Alexander Burnett

19 Dec 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the NHS take blood/saliva tests results provided by private laboratories into account when providing a clinical diagnosis, and if so, what criteria these laboratories must meet.

Answer · Shona Robison: Front-line diagnostic testing is undertaken in local laboratories attached to NHS hospitals and clinics. They process samples (blood cultures, wound swabs, urines, sputa etc.) taken directly from patients by NHS health professionals. Health Protection Scotlan…

7 Dec 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) monitor and (b) improve employment opportunities for young people with autism.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Effective and accurate collection and monitoring of employment data is important to ensure we can assess the extent to which we are making progress helping particular groups, including young people with autism. We are working to ensure that through the new de…

29 Nov 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support is being given to vulnerable people experiencing loneliness.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government recognises that many different groups experience loneliness and social isolation, and that the most vulnerable in society are often more likely to be affected. The national strategy to tackle social isolation & loneliness which we will…

15 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives to inventors; how this support is promoted, and what methods it uses to encourage innovation.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government's vision is to be a place where innovation is built into our culture, society and economy. We recognise the role that innovators and inventors are playing in contributing to this aim and that is why we are investing in the development …

8 Nov 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the proposed tourism initiative, the North East 250.

17 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether national guidelines are in place for supporting university students with autism.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government produces an online guide for students ‘Supporting You at University: A guide for people with additional support needs in Scotland’s universities’. This contains contact details for the National Autistic Society Scotland who can advise …

3 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Grampian enlists the help of private hospitals to reduce waiting lists for repeat procedures for chronic pain relief.

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

3 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken by NHS Grampian to reduce the waiting time of a minimum of two years for repeat procedures for chronic pain.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Scottish Government expects such therapies and treatments to be provided in line with clinically prescribed timescales. It is the responsibility of NHS Grampian to investigate and resolve any issues with regards to access to particular services.

26 Sep 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by sector of its low-carbon and renewable jobs figure of 58,000 and clarify which specific technologies are included in this figure.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The estimates for low carbon and renewable energy jobs in Scotland are not published by the Scottish Government, they are compiled and published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in their UK Environmental Accounts: Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Ec…

25 Sep 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding the NHS will provide for improved (a) rehabilitation strategies, (b) rehabilitation for cognitive difficulties, (c) vascular dementia care, (d) thrombectomy and (e) evidence-based practices in the next 20 years to reduce the impact on the NHS of people who have had a stroke.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government does not hold official estimates of current and projected spend on stroke in NHS Scotland. The allocation of spend is determined by territorial Health Boards and where appropriate, Integrated Joint Boards. Our Health and Social Care …

25 Sep 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which hospitals are using intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) to reduce deep vein thrombosis in people who have had a stroke, and whether these hospitals hold data on the efficacy of IPC.

Answer · Shona Robison: Our Stroke Improvement Plan (2014) sets out a comprehensive programme for further reducing the number of deaths from stroke and improving stroke treatment care. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and the National Institute for Health and …

19 Sep 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Social Security on 19 September 2017, (Official Report, c. 10), whether it will confirm what multicriteria assessment process it used to determine the location of the agency, and for what reason it determined that Dundee and Glasgow were the …

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The decision to locate the Social Security Agency’s central functions in Dundee and Glasgow was taken following the completion of a detailed and robust analytical exercise. The exercise methodology - which followed a multi-criteria analysis approach - and the…

19 Sep 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Northern Alliance educational initiative.

Answer · John Swinney: I welcome the commitment of authorities and individuals in the Northern Alliance, and I met with Alliance representatives on the 25th of January this year, to hear more about their positive work to improve the education experiences of children and young peopl…

18 Sep 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what preventative action (a) Health Protection Scotland and (b) each NHS board has taken to warn of tick-related health conditions; what (i) posters, leaflet and other information have been issued and (ii) events have been organised on this topic (A) routinely and (B) since 1 September 2…

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Health Protection Network (SHPN), comprising Health Protection Scotland (HPS) and all the NHS Health Boards, as well as Local Authorities and other agencies with a responsibility for public health, formed a Lyme disease group as a subgroup of the…

12 Sep 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what efforts it is making to support the winter tourism industry.

6 Sep 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what changes it plans to the next BT contract for 100% access to superfast broadband by 2021.

1 Sep 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to (a) police or penalise owners of non-electric vehicles parked in public charging bays for electric vehicles and (b) increase the number of charging bays to encourage the use of electric vehicles.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The responsibility for managing parking in public charging bays is a matter for the charging bay host, usually the local authority. Currently 18 out of the 32 Local authorities now enforce the Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) regime, which allows them…

29 Aug 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many fully-trained teaching staff there are in nurseries in each local authority.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government collects data on the number of General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) registered teachers that are working in centres providing funded ELC, in its annual ELC census. This data is published in mid-December as part of the release o…

21 Aug 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09491 by Kevin Stewart on 7 June 2017, what information it has regarding how many complaints about unauthorised waste and recycling sites have been (a) raised and (b) investigated by Aberdeenshire Council in each of the last 10 years; how many of th…

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Such information as it holds on Aberdeenshire Council’s planning enforcement activity for the last ten years can be viewed at its Planning statistics web page: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Bro…

10 Aug 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what NHS (a) guidelines and (b) targets there are regarding treating (i) children and young people and (ii) adults who have eating disorders

Answer · Maureen Watt: Clinicians and other health and social care professionals will take account of all relevant evidence based guidance as appropriate. This will include guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence such as guideline NG69 Eating d…

10 Aug 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the three-day course at Moray College in life skills for people with learning difficulties is to end.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Moray College has confirmed that the Life Skills course has not been cancelled and is part of their 2017-18 curriculum. There has been reduced demand for this course and the College is offering it as a part-time course in the coming academic year to ensure it…

31 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-01184 by Angela Constance on 28 June 2017, what steps are being taken to (a) identify and (b) establish suitable Gypsy/Traveller sites to assist this group to integrate into communities and wider society.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Local authorities have a statutory duty to produce a Local Housing Strategy that sets out their strategy, priorities and plans for delivering housing and related services. Strategies should include plans for meeting any Gypsy/Traveller housing needs in an aut…

27 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many road traffic accidents involving cyclists have been recorded in each of the last five years; how many of the cyclists involved were wearing a (a) helmet, (b) high-visibility jacket and (c) both at the time of the incivent, and what its position is introducing legislation regardi…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: We do not hold information on whether pedal cyclists involved in injury road accidents were wearing high-visibility jackets. However, since 2013 Transport Scotland has collected information on whether injured cyclists were wearing helmets or not. Figures for …

7 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason no minutes of meetings of the National Advisory Committee on Stroke have been publicly available since 2005.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Minutes from the National Advisory Committee for Stroke meetings are available on request and will henceforth be published on the Scottish Government site at; http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Health/Services/Long-Term-Conditions/Stroke

21 Jun 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives it is introducing to help integrate minority community groups into wider society.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government is committed to building cohesive and resilient communities where everyone enjoys the opportunity to flourish. Integration is a long-term and two-way process, and we are very clear that it is not something that can or should be ‘done t…

7 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it utilises Blood Bikes Scotland in the transportation of blood and tissue samples, and what plans NHS Scotland has to increase its involvement.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) is the specialist provider of blood, tissues and cell products in Scotland. They provide a free delivery service to hospitals 24 hours a day every day of the year. Therefore they do not use Blood Bikes S…

31 May 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported ageing prison population.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish prison population is ageing. This is due, in part, to increasing sentence lengths, convictions for historical offences and an increase in life expectancy. The Scottish Prison Service is working with Scottish Government to review its population m…

31 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to (a) the National Trust for Scotland and (b) charities to promote outdoor education.

Answer · John Swinney: Outdoor education encompasses a wide range of learning which can take place in a variety of outdoor settings. It includes activities in school grounds; science and geography fieldwork; environmental and countryside education; outdoor and adventurous group act…

29 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the status of a property that has been declared as a business cannot be changed unless it is demolished or work is seen to have been carried out to convert it into a domestic property, and whether it plans to change this.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Non-domestic properties, subject to certain exemptions, are entered in the valuation roll and liable for non-domestic rates. Dwellings are entered in the valuation list and liable for council tax. This determination is made by local assessors in line with the…

26 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information SEPA shares with local authorities when licence exempt activities are subject to planning enforcement action.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Planning enforcement action is the responsibility of the relevant planning authority (local authority). SEPA is not involved in planning enforcement action undertaken by the authority, but may share information with local authorities upon request, where the l…