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-36840

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 October 2010
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 October 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given to NHS boards regarding the provision of support services for patients who have undergone treatment for breast cancer.

SIGN guidelines and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland Standards for Breast Cancer, include guidance and standards on supportive care for patients with breast cancer.

In addition to this, work is underway to inform health boards of the newly established national information and support service, NHS inform, in which a dedicated cancer zone will provide quality assured cancer information for patients, carers and families. This will also include access to cancer support groups for breast cancer patients and information on emotional and financial support.

All NHS boards work within multidisciplinary teams (MDTs). MDTs are informed by the development in cancer strategies over the past 10 to 15 years and more recently by the recommendations within Better Cancer Care, an Action Plan, (2008) in which supportive care comprising the management of information, communication, access to the voluntary sector is integral to the overall health and well being of cancer patients, including breast cancer.

Health boards also provide Clinical Nurse Specialists which breast cancer patients will have access to. Each Clinical Nurse Specialist will be aware of the support available from both other health service based organisations and the voluntary sector, for example, Breast Cancer Care, Macmillan Cancer Support, Maggie''s centres and local support services and how these can be accessed. The Clinical Nurse Specialist will be able to provide advice relevant to the individual needs.

Question reference: S3W-36839

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 October 2010
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 October 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what aftercare treatment is available for breast cancer patients.

Depending on the type of treatment received, surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or a combination of these, a patient will be supported by oncologists, clinical nurse specialists, surgical teams or other members of the multi-disciplinary team (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists) according to their individual need(s). After discharge from hospital, patients can still have access to breast care nurses, can be referred back to clinic and can also access community based care via their GP.

Aftercare and support to patients is also provided by a by a number of breast cancer charities.

Question reference: S3W-36410

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2010
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 8 October 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many ministerial engagements have been held in the Coatbridge and Chryston parliamentary constituency since 1 January 2010, broken down by (a) ministerial portfolio, (b) date and (c) location.

The Information requested is not routinely recorded and therefore not held in the format requested. Systems were put in place on 8 March 2010 to collect this information more easily and we have provided this below.

Minister	Date	Location
Alex Salmond MSP First Minister	4 June 2010	Moodiesburn
Nicola Sturgeon MSP Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing	24 May 2010	Coatbridge
Shona Robison MSP Minister for Public Health and Sport	1 June 2010	Coatbridge
Shona Robison MSP Minister for Public Health and Sport	7 June 2010	Bellshill
Alex Neil MSP Minister for Housing and Communities	24 May 2010	Coatbridge
Alex Neil MSP Minister for Housing and Communities	21 September 2010	Coatbridge
Adam Ingram MSP Minister for Children and Early Years	15 June 2010	Coatbridge
Adam Ingram MSP Minister for Children and Early Years	4 August 2010	Coatbridge
Kenny MacAskill MSP Cabinet Secretary for Justice	22 March 2010	Coatbridge
Kenny MacAskill MSP Cabinet Secretary for Justice	7 July 2010	Gartcosh

Question reference: S3W-35778

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 13 September 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is UK legislation that prevents an arm’s length publicly owned company from directly and permanently operating ScotRail services once the current franchise expires and, if so, what that legislation is.

Question reference: S3W-35776

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 13 September 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is European legislation that prevents an arm’s length publicly owned company from directly and permanently operating ScotRail services once the current franchise expires and, if so, what that legislation is.

Question reference: S3W-35780

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 13 September 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is Scottish legislation that prevents an arm’s length publicly owned company from directly and permanently operating ScotRail services once the current franchise expires and, if so what that legislation is.

Question reference: S3W-35777

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 13 September 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is UK legislation that prevents it or Transport Scotland directly and permanently operating ScotRail services once the current franchise expires and, if so, what that legislation is.

Question reference: S3W-35779

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 13 September 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is Scottish legislation that prevents it or Transport Scotland directly and permanently operating ScotRail services once the current franchise expires and, if so, what that legislation is.

Question reference: S3W-35775

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 13 September 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is European legislation that prevents it or Transport Scotland directly and permanently operating ScotRail services once the current franchise expires and, if so, what that legislation is.

The provision of rail passenger services in Scotland is regulated by UK and European legislation. A primary aim of the legislation is to ensure that the right to provide such services is open to competition. Scottish Ministers as franchising authority must therefore invite tenders under the UK Railways Act 1993.

That Act prevents a range of public bodies, including Scottish Ministers and their Executive Agency Transport Scotland, from being the franchisee and also prevents such bodies operating the franchise through a company controlled by them.

Section 30 of the Railways Act makes Scottish Ministers responsible for securing ScotRail services in the absence of a franchisee, until a replacement can be secured.

Question reference: S3W-32873

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 26 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 23 April 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, since the extension of the ScotRail franchise, it or Transport Scotland have been advised by First ScotRail of the existence of correspondence between the company and the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers confirming that conductors would not be moved from any services during the current franchise.

Both ScotRail and the RMT made the correspondence available to Transport Scotland.

ScotRail as the employer and operator of the service are of the view that trains already operate with Driver and Ticket Examiner and the new Airdrie to Bathgate section would naturally extend this operation. The existing Bathgate to Edinburgh service which is operated with Driver and Conductor will cease to exist from December when services commence on the new Helensburgh to Glasgow to Edinburgh via Airdrie to Bathgate route.

ScotRail has stated that this is no different from the extension of the Larkhall to Milngavie services opened in 2005.