Parliamentary questions
Alex Cole-Hamilton
2,700 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
20 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent findings by Epilepsy Scotland, what support it provides to people with epilepsy who rely on public transport to ensure that they are not financially impacted as a result of COVID-19.
Answer · Michael Matheson: At these challenging times nothing is more important than the health and safety of all citizens of Scotland. We recognise the impact that service reductions have had and continue to have on the lives of people across the country, particularly for those who re…
19 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether representative disability groups and organisations can contribute to the work of its COVID-19 Education Recovery Group, and, if so, how.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government and the C19 Education Recovery Group are committed to excellence and equity for all of Scotland’s children and young people. We published an initial Impact Assessment to supplement our ‘ Coronavirus (COVID-19): strategic framework for …
19 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what provision it is making for the educational needs of pupils with additional support needs (ASN) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · John Swinney: One of our key priorities is to ensure that children and young people with additional support needs, who may be finding this difficult time particularly challenging, continue to be supported with their learning, whether at home or at a local hub. On 20 April…
19 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what provision it is making for additional support needs (ASN) children of key workers who require childcare.
Answer · John Swinney: Children and young people with complex additional support needs can continue, where appropriate, to attend local hubs to secure continuity in their care and support. On 31 March, we published guidance about the continued provision of care and support for the…
19 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it determined the proportion of income made up by self-catered accommodation as the qualifying threshold for business support in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Answer · Kate Forbes: Self-catering accommodation and caravans are considered eligible for grant funding if receipts represent a primary source (for example, one third or more) of earnings for the ratepayer and the property has been let out for 140 days or more in financial year 2…
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-28191 by Roseanna Cunningham on 14 April 2020, whether the Zero Waste Scotland research is led by disabled people.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Disabled people and carers have been engaged through one-to-one interviews conducted by an independent research agency on behalf of Zero Waste Scotland to understand their views on Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme.
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-28192 by Roseanna Cunningham on 14 April 2020, whether the communications will include materials in (a) Plain English and (b) BSL.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: An independent research agency on behalf of Zero Waste Scotland is currently engaging with national representative organisations and local authority equalities officers to understand best practice regarding communications with key groups which have protected …
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by group of the 97,000 children who have been classified in its report on the impact of COVID-19, Supporting Vulnerable Children and Young People, as "vulnerable".
Answer · John Swinney: It has always been made clear that the figure of 97,000 vulnerable children is an estimate, based on the number of children who are believed to have multi-agency plans. We do not have an exact number, because local partnerships have not maintained central dat…
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how current provision compares with the recommended whole-time equivalent (WTE) provision contained in appendixes 3 and 4 of the report, Delivering Effective Services: Needs Assessment and Service Recommendations for Specialist and Universal Perinatal…
Answer · Clare Haughey: During the first year of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme, as set out in the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board Delivery Plan 2019/20 , we have focused on a set of initial actions to implements the Perinatal Mental Health Man…
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update of table 4.2.1 in the report, Delivering Effective Services: Needs Assessment and Service Recommendations for Specialist and Universal Perinatal Mental Health Services, which was published on 6 March 2019, and which NHS boards currently have (a) discipli…
Answer · Clare Haughey: As described in the answer to question S5W-28877 on 18 May 2020 during the first year of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme, as set out in the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board Delivery Plan 2019-20, we have focused on a set of …
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether all NHS boards with birth numbers of over 5,000 per year now have a multidisciplinary community perinatal mental health team that has the skills and capacity to assess and care for pregnant and postnatal women, up to 12 months, who require secondary care mental health services.
Answer · Clare Haughey: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-28877 on 18 May 2020. 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/2…
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has introduced to the Mental Health Quality Indicators a measurement of how many women are seen for primary care psychological interventions in pregnancy, and in the first postnatal year, within six weeks of referral.
Answer · Clare Haughey: The Quality Indicators do not currently include this measurement. They are listed here https://www.gov.scot/publications/mental-health-quality-indicators-background-secondary-definitions/pages/8/ .
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which mother and baby units each NHS board admits its patients to, and whether it has any plans to establish more.
Answer · Clare Haughey: There are two Mother & Baby Units (MBUs) in Scotland. These are at Leverndale in Glasgow and St John’s in Livingston. NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde has contractual arrangements with: NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Highland (Clyde), NHS …
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether all NHS boards with birth numbers under 5,000 per year have a (a) stand-alone or (b) dispersed multidisciplinary community perinatal mental health team that has the skills and capacity to assess and care for, at a minimum, pregnant and postnatal women, up to 12 months, who have m…
Answer · Clare Haughey: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-28877 on 18 May 2020. 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/2…
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the furthest distance is that any mother had to travel to a mother and baby unit in 2019.
Answer · Clare Haughey: This information is not held centrally. Please refer to the answer to question S5W-28879 on 18 May 2020 for a breakdown of admissions to each MBU per NHS Board. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the…
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to recommendation 5 in the report, Delivering Effective Services: Needs Assessment and Service Recommendations for Specialist and Universal Perinatal Mental Health Services, which was published on 6 March 2019, whether each NHS board now ensures there is provision for accommodat…
Answer · Clare Haughey: A Family Fund is being created to help with travel, subsistence and accommodation costs for immediate family members of inpatients in MBUs. The Family Fund will support families from out of area to maintain close contact with women and infants who have been …
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to carry out a review of services and assessments of need for pregnant women and postnatal women with substance misuse, and, if so, when.
Answer · Clare Haughey: Yes, the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board has commissioned the Perinatal Managed Clinical Network to carry out this review, in conjunction with The Robertson Trust.
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to recommendation 3 in the report, Delivering Effective Services: Needs Assessment and Service Recommendations for Specialist and Universal Perinatal Mental Health Services, which was published on 6 March 2019, whether it has (a) established or (b) identified the site of the add…
Answer · Clare Haughey: The Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board (PNIMH-PB) agreed to undertake a review of access to MBU inpatient care for women with the most severe perinatal mental illness. A Short Life Expert Working Group (SLWG) was established to address three d…
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many admissions each mother and baby unit has had in each of the last three years, also broken down by the patient's NHS board.
Answer · Clare Haughey: This data is centrally held by Public Health Scotland (PHS). The following tables present the number of admissions to Mother and Baby Units in Scotland in the period 2017 – 2019 (up to and including December 2019), broken down by treatment unit and year of ad…
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether NHS Highland is currently meeting the Scotland-wide ambition of providing the best services to women with, or at risk of, mental ill-health in pregnancy or the postnatal period, their infants, partners and families.
Answer · Clare Haughey: The Programme Board is working with NHS Highland to support its development of Perinatal Mental Health Services. This has included £82,367 in 2019-20 for Community Perinatal Mental Health provision across NHS Highland and Grampian. Forward planning includes f…
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that all NHS boards have equity of access to a regional mother and baby unit (MBU); whether any boards do not have service level agreements with an MBU, and, if so, for what reason.
Answer · Clare Haughey: The two Mother and Baby Units in Scotland are regionally managed. However, admission is available to women and infants from all health board areas in Scotland, based on clinical need. The Scottish Government expects that where admission to an inpatient unit i…
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many category (a) purple and (b) red ambulance callouts took more than 20 minutes to arrive at the incident in each (i) of the last three calendar years and (ii) month to date in 2020, and what proportion of the calls in these categories each represents, also broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The following table details the information requested: Purple and Red Incidents Attended, 01-01-2017 – 30-04-2020 2017 2018 2019 2020 National Purple Incidents Attended 8677 9591 13547 5123 >20 Minutes 206 230 376 172 >20 Minutes % 2…
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many category (a) purple and (b) red ambulance call-outs took more than (i) 8, (ii) 10, (iii) 15 and (iv) 20 minutes to arrive at the incident in each (A) of the last three calendar years and (B) month to date in 2020, and what proportion of the calls in these categories each represe…
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The following table details the information requested: Purple and Red Incidents Attended, 01-01-2017 - 30-04-2020 2017 2018 2019 2020 National Purple Incidents Attended 8677 9591 13547 5123 >8 Minutes 2544 2874 4463 2040 >8 Minutes % …
21 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many non-COVID-19-related deaths there were in week (a) 14 and (b) 15 in 2020, broken down by cause, and how each figure compares with the five-year average.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: a) Week 14 Figures making up 5 year average Registered deaths 2020 Five year average (2015-2019) 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Cancer 375 292 284 296 274 321 287 Dementia/Alzheimer’s 203 118 99 119 124 130 116 Circulatory (heart …
20 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the accidental spilling of raw sewage into the River Almond from the East Calder Treatment Works on 6 April 2020, and by what date it will be safe for people to walk near the area, including those exercising dogs.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The incident referred to was a minor spill which occurred during routine maintenance works. It was resolved immediately at the time and SEPA, as environmental regulator, was notified. Given the relatively small volumes involved and the fact that the spillage…
20 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting local authorities in tackling fly tipping during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: We are clear that fly tipping is illegal, dangerous and unnecessary. Responsibility for responding to such behaviour rests with local councils as part of their wider role in the management of local waste services. We are committed to working with councils to …
20 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will resume the work of the Sustainable Housing for Everyone (SHORE) standards, and for what reason it paused this workstream.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: A national review of the Sustainable Housing on Release for Everyone (SHORE) standards has been paused as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic so that Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and partners can focus on the public health emergency. That in no way detracts fr…
20 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the number of people who have died at home from heart failure each day since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, and how this compares to figures prior to the outbreak.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: In the 50 days between 1 March and 19 April 2020, 209 death were registered where the deceased died at home or in a non-institutional setting and heart failure was mentioned on the death certificate either as the underlying cause or as a contributory cause of…
20 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its publication, Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action (2016) update: achievements, new action and testing change, what progress it has made with ensuring that all cancer patients get a treatment summary at the end of their treatment, and by what date this will be possible.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: NES Digital Services (NDS) and Innovative Healthcare Delivery Programme (IHDP) are currently working on the digital services required to roll out treatment summaries in Scotland. These summaries will cover primary care, secondary care, and people undergoing o…
20 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is on track to halve childhood obesity by 2030, and what action it is taking to achieve this.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Latest data from the 2018 Scottish Healthy Survey shows that the prevalence of childhood obesity has remained relatively stable at 16%. Our Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan recognises that halving childhood obesity is a major challenge and sets out over 6…