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: S2W-02628

Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive when the colorectal cancer screening programme will be rolled out throughout Scotland and what funding will be required for the programme.

In line with Cancer inScotland – Action for Change and taking into account the findings of the Evaluationof the UK Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot, the Executive has re-affirmed itscommitment to introduce a national colorectal cancer screening programmesubject to the advice from the National Screening Committee. The planningprocess to support the screening programme is expected to take around fiveyears and will involve the detailed consideration of a range of issuesincluding workforce and training, resources, IT, symptomatic servicesrequirements and the age range for invitation for screening.

Question reference: S2W-02629

Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether sufficient theatre and laboratory capacity and colonoscopy skills are available to allow the colorectal cancer screening programme to be rolled out throughout Scotland.

Question reference: S2W-02194

Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 August 2003
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive how much Factor (a) VIII and (b) IX was used; what proportion of each product was synthetic, and how many patients were treated with each product, in each year from 1979 to 1989.

Details of the figures availableto the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) for issues of FactorsVIII and IX by SNBTS and the purchases of commercial products from 1979 to 1989are given in the following tables. Recombinant Factors VIII and IX were not availableduring this time period. Figures are not available centrally for the number of patientstreated with these products.

Factor VIII – SNBTS Issues andCommercial Purchases, 1979-89

Million units	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989
SNBTS	1.66	5.01	6.18	6.48	6.13	10.42	7.40	5.52	7.44	9.51	8.16
Commercial	0.85	1.00	1.37	1.40	1.04	0.11	0.03	0.13	0.19	0.15	1.72
Total	2.51	6.01	7.55	7.88	7.17	10.53	7.43	5.65	7.63	9.66	9.88

SNBTSFVIII: Figures based on issues of Factor VIII manufactured by SNBTS.

CommercialFVIII: Figures based on commercial Factor VIII purchases supplied by Chief AdministrativePharmaceutical Officers and the Scottish Office Home and Health Department.

Factor IX – SNBTS Issues andCommercial Purchases, 1979-89

Million units	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989
SNBTS	0.92	1.14	2.00	0.98	1.36	1.31	1.59	1.17	2.09	2.74	2.86
Commercial	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Total	0.92	1.14	2.00	0.98	1.36	1.31	1.59	1.17	2.09	2.74	2.86

SNBTSFIX: Figures based on issues of the prothrombin complex concentrate, DEFIX, (FactorsII, IX and X) by SNBTS.

Commercial FIX: Figures are notheld for commercial purchases during this period.

Question reference: S2W-02284

Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 August 2003
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 26 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-1588, S2W-1589, S2W-1590, S2W-1591, S2W-1592 and S2W-1593 by Peter Peacock on 14 August 2003, whether the management of assistant principal teacher posts was considered in the weighting process for the job-si'ing exercise on promoted postholders in schools.

Question reference: S2W-02283

Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 August 2003
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 26 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-1588, S2W-1589, S2W-1590, S2W-1591, S2W-1592 and S2W-1593 by Peter Peacock on 14 August 2003, how many posts there are at each salary point for (a) promoted teachers, and (b) principal teachers of guidance, following the job-si'ing exercise on promoted postholders in schools, broken down by local authority.

The information cannot beprovided in the format requested. To do so could raise data protection issuesby potentially revealing personal data to third parties without the consent of the persons concerned.

Thefollowing tables provide the number of posts on each salary point across Scotland.The Scottish Executive generally does not provide data where numbers are fiveor less.

Principal Teachers salary point	Number of Principal Teachers	Number of Guidance Principal Teachers	Deputy Headteacher/ Headteacher salary point	Number of Deputy Headteachers/ Headteachers
1	344	141	1	498
2	953	221	2	617
3	2,050	400	3	802
4	2,155	235	4	905
5	1,058	86	5	787
6	384	17	6	517
7	114	*	7	600
8	59	*	8	452
			9	359
			10	159
			11	88
			12	60
			13	33
			14	48
			15	82
			16	67
			17	44
			18	22
			19	15

Note:

*Number is five or less.

Question reference: S2W-02201

Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2003
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 24 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what the waiting times are for an assessment for low-vision aids in each NHS board area.

The information requested isnot available centrally. Information on waiting times for a first out-patientappointment with a consultant, following GP referral, is collected at specialtylevel only. The assessment for low-vision aids is undertaken in the specialtyof ophthalmology.

The median waiting times fora first out-patient appointment with a consultant in ophthalmology, followingGP referral, in the year ended 30 June 2003, in each NHS board area, is givenin the table.

NHSScotland: Median WaitingTimes for a First Out-Patient Appointment with a Consultant in the Specialty ofOphthalmology, Following Referral by a General Medical Practitioner, by NHSBoard Area of Residence. Year Ended 30 June 2003^P

NHS Board	Median Wait (Days)
Argyll and Clyde	84
Ayrshire and Arran	60
Borders	55
Dumfries and Galloway	60
Fife	56
Forth Valley	73
Grampian	75
Greater Glasgow	124
Highland	108
Lanarkshire	147
Lothian	56
Orkney*	-
Shetland*	-
Tayside	50
Western Isles*	-
Scotland	79

^PProvisional.

Source: ISD Scotland.

Note:

*Information not shown dueto small numbers (less than 100).

Question reference: S2W-02197

Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2003
Current Status: Answered by Euan Robson on 24 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive how many training places are available for rehabilitation workers for blind and partially sighted people.

The Guide Dogs for the BlindAssociation's School of Vision and Rehabilitation Studies in Glasgow offerstraining for rehabilitation workers in Scotland. Over the past 11 years in excess of 300 students havecompleted courses to qualify as rehabilitation workers. The most recent intake onthe full-time Diploma of Higher Education in Rehabilitation Studies - the entrylevel qualification for becoming a rehabilitation worker - had nine students.

Question reference: S2W-02196

Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2003
Current Status: Answered by Euan Robson on 24 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans for a recognised funded qualification course for rehabilitation workers for blind and partially sighted people.

The Scottish Executive is aware that the Diploma of Higher Education in Rehabilitation Studiesoffered at the Guide Dogs for the Blind School of Vision and RehabilitationStudies is at present on its final intake. The Social Work ServicesInspectorate have seconded an expert from the field of visual impairment for sixmonths to review the situation and establish best alternatives to this courseand the future provision of rehabilitation workers in the immediate and longerterms.

Question reference: S2W-02198

Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2003
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 24 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications of the introduction of free eye tests are for low-vision services.

Question reference: S2W-02200

Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2003
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 24 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued any advice to NHS boards on the assessment for, and issuing of, low-vision aids to registered blind and partially sighted people.