Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S3W-39663

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 11 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a pilot exercise is taking place, or is planned, for (a) image assisted screening or (b) testing for human papilloma virus (HPV) in screening for cervical cancer and, if so, over what timescale.

(a) The Scottish Government commissioned a feasibility study of image assisted screening which took place between March 2009 and September 2010.

The Feasibility Study Report can be found on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/health/screening/cervicalscreening/LabReviewGroup/CervicalCytologyReports.

(b) The HPV Test of Cure early implementation study commenced on 1 February 2011 and will take 12 months to complete.

Question reference: S3W-39664

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 11 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a decision on the introduction of (a) image assisted screening or (b) testing for human papilloma virus (HPV) in screening for cervical cancer would be taken on a comparative or individual basis.

The Scottish Government commissioned a feasibility study of image assisted screening which took place between March 2009 and September 2010.

The Feasibility Study Report can be found on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/health/screening/cervicalscreening/LabReviewGroup/CervicalCytologyReports.

At its last meeting in January 2011, the Breast and Cervical Screening National Advisory Group recommended that a sub group be established to consider HPV testing within the cervical screening programme. The National Advisory Group will at its next meeting consider the remit, membership and timing of this sub-group.

Question reference: S3W-39665

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 11 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the liquid-based cytology equipment used in primary screening for cervical cancer to come to the end of its working life.

Question reference: S3W-39666

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 11 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria would be applied in considering the introduction of (a) image assisted screening and (b) human papilloma virus (HPV) testing in screening for cervical cancer.

The UK National Screening Committee provides expert advice to the four UK countries on screening programmes and is yet to fully consider HPV testing in screening for cervical cancer. In addition, the Breast and Cervical Screening National Advisory Group has recommended that a sub group be established to consider HPV testing within the cervical screening programme in Scotland. The sub-group will use its expertise to consider the available evidence and will provide advice to the Scottish Government. The timeline for the sub-group to report will be agreed shortly.

With any introduction of or change to screening programmes in Scotland, evidence, effectiveness and cost benefit is always considered to ensure that the best possible programme in delivered for the Scottish population.

Question reference: S3W-39662

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 11 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to consider introducing (a) image assisted screening or (b) testing for human papilloma virus (HPV) in screening for cervical cancer and, if so, over what timescale.

(a) The Cervical Cytology Laboratory Review Group has recommended the introduction of image assisted screening if cost effective to NHS Boards. The new Laboratory Consortium Steering Group has been asked to consider cost effectiveness as part of its work.

(b) Consideration will be given to introducing HPV testing as a Test of Cure nationally following the early implementation study which will conclude its work on 31 January 2012.

Question reference: S3W-39658

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of concerns raised regarding staffing, training and planning issues for paediatric services in the West of Scotland.

The provision of paediatric medical services is one of the priority issues under consideration as part of a national, partnership-based project to bring medical workforce supply and demand into longer term sustainable balance, and to reduce reliance on trainee doctors for the delivery of frontline services. That project will result in future services being delivered predominately by trained doctors.

Managing that transition is challenging and concerns have been raised by the west of Scotland in relation to the number of medical paediatric specialty trainees. These concerns have been progressed through the National Reshaping the Medical Workforce Project Board, and its working group, which provides governance for the process. After extensive consideration of all the issues, advice was provided to the concerned parties about future planning of paediatric specialty trainees and these will be taken forward by the West Region Medical Workforce Group.

Question reference: S3W-39659

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address staffing pressures facing paediatric services in the West of Scotland.

Question reference: S3W-39661

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the benefits of (a) image assisted screening and (b) testing for human papilloma virus (HPV) in screening for cervical cancer.

(a) The Scottish Government commissioned a feasibility study of image assisted screening and the recommendation has been made that image assisted screening meets the quality requirements and should be introduced where it is cost effective.

The Feasibility Study Report can be found on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/health/screening/cervicalscreening/LabReviewGroup/CervicalCytologyReports.

(b) The HPV Test of Cure early implementation study commenced on
1 February 2011 for one year with pilot sites in NHS Lothian, Grampian, Shetland, Orkney, Highland and Western Isles.

Women in these pilot sites, who have been treated for high grade cervical disease since 1 August 2010, will in addition to cytology testing also be tested for HPV.

Question reference: S3W-39660

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the national screening programme for cervical cancer over the next five years.

Cervical screening is and will remain an important part of the Scottish Government''s strategy on reducing the burden of cancer through early detection for many years to come. The introduction of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination programme is expected to have an impact on the prevalence of HPV, and so cervical cancer, amongst women in Scotland in the long term, which may lead in due course to changes in the screening programme.

The Breast and Cervical Screening National Advisory Group has recommended that a sub group be established to consider HPV testing within the cervical screening programme. The sub-group will use its expertise to consider the available evidence and will provide advice to the Scottish Government. The timeline for the sub-group to report will be agreed shortly.

The HPV Test of Cure early implementation study commenced on 1 February 2011 for one year with pilot sites in NHS Lothian, Grampian, Shetland, Orkney, Highland and Western Isles.

Women in these pilot sites, who have been treated for high grade cervical disease since 1 August 2010, will in addition to cytology testing also be tested for HPV.

It is always important to keep abreast of new technologies and in 2009, the Scottish Government commissioned a feasibility study of image assisted screening which took place between March 2009 and September 2010.

The Feasibility Study Report can be found on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/health/screening/cervicalscreening/LabReviewGroup/CervicalCytologyReports.

We will continue to take account of epidemiological and surveillance information as well as new developments in technology when taking future decisions about the screening programme.

Question reference: S3W-38890

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged (a) under five, (b) five to 18 and (c) over 18 had teeth extracted in the (i) NHS general and (ii) hospital dental service setting in 2009-10.

The information you requested in provided in the following tables.

Table 1 Number of Patients in Scotland who had Teeth Extracted in the NHS General Dental Service (GDS) Setting in 2009-10

Patient age
0 - 4 years	5 - 18 years	Over 18
578	55,802	251,779

Source: MIDAS (Management Information and Dental Accounting System).

Table 2 Number of patients in Scotland who had a Tooth Extraction procedure carried out in the NHS Hospital Dental Service (HDS) setting in 2009-10

Patient Age
0 - 4 years	5 - 18 years	Over 18
1,944	6,350	5,646

Source: Information Sources Division SMR01.