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: S4O-00375

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has any discussion with the families of victims prior to deciding not to proceed with a case.

Question reference: S4W-03450

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether every NHS board provides radiotherapy services.

Radiotherapy services (treatment) are provided in each of Scotland’s five cancer centres. These are located in NHS Lothian, NHS Tayside, NHS Grampian, NHS Highland and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

As a result of the stringent safety measures required to support the delivery of radiotherapy services, treatment can only be provided in specially designed and staffed facilities.

To ensure a geographic spread of service provision, Scotland’s five cancer centres work closely together to share experience and best practice.

Question reference: S4W-03452

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to increase access to new, more targeted radiotherapy techniques, such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy.

Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all radiotherapy equipment, newly procured for use in Scotland, will be capable of delivering intensity-modulated radiotherapy. Radiotherapy equipment in Scotland is procured by way of the radiotherapy capital equipment replacement plan and all linear accelerators will be able to deliver this type of treatment in the future where it is clinically appropriate to do so.

Question reference: S4W-03451

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of cancer patients receives (a) intensity-modulated and (b) image-guided radiotherapy.

The information is not collected centrally.

However, with regard to Intensity Modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) it is important to note that this radiotherapy treatment is not suitable for treating all types of cancer.

Decisions regarding the most appropriate treatment are made on a case by case basis, based on an individual’s clinical needs and in consultation with them.

Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) involves the use of imaging during treatment to adjust for tumour movement or change during therapy guaranteeing accuracy and allowing smaller areas to be treated. Imaging is used, in some form, in the delivery of all radiotherapies services although this imaging is not always used for the purpose of guiding radiotherapy beams. As such it would be difficult to define the number of patients who receive IGRT.

Question reference: S4W-03419

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the closure of the hospice ward at Queen Margaret Hospital would constitute a major service change that would be subject to ministerial approval.

NHS Fife has established a review group to look at the options for the delivery of inpatient care across Fife as part of their wider palliative care model. It is not possible to speculate on future service configuration, or, whether a hypothetical proposal would constitute major service change, in advance of this work concluding.

Should the review result in formal proposals to change current services, I will expect the Health Board to engage appropriately with local stakeholders in line with national guidance (Informing, Engaging and Consulting People in Developing Health and Community Care Services - February, 2010:

www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2010_04.pdf)

In line with this guidance, should any NHS board proposals be considered to constitute major service change, they must be subject to full, formal public consultation and, ultimately, Ministerial approval.

Question reference: S4W-03494

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will allocate the Reshaping Care Change Fund for 2012-13.

Question reference: S4W-03420

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds there are in the hospice ward at Queen Margaret Hospital; how many will be provided if the ward is closed, and where they will be located.

Question reference: S4W-03496

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how the (a) voluntary and (b) private sector are involved in developing and delivering the Reshaping Care Change Fund.

Scottish Government Change Fund guidance for 2011-12, issued on 23 December 2010, made clear that Change Plans needed to be prepared, agreed and signed off by NHS boards, local authorities and the third and independent sectors.

Guidance for 2012-13, planned to issue later this year, will restate this requirement and will emphasise that partnerships must continue to incorporate the Third and Independent sectors as equal partners in developing strategic plans for older people.

Question reference: S4W-03497

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that 20% of the Reshaping Care Change Fund is allocated to carer support.

Question reference: S4W-03570

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 8 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-03017 by John Swinney on 18 October 2011, how much of the £150 million to £200 million preventative spending is money provided by local authorities and whether this contribution is from (a) new or (b) existing sources.