Alex Cole-Hamilton

20 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on allowing interim access to the cystic fibrosis treatment, Orkambi, through the Cystic Fibrosis Trust’s clinical data registry.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: There is an established process for licensed medicines to be appraised through the Scottish Medicines Consortium and we expect companies to follow this route. I am pleased that Vertex Pharmaceuticals have announced that it will make a new submission to the SM…

20 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many requests have been made by clinicians through the Peer Approved Clinical System (PACS) Tier Two for patients to access the cystic fibrosis treatment, Orkambi.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-19618 on 2 November 2018. 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/parliamentarybusine…

19 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will use the recommendations in the Taskforce for Lung Health report, A National Five Year Plan for Lung Health in England, to help develop its respiratory action plan.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: In developing the Scottish Respiratory Care Action Plan we will consider all evidence that is relevant in the Scottish context.

11 Dec 2018 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, in light of reports that the use of electrical safety socket covers can lead to an increased risk of electrocution, what its position is on the use of these in the Parliament complex.

Answer · Kezia Dugdale: Our Facilities Management Office is aware of the Estates and Facilities alert regarding electrical socket inserts or covers, which was issued by the Department of Health and NHS National Services Scotland in 2016. Electrical socket inserts or covers are not u…

11 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the use of electrical safety socket covers can lead to an increased risk of electrocution, what (a) its position is on holding a public awareness campaign regarding their use and (b) action it can take to ban these devices.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The regulation of product safety is reserved to the UK Government. Under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, all products placed on the UK market must be safe. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring consumers have access to reliable informa…

11 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the use of electrical safety socket covers can lead to an increased risk of electrocution, what its position is on banning their use in (a) health, (b) social care and (c) other premises.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: On the 30 June 2016, NHS National Services Scotland issued to NHS Scotland an 'Estates and Facilities Alert' about electrical socket covers/protectors. The alert is available online: http://www.hfs.scot.nhs.uk/publications/1481217513-EFA%202016%20002.pdf All…

5 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the reported shortage of lawyers accepting legal aid.

Answer · Ash Denham: A strong legal system is critical to the rule of law and upholding human rights. Any instability of that system would be a concern for the Scottish Government. However the Scottish Government disagrees that there is a shortage of legal aid providers and the e…

5 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government plans it has to assess the availability of lawyers that accept legal aid.

Answer · Ash Denham: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-20393. On 13 December 2018. 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/parliamentarybusine…

5 Dec 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UN regarding proposals to raise the internationally-advised minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14.

29 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will to bring forward legislation to deliver the commitment in its Programme for Government to "incorporate the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law".

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is dedicated to ensuring that the Programme for Government commitment is successfully delivered as soon as possible and we intend to carry out a public consultation in 2019 on how we incorporate the principles of the UNCRC into domesti…

29 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, should the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child recommend raising the internationally-advised minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 from February 2019, whether it considers that this would (a) necessitate a pause to the legislative process for the Age of Criminal Responsibilit…

Answer · Maree Todd: The United Nation Committee on the Rights of the Child’s draft revised Comment No. 10 is currently out to consultation and we will consider the views in the final report and any relationship to this bill and indeed, any other bill or policy development once t…

29 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response to the report, Kilbrandon Again, which has recommended that the age of criminal responsibility should be raised to 16.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government will consider the ‘Kilbrandon Again’ report and its recommendations carefully within the context of a range of work underway in this area. In particular we will consider how these recommendations might sit alongside the independent car…

29 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it was made aware of consultation by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child regarding whether to raise the internationally-advised minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 from February 2019; whether this was before it published the draft Age of Criminal Responsibil…

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government was made aware of the consultation on 14 November 2018, the day after the Scottish Parliament’s stage 1 debate on the Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Bill. Recommendations on the age of criminal responsibility from United Na…

27 Nov 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its response to the vote in the Parliament on 19 September 2018 opposing National Standardised Assessments for P1 pupils.

27 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) referrals and rejections are monitored by ethnic group and if (a) so, whether it will provide a breakdown of these for each of the last five years and (b) not, what its position is on whether such data should be collected.

Answer · Clare Haughey: Data is not centrally held by ISD, CAMHS data is submitted by an aggregate return for all therapies by each NHS Health Board. We are unable to split this data by ethnic group. The Government’s position is that this data should be collected in the future once…

26 Nov 2018 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome.

23 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many live homeless applications there were in each local authority area on Christmas Day in each of the last three years, and how many (a) adults and (b) children these related to.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The following table gives the number of live homeless applications at December 25th for each local authority for each of the years 2015, 2016 and 2017. Local Authority 2015 2016 2017 Aberdeen City 1133 1107 1167 Aberdeenshire 743 748 797 Angus 6…

22 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to expand teacher training capacity following the reported over-subscription for STEM teacher training places in higher education institutions.

Answer · John Swinney: Each year, the Scottish Government conducts a national teacher workforce planning exercise in partnership with other educational stakeholders. This annual exercise determines the requirement for newly qualified teachers and provides guidance to the Scottish F…

20 Nov 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports communities in achieving fair trade accreditation.

19 Nov 2018 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government is promoting a vibrant newspaper industry.

16 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many working days have been lost because of incontinence in each of the last fiveyears, and what the economic cost has been.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

16 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance and standards the six-week post-natal check is based on.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines (2015) on Postnatal care up to 8 weeks after birth state that, “at each postnatal contact the healthcare professional should ask the woman about her health and wellbeing and that of her b…

16 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on including a self-assessment questionnaire regarding (a) pelvic health and (b) incontinence in the bowel screening kit sent to people aged 50 and over.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government would not support the inclusion of self-assessment questionnaires into the invitation issued by NHS Scotland’s Bowel Screening programme. The programme has tailored invitations, offering key information to support individuals in making…

16 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information regarding (a) incontinence and (b) pelvic floor exercises is included in Personal Health and Social Education (PHSE) lessons for secondary school pupils.

Answer · John Swinney: Curriculum for Excellence is the national approach to learning and teaching for young people aged 3 to 18 in Scotland. It provides significant flexibility, within broad national guidelines, for teachers to develop lessons which best meet the needs of individu…

16 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to revise A Healthier Future - Scotland’s Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan to include measures regarding incontinence management.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: A Healthier Future: Scotland’s Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan, published in July 2018 following wide consultation with stakeholders, sets out a vision for everyone in Scotland to eat well and have a healthy weight. The delivery plan has a strong focus o…

16 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information regarding (a) pelvic floor exercises, (b) general pelvic health and (c) incontinence is contained in the Baby Box.

Answer · Maree Todd: There is no information regarding pelvic floor exercises, general pelvic health or incontinence contained in the Baby Box. The Ready, Steady, Baby guide, which gets distributed to all mothers at their first midwife check-in and is also available online, has …

16 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on including a self-assessment questionnaire regarding incontinence when issuing invites to attend a mammogram.  

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government would not support the inclusion of self-assessment questionnaires into the invitation issued by NHS Scotland’s Breast Screening programme. The programme has tailored invitations, offering key information to support individuals in makin…

16 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what remuneration GPs receive for carrying out six-week post-natal checks.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: GPs carry out six-week post-natal checks on the same basis as other appointments with no specific remuneration.

14 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to prevent an outbreak of large moorland wildfires similar to those in spring 2018.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government is working with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Wildfire Forum (SWF) to develop a wildfire risk scenario for Scotland. This will support individuals and agencies in planning for and responding to wildfire events. …

14 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring is taking place to ensure compliance with the latest Muirburn Code to help protect peatlands and other fire-sensitive habitats.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Where land managers are in receipt of certain Scottish Government support payments, they have to meet Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) requirements, one of which relates to the Muirburn Code. Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspecti…