Parliamentary questions
Alex Cole-Hamilton
2,700 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any occasions when local authorities have disregarded the Statutory guidance to accompany the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 with regard to offering direct payments as one of the care options for adults.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Social Care (Self-directed Support) Act 2013 is founded on the principles of dignity, empowerment and collaboration. It places firm duties on local authorities to offer a range of options for how social care support is delivered and to give individuals th…
27 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers it important that a person’s human rights are considered when deciding on an appropriate care placement.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Social Care (Self-directed Support) Act 2013 is founded on the principles of dignity, empowerment and collaboration. It places firm duties on local authorities to offer a range of options for how social care support is delivered and to give individuals th…
20 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) a copy of the revised Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors (FCBC) programme referred to by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work on 8 June 2016 (Official Report, c. 19).
Answer · Keith Brown: The revised Forth Crossing Bridge Constructor’s programme I referred to on 8 June 2016 is held by Forth Crossing Bridge Constructor’s. The Forth Crossing Bridge Constructor’s programme will not be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) b…
20 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) copies of the risk register for the Queensferry Crossing from each month of construction.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Forth Crossing Bridge Constructor risk register and Transport Scotland risk register for the Forth Replacement Crossing Project will not be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) because disclosure of this particular information woul…
20 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what dates ministers requested or were shown a copy of the risk register for the Queensferry Crossing.
Answer · Keith Brown: As confirmed by Forth Crossing Bridge Constructor’s (FCBC) and Transport Scotland at the Forth Replacement Crossing Project Technical Briefing you attended on Friday 10 June 2016, Forth Crossing Bridge Constructor’s and Transport Scotland have robust risk reg…
20 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work on 8 June 2016 (Official Report, c. 18), on what dates Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors (FCBC) decided to (a) take on 100 additional workers and (b) increase working hours.
Answer · Keith Brown: Forth Crossing Bridge Constructor's (FCBC) workforce, which comprises direct employees, agency staff and subcontracted staff, fluctuates in order to meet the demands of the project. FCBC estimate that since the beginning of 2016 their overall workforce has in…
13 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to change the legislation on property ownership to require property owners to allow reasonable access to their property if access is required to carry out vital repairs to a neighbouring property.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The Scottish Government has no current plans to change the legislation in this area. In relation to flatted properties, section 17 of the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 gives homeowners reasonable access for maintenance and other purposes through the property…
13 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action property owners who do not have the right of reasonable access to neighbouring properties can take in order to carry out vital repairs to their own property written into their deeds.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: A property owner who does not have access rights written into their title deeds, and those of their neighbour(s), to carry out repairs could seek to obtain the consent of their neighbour(s) to obtain such rights. A solicitor could provide advice and arrange f…
13 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many properties do not have reasonable access to neighbouring properties in order to carry out vital repairs to their own property written into their deeds.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
6 Jun 2016 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister on what date the new Queensferry Crossing will open.
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what countries it is aware of that provide pre-exposure prophylaxis.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government is aware that pre-exposure prophylaxis has been approved for treatment in France, Australia and the United States of America.
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost per patient is of (a) pre-exposure prophylaxis and (b) treatment for HIV.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: In order for the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) to assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis, including comparisons with current licensed treatments, the manufacturer would need to obtain a marketing authorisation (product li…
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered the introduction of pre-exposure prophylaxis; whether its introduction would assist in preventing future HIV infections, and, if so, to what extent.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) provides advice to NHS boards in Scotland about the status of newly licensed medicines and new formulations and indications of established products following submissions from pharmaceutical companies. A manufacturer wou…
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to establish new dedicated inpatient mental health beds for children and young people north of Dundee.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Children and young people referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) will be generally treated in the community. There may however be times when it is necessary to admit them to hospital for specialist treatment. Should this be the case t…
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many agency and bank staff have worked at Dudhope House in Dundee since it opened and what percentage of shifts has been covered by these staff.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The information requested is not held centrally at hospital level. Information on the use of nursing and midwifery agency and bank staff is available at NHS board level. However we can confirm that the total Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services work…
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people requiring treatment have been turned away from Dudhope House due to a lack of available beds in each month since May 2015, and how many were subsequently (a) admitted to alternative inpatient units in Edinburgh and Glasgow, (b) treated on adult wards, (…
Answer · Maureen Watt: Children and young people referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) will generally be treated in the community. There may be times when it is necessary to admit them to hospital for specialist mental health treatment; should this be the …
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been aware of inpatient beds at Dudhope House not being available for use due to staffing issues since May 2015.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The unit temporarily had to close four beds in January 2016. This was to ensure patient safety in respect of staffing levels.
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £150 million announced for mental health in 2015 (a) has been and (b) will be allocated to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and what percentage of total NHS spending will be on CAMHS as a result.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Scottish Government funding have been investing heavily in mental health services for a number of years, and will use the additional package of £150 million to deliver the transformation in mental health services we want to achieve over the next ten years, in…
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the report in The Herald on 21 April 2016 that “Ministers pledged an additional £150 million to improve mental health care in 2015 but…just over £80 million of this money has been earmarked for specific projects”, when the remaining £70 million will be allocated to projects.
Answer · Maureen Watt: We have been investing heavily in mental health services for a number of years, and are using the additional package of £150 million over five years to boost support for areas which are absolute priorities for us, and which will deliver the transformation in …
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what stakeholders it has met to discuss the development of the next mental health strategy, and on what dates.
Answer · Maureen Watt: To inform the policy development for the next mental health strategy, since 2015 we have engaged with a wide range of stakeholders including people who use services, service providers and professional bodies. Organisations that met have included, the Mental W…
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish its next mental health strategy; what time period it will apply to, and for what reason it chose this period.
Answer · Maureen Watt: We will publish a new ten-year mental health strategy later this year. The Scottish Government has a manifesto commitment to a 10-year plan to transform mental health in Scotland.
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people contracted HIV in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: During 2013, NHS Scotland laboratories reported positive HIV-antibody test results for 354 individuals not previously recorded as HIV-positive in Scotland. During the years 2014, 2015 and from 1 January 2016 to 31 March 2016, this figure is 370, 361 and 87 re…
24 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason NHS Lothian changed its criteria for the prescription of the bowel cancer drug, Cetuximab, and what its position is on reports that patients who had embarked on chemotherapy would have expected to have been offered this treatment should the chemotherapy have proven unsucc…
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) appraises all newly licensed medicines for clinical and cost effectiveness following submissions from pharmaceutical companies. SMC published advice for NHS boards across Scotland. Where the SMC accepts a medicine then …
16 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce primary legislation to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12.
Answer · Mark McDonald: The Scottish Government will consider the outcome of the consultation, and the associated analysis, before committing to a particular course of action.
16 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the current age of criminal responsibility is (a) damaging Scotland’s international standing and (b) impacting on the life chances of young children.
Answer · Mark McDonald: The Scottish Government acknowledges the complexity of these matters and their wider resonance. That is why the advisory group was commissioned in 2015. The Scottish Government has noted the findings of the advisory group, and is currently consulting on its r…
16 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will (a) implement the recommendations of the Advisory Group on the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility and (b) take early action to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years.
Answer · Mark McDonald: The Scottish Government commissioned the advisory group last year to look at potential issues relating to raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 12 years, with the aim of securing a report and recommendations from that group for further consult…
16 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has that maintaining the age of criminal responsibility at eight is in the best interests of children.
Answer · Mark McDonald: The Scottish Government has been actively gathering views and assembling evidence on these issues. Ministers await the outcome of the current consultation - running until 10 June 2016 - before making decisions as to future action.
16 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason a spokesperson stated on 18 March 2016 that the Scottish Government “remains open to considering future change” to the age of criminal responsibility and that “Ministers are not taking a firm position on these matters at this point”.
Answer · Mark McDonald: The spokesperson’s comments reflected the Scottish Government’s position at that time. I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00102 on 26 May 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search …
16 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many children under the age of 12 have received a criminal record since the publication of Do the Right Thing: Progress Report 2012.
Answer · Mark McDonald: The information is not held centrally. A criminal record is only created on the Criminal History System when offence grounds are accepted or established through the children's hearing system. Annual information on children's hearings is the operational resp…
12 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many nurse practitioners specialise in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: Information on how many nurse practitioners specialise in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), broken down by NHS board, is not centrally held. ME/CFS is a complex condition which requires the support of a variety of health professi…