Miles Briggs

16 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the number of gene therapy clinical trials in Scotland.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Research Scotland (NRS) supports clinical research studies and clinical trials, including those involving gene therapy, from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical technology industries through a simplified, single point of access to Scotland’s cli…

11 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to people who have limited or no internet access in being able to use online pharmacy services, and what its response is to reports that Boots has announced that it will be charging £5 per delivery of non-online prescriptions.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is committed to increasing digital participation and ensuring that all of Scotland is able to enjoy the social, cultural and economic benefits of the internet. Home internet access has increased steadily over time, reaching an all-time…

10 Sep 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to legislate to ensure that all new homes are fully accessible, including having downstairs sleeping and washing facilities.

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what materials are collected by local authorities via kerbside collection, broken down by council.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The following table sets out the separate streams collected by each local authority. This information was collected and supplied by Zero Waste Scotland. Collections can vary within each local authority: Local Authority Service provision Aberdeen City Counc…

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the introduction of a deposit return system will have on the viability of kerbside recycling for local authorities.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting local authority collection arrangements for a range of packaging materials alongside DRS. Under our proposed reforms of wider packaging producer responsibility arrangements, the costs to local authoritie…

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the impact of the introduction of a deposit return system on Scottish businesses' ability to access markets in the rest of the UK and Europe.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Our proposals have been informed by extensive evidence-gathering and on 9 July 2019 the Scottish Government published a Business Regulatory Impact Assessment considering the impacts of DRS for businesses. We are committed to continuing to work closely with i…

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many drinks containers are sold in Scotland, broken down by (a) container (PET, Glass, Aluminium, HDPE, etc.) and (b) beverage type.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The following table is from Zero Waste Scotland container data used to model a deposit return scheme (DRS) for Scotland. Product category Can* Glass PET Grand Total Alcohol 221,893,000 295,870,000 20,905,000 538,668,000 Soft drinks and fruit juice …

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether creating a separate Scottish market for soft and alcoholic drinks, thereby removing it from the current UK-wide system, would have a detrimental impact on Scottish producers.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The draft Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 propose the introduction of new legal obligations on all producers wishing to sell single-use drinks containers to consumers in Scotland. It will be for producers to determine appropriate fraud…

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessments it has carried out of how the introduction of a deposit return system will impact on consumer choice.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Decisions concerning the marketing of products are ultimately a matter for individual producers. The Scottish Government’s Deposit Return Scheme Full Business Case Stage 1 concludes that industry is best placed to deliver an efficient and effective scheme whi…

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the creation of a separate Scottish market for soft and alcoholic drinks would impact on (a) Scottish-based and (b) foreign producers' access to the Scottish market and (c) consumers in Scotland.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: As per the answer to question S5W-25037 on ? 18 September 2019, the Scottish Government’s draft Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 propose the introduction of new legal obligations on all producers wishing to sell single-use drinks contai…

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessments it has carried out of how the introduction of a deposit return system will impact on its minimum unit pricing policy.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The deposit charged to consumers should not be considered to form part of the price of products. We intend that the deposit level be advertised separately from the price of all products sold in obligated containers and this is provided for in the draft regula…

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its estimate is of the producer fee for glass bottles that will be required to be paid in the first years of the deposit return fee in addition to the 20p deposit rate.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government’s “Deposit Return Scheme: Full Business Case Stage 1” makes clear that the setting of producer fees for specific materials is a matter for industry. A Full Business Case Stage 2 is planned for publication in early 2020. That document w…

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will undertake an evaluation of (a) primary and (b) secondary school approaches to mental health and wellbeing.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is committed to promoting and supporting children and young people’s mental wellbeing. Through wide ranging commitments in the 2018 Programme for Government we set out a £250 million package of measures to support positive mental healt…

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Education Scotland’s evaluation framework, How good is our school?, will be amended to include mental health within the four key quality indicators.

Answer · John Swinney: How Good Is Our School ? 4 has a strengthened focus on equality and wellbeing across the framework since mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing has a significant impact on children and young people’s success in school and beyond school. Quality ind…

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of Education Scotland’s evaluation framework, How good is our school?, and, in particular, how the framework reviews mental health support in schools.

Answer · John Swinney: HM Inspectors of Education in Education Scotland are committed to continuing to review and develop our approaches to school inspection and, in doing so strengthen further the role of inspection as a positive tool within Scottish education to help drive improv…

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many school staff trained in dealing with mental health issues there have been in each year since 2015, broken down by local authority.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. Schools and education authorities use a range of strategies and programmes to support children and young people with mental health issues and this will involve many teaching and other school s…

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance and support is provided to schools on how best to meet pupils’ mental health needs at (a) primary and (b) secondary school level.

Answer · John Swinney: Education authorities and schools have responsibilities to identify, support and develop the mental wellbeing of pupils. Every child and young person should have access to emotional and mental wellbeing support in school. The Scottish Government and Educatio…

26 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to better align long-term NHS workforce planning to address growth in patient need.

26 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported gap in the cancer diagnostic workforce; what the timeframe is for this, and how it plans to prevent such gaps developing in the future.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We increased the numbers of radiology trainees by 26 between 2014 and 2017. In 2017 the Cabinet Secretary announced an additional £3 million for a further increase in the number of radiology trainees in Scotland by at least another 50 by 2022. We are investi…

19 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support is being provided in relation to conservation work for water vole populations.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The principal threat to water voles in Scotland comes from non-native American mink. For this reason, strategic mink control is generally considered to be the most effective means of helping Scottish water vole populations. Various mink control measures have…

19 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the new framework contract to supply IT software to GPs will be integrated with the National Digital Platform for clinical data being developed by NHS Education for Scotland, and what the timeline is for integration.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The procurement of replacement GP IT systems commenced with publication of the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) and Contract Notice in June 2017, was in advance of the publication of the Digital Health and Care Strategy (April 2018) in which the co…

19 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many nurse endoscopists have been employed by the NHS in each year since 2007.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Data on nurse endoscopists is not held by ISD within the ‘Clinical Nurse Specialty’ category. Further information on ISD statistics, including information on how the data are collected and notes to aid interpretation, is given in the 'FAQs' section of the Wo…

19 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaint communications Ministers have received from members of the public regarding waiting times for NHS treatment in each year since 2007.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We cannot provide this level of information back to 2007. The current corporate system that records correspondence from members of the public was developed in 2012 and we are unable to provide detailed information on communications raised by members of the pu…

19 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many addiction support workers have been employed in Alcohol and Drug Partnerships in each year since 2007, broken down by partnership.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Service decisions are made by each local area and it would be for individual Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to provide this information.

19 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the support provided to young carers beyond the age of 16.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Our priority is to make the most of two major commitments – the implementation of the Carers Act and ongoing reform of carer benefits, including the introduction of a new Young Carer Grant. The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 has established new rights for all ca…

9 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to increase the amount of training that infectious disease consultants receive on tick-borne diseases through the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Education Foundation (ILADEF) physician training programme.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Increasing awareness amongst healthcare professionals of the symptoms of Lyme disease is an on-going priority for the Lyme Borreliosis Group, which is part of the Scottish Health Protection Network (SHPN). The group has produced a suite of educational resourc…

8 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what preventative measures it is taking to mitigate any impact on NHS Lothian services from the extra costs incurred in building the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: As set out in the answer to question S5W-24397 on 18 July 2019, the impact of the work required to complete the move to the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, together with the requirement for improved performance over a number of areas, has pl…

1 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been reported as going missing while under the care of mental health services in each year since 1999.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government does not collect any data relating to missing persons under Mental Health Services. However Police Scotland collect limited data regarding missing persons.

1 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many temporary ward closures there have been due to staff shortages in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

1 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many residential rehabilitation and detox services have been registered in each year since 1999.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: This information is not held centrally. Between 2002 and 2011, the Care Commission had responsibility for the regulation and registration of care homes for people with alcohol and drug misuse problems. From 1 April 2011, this was the responsibility of the Ca…