Mary Fee

16 Nov 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many third sector organisations are involved in the criminal justice system.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is not held centrally. The scope of the criminal justice sector is broad, encompassing policing, courts, imprisonment, community justice, victims concerns and general public safety concerns. This is reflected in the wide range of th…

16 Nov 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many rehabilitation programmes there are in prisons.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, chief executive of the Scottish prison service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: “SPS currently delivers seven offending behaviour programmes that focus on promoting change in the attitudes, thinking and behaviours t…

31 Oct 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the Lord Advocate’s interpretation of the Scottish Ministerial Code is in relation to the legal advice provided to ministers on an independent Scotland's membership of the European Union.

Answer · Frank Mulholland: The Ministerial Code reflects the long-standing convention against disclosure of the fact or content of Law Officers’ legal advice. I refer the member to my letter of 30 October 2012 to Ruth Davidson MSP, which was published in SPICe. As I set out in that le…

23 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have attended accident and emergency units because of a mental health issue in each year since 2002 and how many of them were accompanied by a police officer.

Answer · Alex Neil: This information is not currently held. Information Services Division is working with NHS boards to develop Accident and Emergency data so diagnostic information can be provided at a national level.

23 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS boards have a consistent approach to dealing with gender reassignment and, if not, what variations there are.

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W–10429 on 6 November 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Def…

23 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on gender reassignment surgery in 2011-12.

Answer · Alex Neil: The information requested is not available centrally.

23 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards use private hospitals for gender reassignment surgery.

Answer · Alex Neil: The information requested is not centrally held.

23 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidelines there are regarding the length of time between receiving funding for gender reassignment and having the surgery.

Answer · Alex Neil: Patients going through the gender reassignment pathway contained in the protocol should experience no delay due to funding if they go on to full genital surgery. However, there is currently no clinical expertise in Scotland to undertake this surgery and boar…

23 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that NHS boards adhere to the Gender Reassignment Protocol, CEL 26.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government Health Directorate are in the process of undertaking an Audit of the progress made by NHS boards in implementing the gender reassignment protocol. This will not only include an audit of the boards implementation plans but will also in…

23 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have obstructive sleep apnoea.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The information requested is not centrally available.

23 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on (a) raising awareness of and (b) dealing with obstructive sleep apnoea in 2011-12.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government provides baseline funding to NHS boards and it is for the boards to determine how best to utilise this funding to meet the healthcare needs of their resident population. No specific funding is ring-fenced for sleep apnoea and it is not…

23 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea.

Answer · Michael Matheson: A key way of delivering safe, effective and person centred services is by NHS Boards implementing clinical standards. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guideline 73 on the Management of Sleep Apnoea in Adults provides clinicians in NHSSco…

23 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve awareness of obstructive sleep apnoea.

Answer · Michael Matheson: A Sleep Studies Working Group has been formed by the Scottish Government, with the aim of ensuring that people with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) are appropriately referred to specialist sleep services. The group (consisting of NHS clinicians, mana…

17 Sep 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce rail links to towns in West Scotland that currently have none.

3 Sep 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide additional funding to local authorities in West Scotland to deal with unemployment, deprivation and poverty.

20 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it provides to charities working with asylum-seekers and refugees.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Through the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration Funding Stream the Scottish Government will provide £2.81 million for the period 2012-15 to third sector organisations who work with refugees and asylum seekers in Scotland.

20 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it helps asylum-seekers and refugees access mental health services.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Asylum seekers in Scotland, and those granted refugee status, have access to NHS services on the same basis as a UK national who is ordinarily resident in Scotland, while they remain in the country. NHS boards and their partners will ensure that their mental …

20 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how (a) it and (b) local authorities help asylum-seekers and refugees register with (i) GPs and (ii) dentists.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Information about health care from the NHS for asylum seekers or refugees living in Scotland is published on the Health Rights Information Scotland website at http://www.hris.org.uk/patient-information/information-about-health-rights/health-care-for-overseas-…

20 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it helps asylum-seekers and refugees access the provision of English for speakers of other languages courses.

Answer · Michael Matheson: We are acutely aware of the continuous demand for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision throughout Scotland. That is why we made available additional funding of £15.3 million during the period from 2007-12 to improve the quality and quantit…

20 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages asylum-seekers and refugees to access pre-school education for their children.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Local authorities are under a statutory duty to provide 475 hours of pre-school education to three and four year olds in Scotland and it is their responsibility to deliver this throughout their local area. This includes asylum seekers and refugees. The Scott…

25 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it offers initiatives to employers to encourage the provision of workplace nurseries and, if so, what these initiatives are.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government held a National Summit with businesses on 28 June 2012 to explore what more they could do to deliver flexible, family friendly policies. A report will be produced in due course outlining the main themes which emerged from the Summit. …

25 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times it has met the childcare partnership managers from each local authority since 2007 and on what dates.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government has met with the national grouping of Childcare Partnership Officers (which is now called the Early Years and Childcare Officers Group) – on the following dates since 2007: 8 November 2007 9 November 2009 22 March 2010 17 January 2…

25 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to local authorities to assist with childcare.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The overall financial settlement for local government supports local authorities to deliver the current pre-school entitlement of 475 hours per annum for 3 and 4 year olds. Local authorities do not have a statutory responsibility to provide childcare beyond …

25 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on supporting childcare in each year since 1999.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Central Government provided local authorities with funding for childcare through the Revenue Support Grant, as part of the Childcare Strategy, from 1999-2008. As a result we do not hold published expenditure detail that would allow the identification of final…

6 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the budget it spends on international aid.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government has maintained the International Development Fund at £9 million per year for the duration of the spending review period. In 2011-12 this was supplemented by proceeds of crime money to provide a total expenditure on Official Development…

6 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Queen would be represented by a governor general in a Scotland separated from the rest of the United Kingdom and, if so, whether the governor general would be the commander-in-chief of Scotland's armed forces.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05459 on 5 March 2012. The head of state of an independent Scotland would not be represented by a governor general. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the…

6 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there would be changes to benefit levels in a Scotland separated from the rest of the United Kingdom.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Decisions relating to benefit levels in an independent Scotland would be for the administration in power to take.

6 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance the Early Years Task Force gives to local authorities regarding spend from the Early Years Change Fund.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Early Years Taskforce has published its shared vision and priorities, which includes initial guidance for Community Planning Partnerships on the Early Years Change Fund. This paper is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 54…

6 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether compensation will be paid to countries that have invested in Scotland's naval bases if Scotland separates from the rest of the United Kingdom and, if so, how much.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: No. The Scottish Government’s proposal for constitutional reform is not about “separation”, but independence. In November 2013, the Scottish Government will publish a comprehensive white paper detailing all of the relevant issues, ensuring the people of Scotl…

6 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if Scotland separates from the rest of the United Kingdom, the Scottish Government will pay for the upkeep of the royal estates in Scotland.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: The Scottish Government's proposal for Scotland is not "separation", but independence, as stated in answer to question S4W-05459 on 5 March 2012. I also refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02136 from 26 August 2011. All answers to written Parliame…