Colin Smyth

10 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether clinicians in Scotland follow the NICE guidelines for eating disorders for England, which were updated in May 2017.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Clinical practice is a matter for clinicians and service delivery for Health Boards and Integration Authorities. Clinicians will use up to date clinical guidelines in providing care and treatment for eating disorders, including the recent NICE guidelines. Thi…

10 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to replicate in Scotland the Access and Waiting Time Standard for Children and Young People with an Eating Disorder in England, which includes a commitment to treatment within four weeks, or one week for urgent cases.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government has no current plans to replicate in Scotland the Access and Waiting Time Standard for Children and Young People with an Eating Disorder in England

10 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people with an eating disorder who were referred for treatment were seen within the waiting time target, also given as a percentage of the total number referred.

Answer · Maureen Watt: There is currently no separate national waiting time treatment guarantee for accessing eating disorder services (for adults or children and adolescents).

10 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the current waiting time is for treatment for children and young people with an eating disorder.

Answer · Maureen Watt: There is currently no national waiting time treatment guarantee for accessing eating disorder services (for adults or children and adolescents).

19 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a consultation on its diet and obesity strategy, and the final strategy.

Answer · Shona Robison: Tackling obesity is a top priority for this Government and we will consult on our new diet and obesity strategy this year. This will propose an ambitious, coherent package of action that will start to deliver the change we need to see. It is important we take…

14 Jun 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reported 47.6% vacancy rate for consultants in older people’s medicine in NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

Answer · Shona Robison: It is the responsibility of each NHS Board – including NHS Ayrshire and Arran – to plan their workforce to ensure the provision of safe, effective and high quality patient care, delivered by the right professional at the right time. NHS Ayrshire and Arran ac…

31 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much investment it has made in the regeneration of Stranraer Waterfront since April 2006.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Whilst we regularly discuss regeneration plans with Dumfries and Galloway Council it is the council which has the primary responsibility for, and lead role in implementing, plans in relation to the regeneration of Stranraer Waterfront. In addition to a range…

31 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided towards the development of a Borderlands growth deal.

Answer · Keith Brown: Scotland's strong ties with the North of England flourish. We continue to develop and strengthen these, identifying opportunities for greater practical co-operation. In 2013, we launched the Borderlands Initiative to facilitate cross border council discussion…

31 May 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it made to the Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer and National Museums Scotland regarding the acquisition and display of the Galloway Viking hoard.

25 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which organisations it has met to discuss proposed regulations on static pulse, sonic and spray collars used on dogs, since it announced its plans to regulate their use in September 2016.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has met with representatives from the British Veterinary Association, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Electronic Collars Manufacturers Association and a number of Scottish Dog Trainers…

25 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether only people with a specialist qualification in clinical behaviour should provide behavioural advice on the use of electronic training collars for dogs.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is in discussion with a wide range of stakeholders from the pet industry, animal training and veterinary profession about the format and content of the tough new regulations on the use of electronic training collars, including the trai…

12 Apr 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the criteria used to assess potentially vulnerable areas.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: SEPA has begun to review the National Flood Risk Assessment and the designation of potentially vulnerable areas (PVAs) for the Flood Risk Management planning cycle 2016-2022. As part of this work, SEPA will revisit the underlying methodology used to designate…

15 Mar 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to raise the incomes of families with children living in poverty.

8 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it considers the role of a community link worker is, and how many have been recruited to work in GP surgeries since September 2016, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: Community Link Working is an approach for connecting people to non-medical sources of support or resources in the community which are likely to help with the health problems they are experiencing. The twin objectives of the Scottish Government's Links Worker …

8 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many employers have signed-up to the Carer Positive scheme since September 2016.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: There are currently 72 employers in Scotland recognised as Carer Positive, covering almost 270,000 employees. Nine of those employers have been awarded since September 2016. Full details of the Carer Positive Scheme including the latest list of employers is a…

7 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that vets have sufficient training to provide appropriate advice and guidance on the use of electronic training collars under its plans to regulate the static pulse, sonic and spray collars used on dogs.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is in discussion with veterinary bodies about the possible involvement of veterinary surgeons in providing advice on the use of electronic training collars and the knowledge required to do so.

15 Feb 2017 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Lothian regarding plans to rebuild the Edinburgh Cancer Centre.

14 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to check that owners use electronic training collars in accordance with instructions given by vets or approved trainers.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is in discussion with a wide range of stakeholders from the pet industry, animal training and animal welfare sectors about the format and content of the tough new regulations on the use, and monitoring the use, of electronic training c…

14 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many prosecutions under (a) section 19 and (b) the rest of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 there (i) were in (A) 2014, (B) 2015 and (C) 2016 and (ii) have been in 2017; how many led to a conviction, broken down by type of disposal, and how much was collected in fine…

Answer · Michael Matheson: The available information is provided in the following tables by financial year. People prosecuted for offences under Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) 20061, 2013-14 to 2015-16 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Section 19 98 117 88 all sections excep…

14 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will define an “approved trainer” under its plans to regulate the static pulse, sonic and spray collars used on dogs.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is in discussion with a wide range of stakeholders from the pet industry, animal training and animal welfare sectors about the format and content of the tough new regulations on the use of electronic training collars, including the qua…

13 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives to local authorities to enforce legislation on roadside littering.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: We are committed to working with local authorities, and our partners within the justice system, to strengthen the deterrent effect of legislation. Local authorities have power to issue fixed penalties to people they catch littering, and we have already incre…

12 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06271 by Roseanna Cunningham on 31 January 2017, by what date it will publish the report.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Further to the answer to question S5W-06271, the Scottish Government will lay the snaring review report before the Scottish Parliament on 14 March 2017, and will also publish a copy on the Scottish Government website the same day.

9 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in each NHS area who died in the last five years were overweight or obese, also broken down by how many received pallative care.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: This information is not held centrally.

9 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many overweight or obese people have been delayed in hospital in the last 12 months while waiting for bariatric adaptations and equipment for their homes.

Answer · Shona Robison: Information on the number of delayed discharges is collected by NHS ISD and is available on the internet at http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Health-and-Social-Community-Care/Publications/. At the last monthly snapshot census in December 18 2016 patien…

9 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people aged (a) 66 to 75, (b) 76 to 85 and (c) over 85 are overweight or obese.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The information contained the Scottish Health Survey 2015, published in September 2016, states that 33% of people in the 65-74 age group and 26% of people in the over 75 age group were obese or morbidly obese.

9 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve the collection and analysis of the data it collects regarding the (a) need for and (b) provision of palliative care for overweight and obese people.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: As part of the consultation on developing a new diet and obesity strategy the Scottish Government will be considering what work may need to be undertaken to better understand the extent of obesity as well as monitor and evaluate both the scale of the task and…

1 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to meet its commitment to double palliative and end of life provision in the community, as set out in the Health and Social Care Delivery Plan, and what resources will be made available to health and social care partnerships to deliver this.

Answer · Shona Robison: Palliative care is an important component of the Health and Social Care Delivery Plan. Supporting people to live and die well and with dignity at home or in a homely setting will require integrated and coordinated action. This is why Integration Authorities …

1 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were given an NHS key information summary in 2015-16 and how many subsequently died, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: The following table includes patients with a Key Information Summary (KIS) or Shared Clinical Data Record (SCD) created in 2015-2016 who died prior to 14 October 2016, which is the latest data available from NHS National Services Scotland who provide Scottish…

26 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the (a) provision and (b) performance of post-diagnostic support for people with dementia is monitored.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) are responsible for commissioning dementia services, including post-diagnostic services, in their area and will monitor their effectiveness. Responsibility for the delivery of post-diagnostic services remains with the statutory…

26 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the third national dementia strategy.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government plans to publish its third National Dementia Strategy at the end of February 2017