- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 13 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what recognised depression assessment tool is used by GPs and whether this tool is used by other health professionals to identify symptoms of depression.
Answer
The Quality OutcomesFramework (QOF) for GPs requires the use of a screening tool for the identificationof depression. Two screening instruments are referred to: the Hamilton Anxiety andDepression Scale (HADS) and the Psychiatric Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Otherhealth professionals also use these tools to screen in primary care settings.
More sophisticatedtools are used for the assessment of severity of depression and the outcomeof treatment. These include research validated rating scales such as the Brief PsychiatricRating Scale (BPRS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Hamilton Anxiety andDepression Scale (HADS).
NHS Quality ImprovementScotland have developed standards for an integrated care pathway for depression,to be published later this year. These standards state that people presenting withdepression should be assessed using a standardised tool such as the PHQ-9 or equivalentbut does not specify a particular assessment tool to be used.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 12 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that sportsmen and sportswomen of all ages can be supported to achieve their full potential in competitive sports.
Answer
Sportscotland’s corporate plan 2007-11 setsout what is being done in the area of performance development to contribute toachieving the aims of Reaching Higher, the national strategy for sport in Scotland. The corporate plan, along with the business plan2007-08, can be found on sportscotland’s website at the following links:
Corporate Plan:
http://www.sportscotland.org.uk/ChannelNavigation/Resource+Library/Publications/Our+plan+2007+2011.htm.Business Plan:
http://www.sportscotland.org.uk/ChannelNavigation/Resource+Library/Publications/sportscotland+Business+Plan+2007+2008.htm.On 23 August 2007, as one of the Scottish Government’s manifestocommitments, I convened the Performance Sports Summit with sports stakeholdersto discuss Scottish representation on the international sporting stage. The keydiscussion points taken, as well as the themes emerging in the plenary sessions,will be made available in due course.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 12 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to increase participation in all sports.
Answer
The ScottishGovernment is fully committed to working with the key delivery partners forsport in Scotland to achieve the two national outcomes ofincreasing participation and improving performance set out in Reaching Higher,the national strategy for sport.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 6 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how long on average (a) children and (b) adults needing cochlear implants have waited for treatment in each year since 2002-03 from (i) GP to ENT consultant, (ii) ENT consultant to formal assessment and (iii) formal assessment to cochlear implant operation, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
The following tablecontains information on average waiting times for assessment and treatment by thetwo Scottish centres providing cochlear implant operations. This information isnot available broken down by NHS board, nor as separate adult and children waitingtimes.
| | | (i) GP to ENT | (ii) ENT to Formal Assessment | (iii) Formal Assessment to Cochlear Implant Operation |
| | 2002-03 | 4 weeks | No data available | No data available |
| Western General | 2003-04 | 4 weeks | 12 weeks | 7 weeks 8 weeks max |
| | 2004-05 | 4 weeks 8 weeks max | 36 weeks 72 weeks max | 8 weeks 12 weeks max |
| | 2005-06 | 6 weeks 10 weeks max | 20 weeks 40 weeks max | 9 weeks 12 weeks max |
| | 2006-07 | 4 weeks | 8 weeks | 10 weeks 20 weeks max |
| | 2002-03 | 5 weeks 9 weeks max | 7 weeks 10 weeks max | 10 weeks 12 weeks max |
| Crosshouse | 2003-04 | 5 weeks 9 weeks max | 7 weeks 10 weeks max | 10 weeks 12 weeks max |
| | 2004-05 | 5.5 weeks 9 weeks max | No data available | 7 weeks 14 weeks max |
| | 2005-06 | 7 weeks 17 weeks max | No data available | 8 weeks 23 weeks max |
| | 2006-07 | 7 weeks 19 weeks max | No data available | 8 weeks 23 weeks max |
Source: National Services Division.
Note: Western General Hospital treats adults only, Crosshouse Hospital treats adults and children.
(ii) In some instancesno data has been collected on waiting times from ENT to formal assessment, (insteadthe duration of the assessment period was recorded by the service).
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 6 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cochlear implant operations have been performed on (a) children and (b) adults in each NHS board area in 2006-07.
Answer
National datasubmission for 2006-07 hospital activity is not yet complete. The informationfor the years 2003-2006 was contained in the answer to S3W-00652, answered on 14 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website the search facility for which can befound at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
No update to thiscan be made at present.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 5 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) graduate diploma students in audiology will complete the course in 2008 and (b) BSc audiology students are expected to graduate in 2009.
Answer
In Scotland only Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh offers courses in audiology, 2005-6 was the first year in which the coursewas offered.
Queen Margaret University state that eight students are enrolled onaudiology courses at the graduate diploma level who are expected to graduate in2008 and six students enrolled on audiology courses at the BSc level who are expectedto graduate in 2009.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 21 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many landlords have been considered unfit for registration under the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentrecognises that the vast majority of landlords operate lawfully. No applicationsfor registration have been rejected yet, but several local authorities are takingaction on applications where there are concerns. This may involve the landlord beinginvited to an interview with a panel of officials to discuss those concerns, ora hearing before the relevant council committee.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether designated ancient woodland areas within settlements and proposed development areas should be marked on national park and local authority plans at all stages of the consultation process and on the final plan.
Answer
National Planning Policy Guideline 14: Natural Heritage (NPPG 14) states that planning authorities should seek to protect trees, groups of trees and areas of woodland where they have natural heritage value or contribute to the character or amenity of a particular locality. Ancient and semi-natural woodlands are recognised as having the greatest value for nature conservation. This should be reflected in local plans.
The following is the original answer (published on 14 August 2007); see below.
National Planning Policy Guideline 11: Natural Heritage (NPPG 14) states that planning authorities should seek to protect trees, groups of trees and areas of woodland where they have natural heritage value or contribute to the character or amenity of a particular locality. Ancient and semi-natural woodlands are recognised as having the greatest value for nature conservation. This should be reflected in local plans.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Biodiversity List should be supplied as part of the consultative process for local plans drawn up by national park and local authorities.
Answer
There is no requirementon planning authorities to supply the Scottish Biodiversity List as part of theconsultative process for local plans drawn up by national park and local authorities.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 13 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the recommended distance is between electricity pylons and homes or schools.
Answer
The operators of overhead powerlines are required to maintain safe conditions in compliance with the ElectricitySafety, Quality and Continuity (Amendment) Regulations 2006. Provisionsfor ensuring the necessary clearances from overhead conductors are in Electricity Supply Industry’s Standard 43-8, “OverheadLine Clearances”. The necessary clearance at a specific location will depend onseveral factors, including local structures, and the construction, design and operatingvoltage of the line.
There are no similarregulatory controls pertaining to distance for exposures to electric and magneticfields, but operators must ensure that exposures for members of the public do notexceed the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing RadiationProtection.
