Parliamentary questions
Alex Cole-Hamilton
2,700 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
14 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish its updated suicide prevention strategy.
Answer · Maureen Watt: In Autumn and Winter 2017-18, the Scottish Government will engage with stakeholders with a view to developing a new suicide prevention action plan for publication in 2018. The key themes of the existing Suicide Prevention Strategy namely improving responses t…
10 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve access to clinical nurse specialists in myeloproliferative neoplasms.
Answer · Shona Robison: We are working together with partners to improve the outcomes and support for people with rare diseases as outlined in the Implementation Plan 'It's Not Rare to Have a Rare Disease'. The Scottish Government cancer strategy 'Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action…
10 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on increasing the number of clinical nurse specialists in the NHS.
Answer · Shona Robison: Clinical nurse specialists make a valued contribution to delivering services and supporting patients and families who require specialist care. The Scottish Government has invested £2.5 million annually in the Specialist Nursing and Care Fund since 2015. NHS B…
10 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve knowledge and awareness in the NHS of myeloproliferative neoplasms.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government recognises that there are particular challenges around raising awareness amongst clinicians of the many varied rare diseases. These are not issues unique to Scotland and in 2009 the European Union recommended that each EU state have in…
10 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many clinical nurse specialists in myeloproliferative neoplasms there are.
Answer · Shona Robison: The information held centrally is not recorded at this level of detail. The number of clinical nurse specialists in post can be found on the workforce statistics web site https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2016-12-06/Clinical_Nur…
9 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact the fall in the value of the pound has had on the amount that NHS Scotland spends on importing drugs.
Answer · Shona Robison: The pharmaceutical industry operates in a global market in which the purchase of drugs is traded in dollars and euros. Currency fluctuations have always been part of the normal course of business for both NHSScotland and suppliers. I have previously highlig…
9 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) 3- and (b) 4-year-olds there are, also broken down by the number in each local authority area.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The latest figures show that there were (a) 58,232 3 year olds and (b) 59,741 4 year olds in Scotland as at 30 June 2016. Table 1 shows the number in each local authority. Table 1; Number of 3 and 4 year olds by council area, Scotland, Mid-2016. Age 3 Ag…
9 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that all local authorities are able to (a) deliver and (b) sustain the 30-hour early years provision, and whether the additional funding it is providing towards this is ring-fenced.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is committed to meeting the costs of delivering the expansion in funded early learning and childcare (ELC) entitlement to 1140 hours by 2020. The expansion must be delivered efficiently whilst ensuring that the outcomes of the expansio…
9 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have been turned away from each mental health inpatient unit in each of the last three years, broken down by reason, and how many were (a) admitted to alternative units, broken down by unit, (b) treated on adult wards and (c) not admitted at all.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Information on how many children and young people who have been turned away from each mental health impatient unit in each of the last three years, (including breakdown) is not held centrally. The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland's Young person monitor…
8 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of first-time registrations with the Registers of Scotland have been undertaken within the six-month target in each year since 2012.
Answer · Keith Brown: 12-13 13-14 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 FR Despatch Volume 27,860 26,092 26,776 29,655 27,948 15,762 % Despatched within 20 Days 7% 32% 42% 19% 54% 60% % Despatched between 20 days & 6 Months 56% 56% 42% 56% 15% 27% % Desp…
8 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of registration applications have been rejected by the Registers of Scotland in each year since 2012.
Answer · Keith Brown: Financial Year Rejection Rate 2012-13 4.3% 2013-14 4.1% 2014-15 7.5% 2015-16 10.4% 2016-17 9.6% 2017-18 YTD 7.9%
8 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that around 300,000 property title owners have not been notified regarding changes to their deeds following the Registers of Scotland's Post Accuracy Improvement Programme, and what plans it has to notify in writing all title holders affected by the change…
Answer · Keith Brown: The Keeper of the Registers of Scotland is under a statutory duty to maintain a cadastral map of Scotland. This map shows the legal boundaries of all property registered in the land register. The cadastral map uses the ordnance survey map of Scotland as the b…
8 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response it to reports that some documents that have been downloaded through RegistersDirect contain inaccuracies regarding the information that is held by the Registers of Scotland, and whether it plans to improve the IT system to rectify this.
Answer · Keith Brown: Registers Direct has successfully provided access to information on the public registers maintained by Registers of Scotland since 1999, dealing with 1.4m chargeable searches each year. The Land Registration etc. (Scotland) Act 2012 sets out the action the Ke…
8 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the proposal by the Keeper of Registers of Scotland to replace the full list of conditions on title sheets with a list of the relevant burdens and a link to a scan of the original set of deeds, and what its response is to concerns that this could cause delay and i…
Answer · Keith Brown: In 2015, the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland consulted on her approach to using the Keeper-induced registration powers provided to her under the Land Registration etc. (Scotland) Act 2012. As part of this consultation, the Keeper sought views on a proposa…
8 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-10808 by Keith Brown on 25 August 2017, whether the Scottish Expert Advisory Panel on the Collaborative Economy still expects to report by the end of 2017 and, if not, what the reason is for the delay, and by what date the report will be published.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Expert Advisory Panel on the Collaborative Economy will have their final meeting on 30 November at which they will consider their conclusions and recommendations. The panel will report to Scottish Ministers by the end of 2017 and the report is du…
30 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Legal Aid Board has a provision to cover fees in relation to obtaining a welfare guardianship.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: Civil legal aid is available without a means test or any requirement to pay a contribution for proceedings in relation to an order under sections 53, 57, 60, 62 or 63 of The Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 where the order relates: · only to the ad…
30 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reduced funding to the Scottish Older Persons Assembly by over 70%.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government values the work of SOPA and the important contributions made by older people, and we were pleased to provide funding for the National Assembly and Parliamentary reception in what was a highly competitive process. We were unable to supp…
27 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what legislation covers the carrying of open containers of alcohol in public.
Answer · Michael Matheson: There is no specific legislation that covers the carrying of open containers of alcohol in public. However, powers for local authorities to create and amend byelaws are contained in section 201 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. Local authorities ca…
27 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance there is (a) generally and (b) for Police Scotland on the application of laws regarding carrying open containers of alcohol in public.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Enforcement of the criminal law is an operational matter for Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. The Scottish Government issued an updated circular on byelaws concerning the consumption of alcohol in public places on 4 August …
23 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many perinatal clinical psychologists work across neonatal units, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Best Start recommends that "NHS Boards should ensure all neonatal staff can refer parents of babies in neonatal care to local psychological services" and we will work with NHS Boards to ensure that this is taken forward. We are unable to give data on the …
23 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the availability of perinatal clinical psychologist support for parents whose children are in neonatal care.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Best Start recommends: "All NHS Boards should review their current access to perinatal mental health services to ensure early and equitable access is available to high quality services, with clear referral pathways. NHS Boards should ensure adequate provi…
23 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the five-year forward plan for maternity and neonatal care.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Best Start launched in January 2017 and shortly after this Jane Grant was appointed Chair of the Implementation Programme Board (IPB). I met Jane Grant on 31st October to discuss progress of the IPB. An update on the progress has been lodged in SPICe Bib …
23 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the remit is of the Neonatal Managed Clinical Network; who its members are, and how often it meets.
Answer · Shona Robison: In Scotland there are three regional Neonatal Managed Clinical Networks (MCNs), for the West of Scotland (WoS), South East and Tayside (SEAT) and North of Scotland (NoS). The MCNs aim to hold meetings quarterly however this will vary depending on business nee…
23 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to address the reported rising cost of accommodated care in older age.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has ensured that by legislating to require local authorities to offer deferred payment agreements, no-one should have to sell their home during their lifetime to fund the cost of their residential care. The Scottish Government introdu…
13 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much the NHS spends annually on sending out letters to people over 65 reminding them of their entitlement to the flu vaccine, and, light of reports of increased public awareness, whether it plans to review this.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: This information is not held centrally.
13 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects its new diet and obesity strategy to require legislation to be implemented and, if so, what form of legislation this will be.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Consultation is underway on a wide set of proposals and will conclude at the end of January 2018. We will consider how best to take forward proposals, including the shape of legislative action, in the light of responses to consultation.
13 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has received from stakeholders regarding its plans to reduce the consumption of junk food, and whether it will place details of these in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).
Answer · Aileen Campbell: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-12026 on 1 November 2017. 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…
13 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) legal and (b) other advice it has received regarding policies it is considering or has considered that aim to reduce the consumption of junk food.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government considered advice and views from a wide variety of sources in preparing the consultation document. From within the public sector that included advice from Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and supporting evidence in 3 papers (January 2016,…
13 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of additional taxes on foods high in fat and sugar on (a) shops, (b) restaurants, (c) takeaways and fast food outlets, (d) cinemas, and (e) other businesses.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: Powers to levy taxes on foods high in fat, salt and sugar are reserved to the UK Government. As such, the Scottish Government has not conducted any impact assessment that such additional taxes would have on the types of establishments mentioned in the questio…
13 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to engage with the Health and Sport Committee to allow it to (a) influence and (b) approve its new diet and obesity strategy.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: I would welcome a response from the Committee to the consultation and would be happy to discuss our proposals and hear the views of all its members. This follows my attendance at the Committee’s evidence session on 16 December, where I encouraged the Committe…