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: S3W-33894

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive by what method the Longer-lasting Contraception Social Marketing Campaign is being evaluated.

The Longer Lasting Contraception (LLC) social marketing campaign is primarily evaluated through the Health Improvement Tracking Study (HITS). HITS monitors, on a continuous basis, awareness of health improvement campaigns and their impact on attitudes and behaviour, amongst a robust sample of the target audience.

The social marketing campaign for LLC reached 67% of our target audience, who recalled the campaign when asked. Awareness of all forms of LLC also rose. Pre and post campaign research was also carried out with the target audience of women aged 18-44, which showed a significant increase in women correctly describing what LLC means and more than 42% motivated to find out more about longer lasting contraception.

Question reference: S3W-33786

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will update the statement made on 25 March 2009 by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing on improving access to new medicines in the NHS (Official Report c. 16128), making particular mention of access to treatment for rare cancers.

The Scottish Government has made progress on all the policy areas included in the statement given by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing on 25 March 2009. These comprise CEL guidance for NHS boards on the introduction and availability of newly licensed medicines in the NHS in Scotland published on 17 May 2010; an information leaflet for the public and patients on new medicines in Scotland published on 17 May 2010; modifiers developed and published by the Scottish Medicines Consortium to be used when appraising medicines in particular categories; the establishment of a National Patient Access Schemes Assessment Group (PASAG) to assess patient access schemes for Scotland, and revised guidance on arrangements for NHS patients receiving healthcare through private healthcare arrangements published on 25 March 2009.

In relation to access to treatment for rarer cancers, the SMC has a standard process for assessing all newly licensed medicines. The process for assessing orphan medicines, as defined by the European Medicines Agency as a medicine licensed to treat or prevent life-threatening rare diseases affecting fewer than five in 10,000 people in the European Union, is the same as for all other medicines. However, in addition to the usual assessment of clinical and cost-effectiveness, SMC may consider additional factors such as whether the medicine substantially increases life expectancy and/or quality of life; can reverse, rather than stabilise the condition, or bridges a gap to definitive therapy. The SMC can also apply the modifiers to consider additional factors.

Question reference: S3W-32698

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 15 April 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of a survey by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists between January and February 2009 that showed that adults needing speech and language therapy rehabilitation in NHS boards that responded waited one to 10 weeks on average for intervention with some people waiting 18 weeks, how the Scottish Government will ensure that there is no further impact on services as a result of reductions in funding in 2010 and 2011.

Question reference: S3W-32697

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 15 April 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of a survey by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists between January and February 2009 that showed that children and young people in NHS boards that responded waited two to six-and-a-half months on average for therapy with some waiting 10 months, how the Scottish Government will ensure that there is no further impact on services as a result of reductions in funding in 2010 and 2011.

Question reference: S3W-32694

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 15 April 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of a survey by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists between January and February 2009 that showed that adults needing rehabilitation services in the “best” NHS board that responded had access to 16 times more speech and language therapy than in the “worst” area, how the Scottish Government will ensure that there is no further impact on services as a result of reductions in funding in 2010 and 2011.

Question reference: S3W-32696

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 15 April 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of a survey by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists between January and February 2009 that showed that waiting times for assessment and intervention in NHS boards that responded regularly missed government targets for adults and children, whether the Scottish Government can confirm that waiting times targets apply to speech and language therapy interventions and, if so, how many NHS boards are (a) meeting and (b) not meeting those targets.

Question reference: S3W-32688

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 15 April 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of a survey by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists between January and February 2009 that showed that reductions in funding were resulting in reductions in speech and language therapy services and staff and reducing access to such services in some areas, how the Scottish Government will ensure that there is no further reduction in services as a result of reductions in funding in 2010 and 2011.

Question reference: S3W-32699

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 15 April 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of a survey by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists between January and February 2009 that showed that over a third of adults with a learning disability in NHS boards that responded had to wait longer than 18 weeks for assessment and could then wait up to a year for intervention, how the Scottish Government will ensure that there is no further impact on services as a result of reductions in funding in 2010 and 2011.

Question reference: S3W-32691

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 15 April 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of a survey by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists between January and February 2009 that showed that some NHS board managers reported insufficient funding for permanent staff pay, temporary staff, basic equipment, essential communication aids and staff training, how the Scottish Government will ensure that there is no further impact on services as a result of reductions in funding in 2010 and 2011.

Question reference: S3W-32692

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 15 April 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of a survey by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists between January and February 2009 that showed that over a quarter of managers who responded said that changes in workforce would mean lower standards of service, how the Scottish Government will ensure that there is no further impact on services as a result of reductions in funding in 2010 and 2011.