Chamber and committees

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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

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Question reference: S2W-15287

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of malnourishment in children have been recorded by the NHS in each of the last 25 years.

The information requested is not held centrally.

However, the tables below show the number of children who have been admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of malnutrition since 1981 and the levels of under-nutrition in pre-school children (three to there-and-a-half-years) and school aged children (at primary 1, primary 7 and secondary 3).

Whilst the numbers of malnourished children in Scotland are relatively low, The Scottish Executive wants to ensure that every child enjoys a well-balanced, healthy diet. Our health improvement programme focuses strongly on this, for example through healthy school meals, free fruit for primary 1 and 2 pupils and Breakfast Clubs where children, especially those in low-income areas, can enjoy a healthy start to the day.

Discharges by Financial Year of Discharge, Scotland, April 1981 to March 2004

Year Ending 31 March	Children Aged Under 16 Years
Year Ending 31 March	Principal Diagnoses	Secondary Diagnoses	Total
1982	2	-	2
1983	2	4	6
1984	3	3	6
1985	2	2	4
1986	3	2	5
1987	4	-	4
1988	2	5	7
1989	-	1	1
1990	-	2	2
1991	-	1	1
1992	-	3	3
1993	1	1	2
1994	-	4	4
1995	-	1	1
1996	1	1	2
1997	3	5	8
1998	6	6	12
1999	1	5	6
2000	5	6	11
2001	1	4	5
2002	2	2	4
2003	2	3	5
2004	2	3	5
April 1981- March 2004	42	64	106

Notes:

1. This information wasextracted from the SMR01 linked data set maintained by ISD Scotland. SMR01records (Scottish Morbidity Records 1) record all in-patient and day casedischarges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric specialties in NHS Hospitalsin Scotland.

2. Figures based on Scottishresidents only.

3. Figures based on patientsare presented on an annual basis. Therefore, patients are only counted once ayear but the same patient may be counted in different years.

4. Diagnoses coded using theInternational Classification of Diseases (ICD-9 and ICD-10)

5. Malnutrition defined asICD-9: 260-263, ICD-10: E40-E46

6. Data is provided byfinancial year of discharge, April 2002 to March 2003.

7. Up to six diagnoses (1principal, 5 secondary) are recorded on SMR01 returns.

Figures have been brokendown by principal and secondary diagnoses.

Source: SMR01 Ref:ISD/HIG/IR2005-00756 Date: 23 March 2005

Table 2: Low BMIDistribution (Under Nutrition < 2nd="" centile):="" children="" receiving="" a="" review="" inp1="" (four="" to="" five="" years),="" p7="" (11="" to="" 12="" years)="" and="" s3="" (14="" to="" 15="" years);="" by="" schoolyear="" 1973-74="" to="">

School Year	No. Examined	Primary 1		Primary 7			Secondary 3
		Very Low (<>^nd Centile)		No. Examined	Very Low (<>^nd Centile)		No. Examined	Very Low (<>^nd Centile)
		Number	%	No. Examined	Number	%	No. Examined	Number	%
1973-74	79,424	1,108	1.4	..	..	..	62,090	1,218	2.0
1974-75	72,354	1,248	1.7	..	..	..	35,272	654	1.9
1975-76	71,397	1,333	1.9	..	..	..	37,763	717	1.9
1976-77	75,724	1,503	2.0	..	..	..	72,804	1,550	2.1
1977-78	71,672	1,346	1.9	..	..	..	76,476	1,501	2.0
1978-79	64,235	1,201	1.9	..	..	..	76,033	1,364	1.8
1979-80	60,411	1,126	1.9	..	..	..	71,623	1,251	1.7
1980-81	60,543	1,048	1.7	..	..	..	73,936	1,316	1.8
1981-82	56,379	1,067	1.9	..	..	..	73,403	1,449	2.0
1982-83	55,703	1,001	1.8	..	..	..	71,064	1,198	1.7
1983-84	57,992	1,051	1.8	..	..	..	66,046	1,246	1.9
1984-85	58,687	1,094	1.9	..	..	..	55,095	1,001	1.8
1985-86	63,461	1,056	1.7	..	..	..	61,475	,978	1.6
1986-87	61,225	1,050	1.7	..	..	..	57,900	936	1.6
1987-88	59,544	989	1.7	..	..	..	56,261	857	1.5
1988-89	54,034	963	1.8	..	..	..	47,067	678	1.4
1989-90	53,044	842	1.6	..	..	..	42,442	582	1.4
1990-91	46,548	772	1.7	..	..	..	27,236	314	1.2
1991-92	42,297	749	1.8	..	..	..	23,949	295	1.2
1992-93	39,232	648	1.7	..	..	..	18,440	206	1.1
1999-00³	6,570	92	1.4	9,009	156	1.7	5,267	82	1.6
2000-01⁴	12,739	187	1.5	13,449	193	1.4	10,336	133	1.3
2001-02⁵	12,833	186	1.4	14,055	186	1.3	9,945	137	1.4
2002-03⁶	16,253	231	1.4	14,998	206	1.4	9,144	137	1.5
2003-04^6,7	16,693	224	1.3	13,800	206	1.5	9,579	153	1.6

Source: SMR10, CHSP-S ISD ScotlandRef:IR2005-00756.

Notes:

1. Data up to school year1992/93 has been extracted from School Health (SMR10).

2. Data from school year1999/00 has been extracted from Child Health Surveillance Programme: School.

3. Includes Borders,Lanarkshire and West Lothian NHS Trust only.

4. Includes Borders, Fife,Lanarkshire and West Lothian NHS Trust.

5. Includes Argyll and Clyde,Borders, Fife, Lanarkshire and West Lothian NHS Trust.

6. Includes Argyll and Clyde,Borders, Fife, Lanarkshire, Tayside and West LothianNHS Trust.

7. Information at S3excludes Argyll and Clyde and Tayside NHS Boards where this review is notcarried out.

..Data not collected during this year.

Table 3: Low BMI Distribution (Under Nutrition < 2nd="" centile):="" children="" receiving="" 39-42="" month="" review="" (approx="" 3-3.5="" yrs);="" by="" year="" of="" birth="">

Year of Birth	No. Examined	Very Low (< 2nd="">
Year of Birth	No. Examined	Number	%
1995²	37,353	961	2.6
1996²	36,663	1,007	2.7
1997²	35,804	934	2.6
1998	35,906	888	2.5
1999	34,981	850	2.4
2000	32,534	893	2.7

Source:CHSP-PS ISD Scotland Ref:IR2005-00756.

Notes:

1. The Child Health Surveillance Programme- Pre school (CHSP-PS) system currently has 10 participating NHS boards (excludes, Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles, Highland and Grampian).

2. Excludes Dumfries and Galloway who did not implement the system until 2000.

Question reference: S2W-15295

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive when the report on HM Prison Kilmarnock, prepared in November 2004 by the Chief Inspector of Prisons, will be published.

Question reference: S2W-15617

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a registered mental health nurse was employed in HM Prison Kilmarnock between 1 and 11 January 2002.

Question reference: S2W-15615

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners admitted to HM Prison Kilmarnock since January 2002 have not been examined by a registered mental health nurse.

Question reference: S2W-15613

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken in HM Prison Kilmarnock since January 2002 to introduce procedures to ensure compliance with the Director's Rules, including those referred to specifically in the fatal accident inquiry report on the death of James Barclay.

Question reference: S2W-15472

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the statement made on behalf of the Chief Constable of Strathclyde police, as reported in the Sunday Herald on Sunday 20 March 2005, that the police do not investigate claims made by a documentary.

Question reference: S2W-15473

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the number of lives which could have been saved within HM Prison Kilmarnock had the correct procedures been followed in relation to suicide watches.

Question reference: S2W-15436

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what its procedures are for assessing the Scottish Prison Service's (SPS) performance in respect of its monitoring and assessment of the performance of HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Question reference: S2W-15435

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what its arrangements are for assessing the performance of Premier Prison Services in respect of its contract with the Scottish Prison Service for running HM Prison Kilmarnock and whether it will place a copy of its own documentation on the contract in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Question reference: S2W-15424

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the performance of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons; what criteria it uses to measure his performance; what his performance targets are; what level of remuneration he receives; how many days per week he is contracted to work, and what financial, human and office resources he has available to carry out his duties.

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) was appointed on 18 October 2002, following an open competition advertised in the press and in accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Code on fair and open competition, which can be found at: www.civilservicecommissioners.gov.uk.

The appointment is for four years in the first instance. A copy of the recruitment literature is attached at Annex A.

There were 56 applicants. Following an initial sift undertaken with the assistance of the Search and Selection company who assisted with this appointment, the interview panel invited seven candidates for final interview. The decision of the panel to appoint he current HMCIP was based on merit against the criteria set out in the recruitment literature. Prior to appointment the Scottish Executive’s Human Resources division carried out standard security, health and reference checks.

Salary is within SCS Pay Band 1 which from 1 April 2005 has a range of £54,788 - £115,616.

HMCIP is contracted to work full-time; is responsible for a budget of £315,000 and a core team of four individuals.

The Scottish Executive is satisfied with the performance of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) which is assessed using the Senior Civil Service performance management system, further details can be found at:

www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_information/senior_civil_service/scs_performance_and_reward/guidance_and_forms/index.asp. This includes formal review of performance at least twice a year.

The business and development objectives set for HMCIP for 2004-05 are:

To make inspection visits to every prison, four of these being full inspections.
To complete reports of all such visits within eight weeks and to prepare the annual report on the work of the inspectorate.
To complete a thematic review of the “provision of personal change programmes for sex offenders who are in custody”.
To review the theoretical framework of inspections and produce standards for inspections.
To work with the Scottish Prison Service and the Justice Department in producing revised protocols for the operation of HMIP.

To ensure that the necessary performance management procedures are completed by the due dates for all HMCIP staff.