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: S4W-05976

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 13 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what profitable ferry routes are being operated by Calmac and Northlink Ferries.

Question reference: S4W-05632

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 13 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many modern apprenticeships there have been in each year since 2002 and, of these, how many have been completed.

Apprenticeship numbers in Scotland have increased from 15,010 in 2007-08 to 21,561 in 2010-11. We will support 25,000 Modern Apprentice opportunities in 2011-12, the highest ever number of apprenticeships in Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. I will ask the Chief Executive of Skills Development Scotland to write to you with the information you have requested.

Question reference: S4W-06003

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to ensure that all GPs are made aware of a man’s right to request a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.

Guidance in the form of a Prostate Cancer Risk Management Pack which supports the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme was issued to NHS boards (urologists, histopathologists, PSA testing laboratories) and all general practitioners in Scotland in 2009. The programme provides guidance to medical practitioners on the situations in which it is suitable to offer PSA testing, the information and guidance that should be provided to patients before PSA testing is undertaken, and the support that may be required by men as they deal with the consequences of the PSA test and any resulting diagnosis.

Details of the programme and copies of the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Pack can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/health/cancer/publications.

Question reference: S4W-06005

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to ensure that men are made aware of the potential signs and symptoms of prostate cancer.

The Scottish Government's Better Cancer Care, recognised that early detection of cancer is crucial and the earlier it can be diagnosed, the better the chance of a positive outcome. Our “Detect Cancer Early” initiative is initially focusing on the three most common cancers, lung, bowel and breast, however once this initial phase is completed, we will consider which others cancers need to be addressed and prostate cancer will be considered as part of this process.

To support GPs to recognise and refer patients with suspected cancer as early as possible, referral guidance was published in 2007, called the Scottish Executive Health Department Letter (2007) 9: Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer.

In early 2009, the guidelines were shortened into a user-friendly version for quick reference. All GPs across NHS Scotland have been sent a copy of this guidance, which is also available on the Scottish Government website www.scotland.gov.uk/quickreferenceguide/suspectedcancer. However, it is important to remember that GPs will see many patients with signs and symptoms which, though similar to symptoms for a particular cancer, will turn out to be due to other common, benign ailments.

Question reference: S4W-06002

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to ensure that men receive coordinated follow-up care, monitoring and advice following prostate cancer surgery and treatment.

Cancer remains a top clinical priority for Scottish Government. Our cancer policy is generic in that its aims to improve cancer services for all regardless of cancer type or whether a primary or secondary diagnosis. Better cancer Care, published in 2008, outlined the Scottish Governments commitment to address issues around cancer prevention, screening, early detection of cancer, referral and diagnosis, treatment, living with cancer, improving the quality of cancer care and service delivery. Further work is currently being undertaken by the Scottish Cancer Taskforce to improve the awareness of early cancer symptoms amongst both members of the public and the medical community. This awareness raising work forms part of the taskforce’s 2011-14 work plan.

Whilst the cancer plan is generic the National Cancer Quality Steering Group (NCQSG), a sub group of the Scottish Cancer Taskforce, has a programme of work to develop quality performance indicators (QPIs) for all cancer types. Prostate cancer QPIs are one of the first cancers to be addressed in this programme of work, with QPIs being published later this year.

Whilst the Scottish Government and other organisations provide policies, frameworks and guidance for the health service, it is the responsibility of NHS boards and the clinician caring for the patient to provide a co-ordinated package of care. This should be tailored to an individuals needs following surgery for prostate cancer.

Question reference: S4W-06006

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis it decided to exclude prostate cancer from its Detect Cancer Early Initiative.

The Scottish Government is committed to taking forward a Detect Cancer Early Programme with a target of increasing the number of cancers detected at the early stage of disease as the earlier that cancer is diagnosed, the better the chance of a complete cure. The programme is directed at lung, breast and colorectal cancers in the first instance as these cancers represent 45% of all cancers diagnosed in Scotland per year. This will enable us to have the greatest impact both in terms of patient numbers and in addressing cancer in areas if deprivation where survival has historically been poorest.

Early diagnosis and high quality treatment and care for all patients with cancer is a top priority and although we have not included prostate cancer in this initial programme, we anticipate that the programme will benefit other groups of people as it is rolled out. Raised awareness of all cancers amongst the public and health practitioners are expected to result in earlier presentation, referral and assessment for all those with a possibility of cancer. The increased diagnostic capacity which will be generated by the programme will provide benefits to a wider group of patients in terms of improved access to a variety of tests.

Question reference: S4O-00797

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 March 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take following the recent Audit Scotland report on cardiology services.

Question reference: S4W-05748

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of absenteeism due to mental health problems has been in each of its departments in each of the last five years.

The Scottish Government has not operated a Departmental structure since 2007. However, the average working days lost to sickness for the Core Scottish Government, where the reason for absence is categorised as a mental disorder, has been as follows:

Absence Due To Mental Disorders In The 12-Month Period

Jan-Dec 07

Jan-Dec 08

Jan-Dec 09

Jan-Dec 10

Jan-Dec11

Average Working Days Lost

(Per Full Time Equivalent Employee Per Year)

0.92

0.58

0.34

0.53

0.44

Over the five year period this equates to just over half a day per employee per year and accounted for around 7% of all sickness absence.

Question reference: S4W-05503

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 29 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what legal requirement there is for a consultation to be held regarding the establishment a of wind farm with a capacity of greater than 50 megawatts.

Applications for electricity generating stations over 50MW are considered by ministers under s36 of The Electricity Act 1989, and relevant related environmental regulations.

These regulations require that an initial consultation is undertaken upon receipt of an application requiring consultees and interested members of the public to respond within 28 days (four months for the relevant Planning Authority). Upon receipt of the first statutory consultee response (this being a response from SEPA or SNH) a further 28-day period of consultation is afforded for members of the public to submit new representations, or to make additional representations, having now considered the view of a statutory consultee.

Should further environmental information be submitted by an applicant, or requested by ministers, this information will be subject to full consultation for a further 28 days prior to any determination.

Question reference: S4W-05481

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what NHS dental treatments are available and whether it plans reductions in these.