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-18167

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 19 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that there is a need for an increase in the level of self-monitoring among patients with heart conditions who use Warfarin and, if so, whether it plans to develop strategies to bring about such an increase.

We expect people to be treated in line with the recommendations in Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guideline 129 Antithrombotics: indications and management published in June 2013. Guideline 129 states that self-monitoring can be considered for some patients. For patients who are self-monitoring, appropriate education and training should be provided, clinical advice should be available on request, and provision should be made for quality assurance.

On the basis of current evidence, which can be found at:

http://www.sign.ac.uk/guidelines/fulltext/129/index.html and

http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/our_work/technologies_and_medicines/shtg_-_evidence_notes/evidence_note_50.aspx there are no plans to increase the level of self-monitoring among patients with heart conditions who use Warfarin.

Question reference: S4O-02541

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on developing a new stroke care action plan.

Question reference: S4O-02529

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to develop telecare services for people across Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-17301

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 8 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on ministerial cars since 2007.

The following table details the yearly cost of the Government Car Service since 2007.

Year	Total cost £ (1) (2)
2007-08	1,130,487
2008-09	1,108,426
2009-10	1,131,010
2010-11	1,058,341
2011-12	1,109,232
2012-13	1,204,864

Notes:

1. Total costs include staff salaries, employer’s contributions, fuel, vehicle maintenance, private hire and travel and subsistence.

2. The figures have been adjusted to take account of inflation since 2007-08.

Question reference: S4W-17401

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 2 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what best practice Police Scotland has developed regarding dealing with officers who are off work due to stress.

The management of Police Officers who are off work due to stress is a matter for the Chief Constable. Police Scotland take their responsibility for the health and wellbeing of their staff seriously and have recently published their Stress Management Standard Operating Procedures, which are freely available to all staff and incorporate various initiatives, such as:

For psychological trauma a review of support to specialist post holders;

Introduction of TRiM (Trauma Risk Management) for acute trauma;

General well-being support through the portal Wellbeing at Work;

A link with Commonwealth Games and Fit for 14; and

A toolkit for managers using the IIP (Investors in People) Health and Wellbeing mode.

Question reference: S4W-17399

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 2 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many police officers have (a) been off work due to stress and (b) applied to leave the force in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S4W-17300

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many ministerial cars have been caught speeding in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S4O-02418

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase digital participation among people over 65.

Question reference: S4W-16985

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 18 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many farmers have been diagnosed with a malignant melanoma in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S4W-16998

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, following publication of the Stroke Association report, Feeling Overwhelmed, what its position is on (a) the prioritisation of improved emotional and psychological support for people affected by stroke in the next Scottish Stroke Action Plan, (b) the needs of stroke survivors and their unpaid carers to be highlighted in future Scottish mental health policy and guidance, (c) improving understanding of the emotional and mental health impact of stroke among health and social care providers and how difficulties can be prevented or resolved, (d) improving information provision about emotional and mental health to people affected by stroke, including sources of local support and (e) improving community-based support for stroke survivors with emotional and mental health difficulties, through primary care, social care providers and voluntary groups.

Our Better Heart Disease and Stroke Action Plan, backed by over £1m in Scottish Government funding recognises that services should focus on empowering and supporting people with stroke through the process of recovery. This includes meeting emotional and psychological needs.

In August 2012, the Scottish Government published the Mental Health Strategy (2012-15). It sets out a commitment to work with the Royal College of GPs and other partners to increase the number of people with long-term conditions who are also experiencing depression and anxiety who are receiving appropriate care and treatment for their mental illness.

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) are supporting work to provide learning resources for staff working with patients with physical health problems, particularly long term conditions, which will help them understand the link between physical and emotional issues and deliver more holistic and effective care.

For all people with mental health problems, including those with stroke, we are committed to delivering faster access to psychological therapies. This is underpinned by the HEAT target which will ensure access to such therapies within 18 weeks by December 2014.

We have supported the development of an online educational tool “Stroke Training and Awareness Resources”. This includes a specific module which aims to provide Health and Social Care Staff with the skills and knowledge to meet the basic emotional needs of individuals following stroke. This includes:

Explaining the reasons why an individual may be emotionally distressed following a stroke;

Describing the effects of being emotionally distressed following stroke;

Identifying strategies which may be used to assist an individual experiencing emotional problems following stroke.