Parliamentary questions
Miles Briggs
4,209 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
26 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish an updated suicide prevention strategy.
Answer · Maureen Watt: On 29 July 2016 we published an engagement paper on our proposed framework and priorities to transform mental health in Scotland. The engagement paper states that, in addition to transforming mental health, progress on the priorities set out in the paper will…
26 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve (a) road safety on and (b) the surface of the (i) A702 and (ii) A71.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The following A702 road safety schemes have been constructed this financial year: Easter Howgate which was completed in April 2016 – This scheme involved the removal of a parking lay-by and a change in camber to the carriageway to reduce the possibility of v…
26 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many recorded cases there have been of property being stolen at NHS sites in each year since 1999.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
26 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) people have been arrested on and (b) times the police have been called to NHS sites in each year since 1999.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
21 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many vacant GP positions there are, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Shona Robison: Numbers of vacancies for GP posts are not held centrally as this is a matter for individual independent GP contractors as employers. However, as part of the move towards better quality, more regular, and more consistent information, a workforce survey was pu…
21 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NHS Lothian and (b) the Royal College of General Practitioners following reports that GP practices in Edinburgh are unable to recruit the GPs that they require.
Answer · Shona Robison: NHS boards have various means of supporting independently contracted practices which request assistance. We expect health boards to work with practices as constructively and as flexibly as is appropriate to ensure that all patients have access to GP services.…
21 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that GP practices in Edinburgh, including Parkgrove & East Craigs Medical Practice and Southside Surgery, are unable to recruit the GPs they require.
Answer · Shona Robison: In Scotland we are transforming primary care, supported by £85 million of extra investment to put in place long-term, sustainable change within GP services that can better meet changing needs and demands. We have also pledged to increase GP training places fo…
21 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support GP practices that are unable to recruit sufficient numbers of GPs.
Answer · Shona Robison: The number of GPs in Scotland has increased by 7% under this Government, and we want to go further to boost GP numbers as part of a building a strong, multi-disciplinary Community Health Service. In Scotland we are transforming primary care, supported by £85 …
14 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will develop a plan for dementia prevention that will build and learn from efforts to prevent cancer, heart disease and stroke.
Answer · Maureen Watt: While the Scottish Government has no current intention to develop a national dementia-prevention plan, it retains a concerted national focus on promoting good public health and helping to reduce the risk ill-health and illness (including dementia) in key area…
14 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the conclusion of the Blackfriars Consensus Statement that healthy lifestyle factors are effective in reducing the risk of developing dementia.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government endorsed the Blackfriars Consensus Statement and its focus on continuing collaborative effort on addressing potential dementia risk and protective factors at an individual and population level. We also recognise the complexity in iden…
14 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take through the new national mental health strategy to address concerns that people with mental health issues can die up to 20 years earlier than the rest of the population because of physical health problems.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 states that Scottish Ministers have a duty to secure improvements in the physical and mental health of the people of Scotland. The NHS has a duty to promote the improvement of health – a duty that extends equall…
14 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report that Information Services Division (ISD) assisted NHS Dumfries and Galloway in responding to a freedom of information (FOI) request, and what action it will take to ensure that ISD acts wholly independently of NHS boards that supply it with statistics a…
Answer · Shona Robison: Our expectation is that Freedom of Information (FoI) is fully complied with by all NHS Boards. We also recognise that the Information Services Division’s (ISD) role as producers of official and national statistics means that, on occasion, it is appropriate fo…
14 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what training it provides to (a) members of and (b) advisers to its health steering groups regarding avoiding a conflict-of-interest between their roles and issues affecting NHS boards that they might be associated with.
Answer · Shona Robison: Every health board publishes a Code of Conduct for their board members. Their Code is based on the Model Code of Conduct that was published by the Scottish Government following a period of consultation and the approval of the Scottish Parliament in December 2…
14 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00926 by Aileen Campbell on 18 July 2016, whether it will provide the same information for each year since 1999.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: This information can be provided from 31 March 2000 and is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 58085).
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the Clinical and Care Governance Framework aimed at the new health and social care partnerships will ensure that people with neurological conditions will receive seamless, quality care that reflects their needs and aspirations.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Clinical and Care Governance Framework for integrated Health and Social Care Services in Scotland provides the ranges of professionals and staff involved in the planning and delivery of integrated health and social care services with clear governance arra…
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to develop a national strategy for care and support for people with neurological conditions.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01372 on 26 July 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28…
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to collect robust and reliable data on the number of people with neurological conditions.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01374 on 26 July 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28…
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the health and care services provided for people with neurological conditions meet their needs and whether it would consider a review of service provision to identify any gaps and inform strategic planning of services.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01310 on 26 July 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28…
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to ensure that people with neurological conditions are assigned a specific individual, such as a specialist nurse, to support them in navigating the health and social care system.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government expects NHS boards to ensure that people have access to a relevant range of health and social care professionals which meets their individually assessed needs.
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards provide specialist physiotherapy for people with neurological conditions; how many people have used these services in each year since 2010-11, and what the average waiting time has been.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The information requested is not held centrally.
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities provide specialist day respite care for people with neurological conditions and how many people have used these services in each year since 2010-11.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: This is a matter for individual local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it published implementation and improvement plans for palliative and end-of-life care by April 2016, as set out in its Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End of Life Care.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is supporting the development of locally owned improvement and implementation plans through the commissioning of additional improvement support, support for a new educational framework, and guidance for developing plans that take accou…
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has done to support clinical and health economic evaluations of palliative and end-of-life care models, as set out in its Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End of Life Care.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is working to ensure that health economic expertise is available to Health and Social Care Partnerships to support them in developing and testing improved care processes.
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide strategic commissioning guidance on palliative and end-of-life care to health and social care partnerships, as set out in its Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End of Life Care.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government plans to issue the strategic commissioning guidance on palliative and end of life care this winter.
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities provide specialist residential respite care for people with neurological conditions and how many people have accessed these services in each year since 2010-11.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: This is a matter for individual local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the National Advisory Committee on Neurological Conditions will develop a methodology for collecting and publishing robust and reliable data on the prevalence of neurological conditions in Scotland.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The National Advisory Committee for Neurological Conditions will consider data and information requirements to support clinical care for people living with neurological conditions.
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support greater public and personal discussion of bereavement, death, dying and care at the end of life, as set out in its Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End of Life Care.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has asked the Chief Executive of Ardgowan Hospice to identify learning from work such as ‘Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief’, ‘Compassionate Inverclyde’ and ‘To Absent Friends’ and provide advice on how best to support the spread of th…
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the first annual learning and improvement report into palliative and end-of-life care, referred to in its Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End of Life Care, will be published.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government plans to issue the first annual learning and improvement report into palliative and end of life care in spring 2017.
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the work programme is of the National Implementation Support Group that it has set up, as referred to in its Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End of Life Care.
Answer · Shona Robison: The National Implementation Advisory Group met for the first time on 3 June. At this meeting they identified subject matter experts to lead on each of the commitments outlined in the Strategic Framework.
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the workplan of the National Advisory Committee for Neurological Conditions contains and when it will be published.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The National Advisory Committee for Neurological Conditions met for the first time on 11 July 2016. A work plan is now being developed with the aim of being agreed by the committee at the next meeting in the autumn period.