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: S3O-07964

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 October 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are known to be on a waiting list for physiotherapy treatment in the NHS.

Question reference: S3W-27186

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 September 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 September 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new patient management system in general practice will improve basic management data and, if so, for what purpose.

Question reference: S3W-27185

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 September 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 September 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive when all GP practices will have an online service (a) to book appointments and (b) for electronic prescription requests.

Question reference: S3W-26649

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 September 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what incentives are being given to growers of bog myrtle during the three years from planting to maturing of the crop.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26648 on 18 September, on DATE, which states that financial support is available under the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP).

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Support offered under the SRDP has to comply with the definitions and eligibility criteria set out in the relevant European legislation. There is no specific funding available to assist with the period before any return on crops can be realised, including bog myrtle. However, funding is available under Rural Priorities for farm businesses to diversify into alternative forms of agricultural production, such as bog myrtle.

Question reference: S3W-26670

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 18 September 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the effect of the European working time directive is on (a) retained firefighters, (b) retained ambulance staff and (c) mountain rescue groups.

In respect of each of these groups:

(a) The European working time directive currently has no effect on retained fire-fighters within the fire and rescue services in Scotland.

(b) The Scottish Ambulance Service is not currently operating any retained ambulance services and does not have any retained staff.

Question reference: S3W-26648

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 September 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what incentives are being given to encourage the planting of bog myrtle.

Funding for farm businesses to diversify into alternative forms of agricultural production is available through the Scotland Rural Development Programme under Rural Priorities.

Rural Priorities is a competitive funding mechanism whereby the best quality proposals are approved, which will involve farmers undertaking a strategic analysis of their business including an examination of the prospects offered by a diversification opportunity.

Grants of up to 50% are available, plus a 10% premium for young farmers, for costs associated with the provision or upgrading of buildings, new machinery, equipment and information technology.

Question reference: S3O-07796

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 September 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the provision and cost of childcare for students in further education.

Question reference: S3W-26683

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 17 September 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on social care and rehabilitation services for people with a drug addiction problem by each NHS board in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S3W-26684

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 17 September 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on social care and rehabilitation services for people with a drug addiction problem by each local authority in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S3W-26680

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 17 September 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage was in each of the last five years of people who had been treated previously receiving further treatment for (a) drug and (b) alcohol addiction.

It is not possible from centrally held information to identify the percentage of people previously treated for drug or alcohol addiction.

Until 2008, the Scottish Drug Misuse Database (SDMD) collected data based on the initial assessment of new patients. The new follow-up reporting system, currently being rolled-out across Scotland, will allow patients to be tracked through treatment and reveal the numbers receiving further treatment.

Data on the number of people entering alcohol services for treatment are not held centrally. However, the Scottish Alcohol Needs Assessment research report estimated that, across Scotland in 2006-07, approximately 17,000 people accessed alcohol treatment services. No information is available on the number of those individuals who had previously been treated for alcohol problems. However, from general acute hospital discharges it is possible to provide the percentage of patients discharged from general acute hospitals with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence who have previously been discharged with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence.

Table 1 shows the number of patients discharged from general acute hospitals with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence in each of the last five years, and the number and percentage of patients previously discharged with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence in any of the five years prior. 2007-08 is the most recent year for which information is currently available.

Table 1: General Acute Hospital¹ Inpatients with a Diagnosis of Alcohol Dependence^2,3,4: Scotland 2003-04 to 2007-08

		2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08
Patients	n	2,870	3,320	3,443	3,494	3,467
Patients discharged more than once in the last 5 years with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence⁵	n	1,135	1,240	1,324	1,340	1,355
	%	40	37	38	38	39

Source: ISD Scotland (SMR01), Ref: 2009-02076, Date Extracted: 7 September 2009.

Notes:

1. Excludes mental illness hospitals, psychiatric units and maternity hospitals. Transfer cases have also been excluded.

2. Caution is necessary when interpreting these figures. The recording of alcohol dependence may vary from hospital to hospital. Where alcohol dependence is suspected but unconfirmed it may not be recorded by the hospital.

3. Diseases recorded using the World Health Organisation''s International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD10). Alcohol dependence: F10.2. Up to six diagnoses are recorded. All six diagnoses have been used to identify alcohol dependence.

4. Figures in the table only relate to those individuals who are treated as inpatients. They do not include individuals managed as outpatients or individuals attending accident and emergency who are not subsequently admitted.

5. Patients are counted as having had a previous alcohol dependence discharge if the patient has been discharged with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence more than once in the five year period prior to the date reported on. For example: for patients discharged in 2003-04 prior alcohol dependence discharges were looked for in the preceding five years i.e. 1999-2000 to 2003-04.