Alex Cole-Hamilton

2 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the timetable is for consultation on adults with incapacity legislation, and whether extending registered medical practitioners to include psychologists will be part of the consultation.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government will be consulting on adults with incapacity legislation in the course of 2017 and consideration of whether extending registered medical practitioners to include clinical psychologists for the purposes of the AWI legislation will be pa…

2 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the merits of extending registered medical practitioners to include psychologists.

Answer · Maureen Watt: I met with representatives of the British Psychological Society (BPS) on 8 September this year to discuss among other matters the merits of extending registered medical practitioners for the purposes of section 47 of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act …

30 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that there are no education opportunities in Scotland to become a practitioner in applied behavioural analysis to assist children who have been diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Universities are autonomous bodies and as such they have responsibility for their own staffing, admission, subject provision, curriculum, degree awarding and research. Course provision is therefore a matter for each individual institution. The Scottish Gover…

30 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that some local authorities refuse to fund applied behavioural analysis to assist children who have been diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder, including through self-directed support.

Answer · Maureen Watt: A supported person’s needs and outcomes will not always respect the traditional boundaries between healthcare services and social care services. The Statutory Guidance accompanying the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 encourages the res…

30 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason applied behavioural analysis (ABA) to assist children who have been diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder is not recognised by (a) the NHS in Scotland and (b) local authorities and, in light of reports that ABA is being used by the NHS in other parts of the UK and int…

Answer · Maureen Watt: The key to providing appropriate support, is to take a person-centred approach and to use the range of tools and strategies which will ultimately result in the best outcomes for that individual. The use of interventions based on ABA is identified both in the …

30 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of applied behavioural analysis to assist children who have been diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government is not prescriptive in the use of particular autism interventions. The Scottish Strategy for Autism’s publication the Menu of Interventions was published in 2013 link: http://www.autismnetworkscotland.org.uk/menu-of-interventions/. It …

24 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its efforts to assess the potential effectiveness of a population-based case finding approach to hepatitis C.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Health Protection Scotland are working with Glasgow Caledonian University to undertake work to ascertain the cost-effectiveness of performing birth cohort hepatitis C screening among the population of Scotland. A report will be prepared and submitted to Scott…

24 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-04549 by Aileen Campbell on 22 November 2016, what analysis it has carried out to determine the reason for the fall in the number of hepatitis C diagnoses in 2015; what estimate it has made of the current number of undiagnosed cases, and what steps …

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Health Protection Scotland have investigated the reduction in the number of diagnosis in 2015 but has not identified a particular trend to explain this. HPS has specifically examined whether or not there has been a reduction in the volume of testing undertake…

17 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to people who are addicted to betting (a) on fixed-odds betting terminals and (b) in general.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: In common with other behaviours that cause difficulties in people’s lives and contribute to their ill health, problem gambling is addressed as part of wider health issues that a person may be experiencing including mental health problems and substance misuse …

17 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the rules governing the use of fixed-odds betting terminals.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The rules governing the use of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals are reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government argued in the Smith Commission for the full devolution of gambling policy to Scotland on the grounds that this would enable problem gamblin…

17 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to limit the maximum bet on fixed-odds betting terminals once it has the powers to do so.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The power to legislate on the maximum bet permitted on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals remains reserved to the UK Government. The Scotland Act 2016 only included a limited power in respect of setting the number of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals in new betting sho…

17 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that betting shops frequently bypass current rules on the maximum number of fixed-odds betting terminals per shop by opening a number of shops close to each other.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government intends to lay changes to planning legislation regarding betting offices before the Scottish Parliament by the end of the year. The proposed changes will remove the current exemption from planning control that applies when certain prem…

16 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-02033 by Aileen Campbell on 11 November 2016, how much funding it will provide to each alcohol and drug partnership in 2016-17.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Funding for alcohol and drug treatment services is directed through NHS territorial boards, who determine the final allocation to ADPs from all the funds provided to them by the Scottish Government. Health Secretary Shona Robison set out to boards at the star…

7 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there has been a delay in establishing the Scottish Centre for Deep Brain Stimulation.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-03333 on 27 October 2016. 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…

7 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the mental health requirements of the carers of people with terminal illnesses.

Answer · Maureen Watt: We expect that mental health care and treatment will be delivered in a person-centred manner to meet each individual’s needs. That includes cases where the individual is a carer for someone who has a terminal illness. On 18 December 2015, the Scottish Govern…

7 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the mental health requirements of children who have experienced the death of a parent or close relative.

Answer · Maureen Watt: We expect that mental health care and treatment will be delivered in a person-centred manner to meet each individual’s needs. This includes in circumstances where a child has experienced the death of a parent or close relative, and is subsequently experiencin…

7 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the mental health requirements of people with terminal illnesses.

Answer · Maureen Watt: We expect that mental health care and treatment will be delivered in a person-centred manner to meet each individual’s needs. That includes cases where the individual has a terminal illness. On 18 December 2015, the Scottish Government published our Strategi…

7 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what training in end of life care is given to mental health practitioners.

Answer · Shona Robison: All health professionals are expected to demonstrate through both work based learning and self-directed learning, the knowledge and skills in end of life care to satisfy the core competencies of their profession. The requirements and content of training curr…

7 Nov 2016 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact “justifiable assault” has on children.

7 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been diagnosed with hepatitis C in each of the last three years.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The data in the following table is taken from Health Protection Scotland’s website at: http://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/bbvsti/wrdetail.aspx?id=68846&wrtype=6#images Year Number of people reported to be Hepatitis C antibody positive 2013 1,941 2014 2,024 201…

7 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been treated for hepatitis C since 2013, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Details are as follows: NHS Board Number commencing therapy in 2012-2013 Number commencing therapy in 2013-2014 Number commencing therapy in 2014-2015 Number commencing therapy in 2015-2016 Ayrshire & Arran 48 38 64 101 Borders 9 11 7 17 Dumfr…

7 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, by the end of the year, how many people it estimates will have been treated for hepatitis C in 2016.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: It is estimated 1,871 people will have been treated for hepatitis C in the financial year 2016-17.

7 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which prisons have an opt-out approach to blood-borne virus testing.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Opt-out blood borne virus testing for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV is available for all new prisoners at HMP Castle Huntly, Cornton Vale, Glenochil, Grampian, Kilmarnock, Perth, Polmont and Shotts, while Barlinne, Greenock and Low Moss have an opt-out app…

7 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to identify people who are infected with hepatitis C but who remain undiagnosed.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Through the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus networks, the Scottish Government has regular discussions with Health Protection Scotland, NHS boards and Hepatitis Scotland to help promote best practice and information sharing in relation to identifying peopl…

7 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners have been (a) tested and (b) treated for hepatitis C since 2013.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Health Protection Scotland collects data on Hepatitis C tests from the West of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre, East of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre, Department of Medical Microbiology at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Ninewells Hospital and Medical …

4 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to establish a hearing screening pilot for all people aged 65 and over, as recommended by Action on Hearing Loss Scotland.

Answer · Maureen Watt: On screening issues we are advised by the UK National Screening Committee (NSC), an independent expert advisory group which advises Ministers and the NHS in the four UK countries about all aspects of screening. In January 2016, following a review of the evid…

4 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its Audiology Services Advisory Group has not met since 2012 and when it will next meet.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Audiology Services Advisory Group (ASAG) was established by the Scottish Government in 2003 to take forward the audiology modernisation programme. Following the successful completion of the work in December 2011, it was agreed that the Group’s functions w…

4 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage young people who are deaf or have hearing loss to take up modern apprenticeships.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Equalities Action Plan (EAP) for Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland, published in December 2015, outlines the challenges to be addressed and the actions Skills Development Skills (SDS) will undertake with partners to improve the participation of under-rep…

4 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to establish a lipreading working group.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government is committed to improving the services, support and care available to people with hearing loss through its national strategy ‘See Hear’. A Lip Reading Strategy Group is in place and is chaired by Action on Hearing Loss Scotland. The Gr…

4 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of lipreading classes across Scotland.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government is committed to improving the services, support and care available to people with hearing loss through its national strategy ‘See Hear’. The strategy was jointly endorsed by COSLA and the Scottish Government allocated £2 million of fun…