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-25932

Asked by: Euan Robson, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 30 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures NHS Scotland has introduced to ensure that people with severe mental illness are encouraged to join programmes to combat obesity, increase exercise or promote smoking cessation, in light of the levels of physical health difficulties among this group, evidence that those with severe mental illness live ten years less than other people and Rethink's current campaign highlighting mental health as something which should feature in mainstream public health reforms.

The Scottish Executive is committedto reducing the Health Inequalities experienced by people with mental health problems.NHS Health Scotland’s priorities for 2006-07 as outlined in their BusinessPlan mirror ministerial priorities. Within this the main projects this year arefocussed on tackling health inequalities (Prevention 2010) and also on key topicsof tobacco, physical activity, food and health and alcohol. We expect NHS HealthScotland to underline and underpin each of these priority programmes and for mentalhealth issues to be woven into the delivery of these programmes.

Itis widely recognised that physical activity can have a positive effect on mentalhealth and wellbeing as well as on physical health. The Scottish Executive’s HealthDepartment (SEHD) has funded Paths to Health to a total of over £1.75 million inthe past three years. The Paths To Health project is a leading delivery agent forScotland’s Physical Activity Strategy and its success continues to grow. The projecthas now supported over 90 local schemes to develop walking initiatives in communities,many of which are in deprived areas. Of these 90 schemes, 10 are specifically designatedas mental health recovery groups.

Throughfunding provided by the Scottish Executive to ASH (Scotland), anumber of pilot projects are currently underway in the mental health arena whichwill help to establish best practice in smoking cessation. In addition, a nationalframework for moving mental health services towards being smoke-free is currentlybeing developed. It is intended this framework will deal with the specific issuesfaced by mental health services and their users, particularly in relation to smokingcessation.

The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) of the new General MedicalServices Contract from April 2006 rewards General Practices for providing an annualreview of all patients with severe mental illness. This includes their physicalhealth needs and specifies smoking, weight checks and other risk factors for CardiovascularDisease and other illnesses. GP practices are specifically required to ensure thatthe patient is offered appropriate health promotion and prevention advice, dependingon their needs. This indicator has been introduced in response to concerns aboutthe extra physical health needs of people with severe mental illness. In addition,other indicators in the same part of the QOF encourage practices to chase up peoplewho do not respond to invitations for this check, as well as ensuring they havea care plan or similar, to optimise care for their mental health.

The Health Department is providing£47,000 to support a project being undertaken at The State Hospital to reduce levelsof obesity and improve the physical and mental health of patients by facilitatinga healthier lifestyle through therapeutic activity and a healthy diet. This is afive year research project being piloted in one ward commencing January 2006. Followingevaluation of the pilot, it is the intention to roll the programme out to all wardsduring the subsequent four years.

Question reference: S2W-25008

Asked by: Euan Robson, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 3 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered recruiting dentists from Canada to work in the National Health Service.

The Executive currently has noplans to recruit dentists specifically from Canada.

Responsibility for recruitmentof dentists is a matter for NHS boards and independent dental practitioners whoown dental practices. As a non-European Union country, recruits from Canada wouldbe regarded as international applicants. A code of practice for international recruitmentof healthcare professionals was published on 30 March 2006.This sets out the principles for recruiting from overseas which all employers areexpected to follow.

Question reference: S2W-25011

Asked by: Euan Robson, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 April 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out an assessment of the impact in Scotland of new regulations on the recruitment of overseas professionals to the National Health Service and, if so, whether it will publish the outcome of the assessment.

Question reference: S2W-25009

Asked by: Euan Robson, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 April 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether changes to the immigration rules for the recruitment of overseas professionals to the National Health Service will apply in Scotland.

Question reference: S2W-25010

Asked by: Euan Robson, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 April 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Home Office consulted the Health Department in Scotland before introducing new regulations on the recruitment of overseas professionals to the National Health Service.

Question reference: S2W-24855

Asked by: Euan Robson, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 27 April 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the central heating scheme will be amended to lower the qualification age for those wishing only to replace a heating appliance.

Question reference: S2W-22968

Asked by: Euan Robson, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 31 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to amend the list of fundable bodies referred to in schedule 2 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005.

As a result of collegemergers I hope to be in a position in due course to approve the laying of an Orderbefore the Parliament which will remove the following six fundable bodies from schedule2 to the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005: Glasgow College of Buildingand Printing; Glasgow College of Food Technology; Fife College of Further and HigherEducation; Glenrothes College; Clackmannan College of Further Education, and FalkirkCollege of Further and Higher Education.

Oatridge Agricultural College has signalledits wish to have its name changed to Oatridge College to better reflect its range of provision. The Order should providethe necessary vehicle to facilitate this change.

Discussions have started betweenthe Scottish Executive, the Scottish Agricultural College and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) over a possibletransfer of funding from the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Departmentto the SFC. If Scottish ministers decide that such a transfer should take placethen an amendment to schedule 2 would be made by a further Order.

Question reference: S2W-24350

Asked by: Euan Robson, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 31 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce or confirm the budget for the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative for (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08.

Question reference: S2W-23052

Asked by: Euan Robson, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made to permit the dispensing of patient packs across primary, secondary and tertiary care, including the implementation of suitable medication self-administration schemes in hospital.

A self-administration ofmedicines “toolkit” has been developed which describes the key components requiredto implement self-administration schemes locally. The toolkit is being validatedby pharmacists and other relevant health care groups before it is issued to NHSScotlandfor local application.

No special permission is requiredto allow community pharmacists to dispense patient packs. Arrangements are in placefor pharmacists to dispense drugs in quantities which do not match the quantitiessupplied by manufacturers in patient packs.

Question reference: S2W-22927

Asked by: Euan Robson, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 3 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many babies have been cared for in each intensive and special care unit in each of the last two years.

The data in table 1 shows the number of babies who have been cared for within each intensive and special care unit in 2003 and 2004.

Table 1. Babies Cared for Within Intensive and Special Care Units^1,2

Health Board	Location	2003 ³	2004
Ayrshire and Arran	Ayrshire Central Hospital	342	379
Borders	Borders General Hospital	102	98
Argyll and Clyde	Inverclyde Royal Hospital	143	-
	Royal Alexandra Hospital	353	543
Fife	Forth Park Hospital	321	338
Greater Glasgow	Queen Mother’s Hospital	135	83
	Southern General Hospital	248	281
	The Princess Royal Maternity Unit	539	550
Highland	Raigmore Hospital	302	265
Lanarkshire	Wishaw General Hospital	869	875
Grampian	Aberdeen Maternity Hospital	792	832
Lothian	Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion	603	659
	St John’s Hospital At Howden	246	264
Tayside	Ninewells Hospital	412	466
Forth Valley	Stirling Royal Infirmary	336	176
Dumfries and Galloway	Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary	182	165
All		5,925	5,974

Source: SMR11 and SBR for 2003 and SBR episode table for 2004.

Notes:

1. Includes special care baby units, high dependancy units and intensive care units.

There is known to be variation in admission criteria and recording practice.

2. It is not possible to distinguish between intensive and special care units.

3. There may be some inaccuracy in the results as two data were used.

The information for 2005 is not yet available.