feedback, comments, raise concerns and make complaints. A revised good practice guidance for handling and learning from feedback, com…
12 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will follow up A Study of Medical Negligence Claiming in Scotland with regard to deliberations on the introduction of no-fault compensation.
Answer · Alex Neil: The No-fault Compensation Review Group, chaired by Professor Sheila McLean, Glasgow University, was established in 2009 to consider the potential benefits for patients in Scotland of a no-fault compensation scheme. The group’s report: (http://www.scotland.go…
12 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many structured settlements the Central Legal Office has made in each year since 2002.
Answer · Alex Neil: The number of clinical negligence cases that have settled by either a Structured Settlement or Periodical Payment Order since 2002 is as follows: Year Structured Settlement Periodical Payment Order 2002 - - 2003 1 2004 - - 2005 - - 2006 - -…
12 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to encourage the exchange of factual evidence prior to legal proceedings in the pursuit of claims, as recommended in the Report of the Expert Group on Financial and Other Support.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-18890 on 8 January 2014. 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…
12 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has encouraged NHS boards to make ex-gratia payments for lesser injuries to resolve disputes at an early stage, as recommended in the Report of the Expert Group on Financial and Other Support.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-18890 on 8 January 2014. 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…
2 Dec 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that women with post-natal depression are treated in an appropriate timescale.
28 Oct 2013 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the European Commission regarding the food and drink sector.
2 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will instruct the NHS to amend all forms that include questions on ethnicity to include the term “showpeople" next to the term "Gypsy/Traveller".
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has no plans at this time to instruct NHS Scotland to include showpeople as a specific category in forms that include ethnicity questions. Harmonised ethnicity questions have been developed to promote consistency. A Scottish Government…