Questions · Alex Cole-Hamilton

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been (a) referred to and (b) treated by each alcohol and drug partnership in each year since 2011-12.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Table one shows the number of (a) referrals to drug and alcohol treatment services and (b) the number of clients who have started first treatment for drug or alcohol misuse between 1 April 2011 2016 and 31 March 2016. The figures given are for total number …

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to each alcohol and drug partnership in each year since 2011-12.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) are funded through contributions from NHS Boards and local partners. NHS Boards provide funding from their general resource allocation and the specific funding allocation for ADPs provided by the Scottish Government. For…

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time to begin drug or alcohol treatment (i) was in each year since 2011-12 and (ii) has been since April 2016.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Table one includes information on the average wait for treatment and the length of time that 95 and 99 people out of 100 waited to begin their first treatment, between 1st April 2011 and 31st March 2016. The requested information for longest waiting times co…

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff each alcohol and drug partnership has employed in each year since 2011-12.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. This is a matter for the NHS boards and the individual Alcohol and Drug Partnerships.

11 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce legislation that would allow builders who carry out substandard work and cause properties to become dangerous to be charged with a criminal offence.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government has no such plans currently for further legislation. Under building standards legislation, constructors and building owners have statutory responsibility for works carried out to buildings. A person carrying out work without a building…

11 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce regulations to introduce licensing for companies carrying out building works.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01922 on 21 September 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/parliamentarybusin…

11 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce greater regulation in the building trade.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government’s approach to Better Regulation focuses on five key principles – that regulation should be transparent, proportionate, consistent, accountable and targeted only where needed. The regulatory environment should also encourage and suppor…

11 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what penalties can be applied to a residential care service provider when an older person is injured because of a lack of adequate protection, and under what legislation.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: All care home residents are entitled to receive high-quality care, support and protection from harm in a safe and secure setting. The penalties which can be placed on a care service provider who fails to provide adequate protection for people in their care in…

11 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action a complainer can take under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 if an older person sustains an injury because a local authority has failed to provide suitable and adequate residential accommodation.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Complaints raised under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 are to be handled by local authorities in accordance with the Local Authorities Complaints Procedures Directions (SWSG 5/1996), which are published on the Scottish Government website: http://www.gov.…

11 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action a complainer can take under the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 if a local authority fails to offer self-directed support options.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The act places duties on local authorities to offer individuals a range of options for how their social care services are delivered and to ensure that individuals are given the relevant support and information to allow them to make informed choices. The Self…

27 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce offending by people with acquired brain injury.

Answer · Michael Matheson: In October 2014 the Scottish Government tasked the National Prisoner Healthcare Network (NPHN) to consider the health needs and services required by people with brain injury who are involved in the criminal justice system. The NPHN's workstream on brain injur…

27 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations in the National Prisoner Healthcare Network report, Brain Injury and Offending.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government notes the recommendations of the National Prisoner Healthcare Network report, ‘Brain Injury and Offending’. NHS Boards are responsible for the provision of healthcare in prisons, in line with national guidance, local service needs and …

22 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce changes to the guidance that it provides to local authorities regarding the rights of access to children after parental separation (a) generally and (b) after incidences of abuse.

Answer · Mark McDonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01619 on 19 August 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/…

22 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the appropriateness of a child being forced to have unsupervised meetings with a parent who has either been sexually and/or physically abusive to them or who has been abusive to the other parent in front of the child.

Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The paramount consideration in any recommendation or decision about a contact arrangement is the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child. Where children are looked after by the local authority away from their parents’ care, local authority soci…

22 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on abusive parents who have separated from their partners having unsupervised access to their children.

Answer · Annabelle Ewing: In cases involving children, the Scottish Government considers that the key issue is the welfare and wellbeing of the child. Where possible, the views of the child should be taken into account. When there is a dispute about whether or not a separated parent s…

22 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to local authorities regarding the right of access to children in cases when physical and/or sexual violence took place at home before the parents separated.

Answer · Mark McDonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01617 on 18 August 2016. In addition, the Scottish Government provides local authorities with the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland to support practitioners when a child protection concern has …

14 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review exemptions to right to roam on sporting ground under the provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Under Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, people have a right of access to most land and inland water in Scotland, so long as they act responsibly as detailed in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. With regard to sports or playing fields, the Act pr…

14 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a land reform Bill and, if so, when.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The focus of the Scottish Government’s work on land reform is on implementing the provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016, which received Royal Assent on 22 April 2016, and on our commitment to promote and facilitate community land ownership across …

12 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a new family law Bill and what plans it has to introduce legislation to give grandparents rights to contact with their grandchildren.

Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The Scottish Government is committed to reviewing the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 to ensure the interests of children and their need to form and maintain relationships with key adults in their lives, such as grandparents, are at the heart of any new statutor…

8 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reduce the number of (a) territorial and (b) special NHS boards and, if so, (i) by how many and (ii) how.

Answer · Shona Robison: This Government is committed to reviewing the number, structure and regulation of both territorial and special health boards and their relationships with local councils. The detail of this work has yet to be finalised but will be subject to engagement with Pa…

8 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an assessment of (a) how much money would be saved and (b) what reduction in staff would result from reducing the number of NHS boards.