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: S2W-31634

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 15 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the Scottish Law Commission to report on its consultation, Personal Injury Actions - Limitation and Prescribed Claims.

Question reference: S2W-31267

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2007
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 15 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any owners of domestic properties used by military personnel are required to ensure that these properties meet the same quality standards as those set for any public sector landlords.

We understand that servicefamilies accommodation in Scotland may be owned by the Ministry of Defence or may beprivately rented properties contractually provided to the Ministry. In neithercase would the Scottish Housing QualityStandard specifically applicable to Scottishsocial housing apply. Instead, theMinistry of Defence operates its own four-tier accommodation standard. Althoughthis is not directly comparable to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard, weunderstand that all or the vast majority of service families accommodationmeets the criteria defined in the Scottish Housing Quality Standard.

Question reference: S2W-31266

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2007
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 15 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the quality standard regulations it sets for public sector landlords in relation to domestic properties also apply to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in respect of the houses it provides in Scotland for members of the armed services and, if so, what discussions it has had with the MoD about the improvement or replacement of such housing and what the outcome was of such discussions.

Question reference: S2W-31628

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 14 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what statistics are disregarded in the preparation of NHS waiting list data.

Statistics on patients oninpatient/day case and out-patient waiting lists are routinely published onISD’s website:www.isdscotland.org/waiting_times.

Statistics are published onthe total number of patients waiting, and on the subset of patients who aresubject to waiting times guarantees. ISD do not “disregard” any data inpublishing waiting list information on this site and aim to present what is ofutmost interest and validity. ISD review the range of statistics published toensure its continued relevance. Full details of the selection criteria forwaiting list analyses are included on the website.

Thestatistics are sourced from two schemes: the in-patient and day case census(SMR3) and the out-patient waiting list census.

Thepurpose of the in-patient and day case census is to collect data on allpatients waiting for inpatient or day case admission in any specialty in anyhospital in NHSScotland.

The out-patient waiting listcensus was set up in 2004 to monitor the out-patient waiting list guarantee. Thecensus has the facility to capture information on patients outwith the scope of the guarantee, but submissions of data on specialties not covered by theguarantee are very patchy and vary between NHS boards. Technical issues haveled to specific services being excluded from the census on grounds of dataquality. In particular, data from Edinburgh Dental Institute, and primary carespecialties in Fife have been excluded since the beginning of thecollection. Data from some specialties in South Glasgow are also missing from earlier censuses.Full details of coverage are published on ISD’s waiting times web pages www.isdscotland.org/waiting_times.

Question reference: S2W-31557

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2007
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources have been budgeted for projects arising from recommendations from the Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Reference Group since its formation; what resources have been allocated and how much has been spent, broken down by project are.

Question reference: S2W-31562

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2007
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the website that the Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Reference Group agreed at its meeting on 17 March 2006 should be set up has been set up.

Question reference: S2W-31550

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2007
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Reference Group has met since its first meeting in September 2005 and whether it has had any meetings since 17 March 2006 and, if so, whether it will publish the minutes of such meetings on the Executive's website.

There have been 12 meetings of the group since its inception in September 2005 and minutes appear on the websiteafter they have been formally cleared.

The remit of the group focuseson addressing the adult needs of those who have been sexually abused as children.However, it is recognised that sexual abuse may incorporate psychological and physicalabuse.

The expertise of the Cross PartyGroup was used to define the core membership, which is largely unaltered. Some additionswere made, for example, a representative from the Scottish Association for MentalHealth. There are currently 25 members, 17 of whom are external, representing healthand local authorities, and the following of voluntary sector groups: the Moira AndersonFoundation; Kingdom Abuse Survivors Project, No More Secrets; SAY Women; VictimSupport Scotland; M-Line, and Children 1st. Given the sensitivity, memberswho are abuse survivors are not identified but some have experience of being incare settings. There have been no resignations.

To ensure that the strategy isco-ordinated, there are six Scottish Executive members representing community care,sexual and mental health, criminal justice and children and families. In additionthere are two lead professionals (each employed one day per week) whose role isto implement agreed action points as laid out in the Strategy and agreed with theReference Group. One of the lead professionals has been employed in other areasof the Scottish Executive to conduct research in the past.

In addition to full membership,relevant speakers and other contributors are co-opted to task groups as necessary.Other organisations wishing to contribute to the strategy implementation will beable to do so through the forthcoming national conference on 28 February and throughthe expanding network to be routed through the website.

It is anticipated that the ReferenceGroup will conclude its business by April 2009.

Question reference: S2W-31561

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2007
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a review of the booklet, A Can of Worms, was considered to be necessary, as referred to in the minute of the Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Reference Group’s meeting on 17 March 2006 and, if so, when the review was carried out and what the result was.

It was considered that somecomments made about the booklet, A Can of Worms, raised issues thatrequired further consideration. I instructed officials to convene a reviewgroup to consider those issues further. The booklet addresses an important needand the review group is considering whether changes are required to improve thebooklet and, if so, to agree what the changes should be.

The group met twice in 2006,on 13 October and on 11 December, and has agreed to take forward its work into2007.

Question reference: S2W-31553

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2007
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what the role is of the lead professionals on the Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Reference Group.

Question reference: S2W-31558

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2007
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been (a) allocated or (b) spent from the £2 million Survivors' Fund resulting from the report by the Scottish Executive Short-Life Working Group on the care needs of people who have survived childhood sexual abuse, Services for Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse.