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-20607

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2005
Current Status: Answered by George Lyon on 25 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether strong information literacy programmes can help close the digital divide and build a more effective civil society and a competitive workforce.

Yes. The ability to analyse the quality of available information is a necessary skill when accessing material from the web. Citizens can be empowered by their ability to access and use information appropriately and in this respect, work to reduce the digital divide and work to promote information handling skills complement each other.

Media literacy, demonstrated by the confidence with which individuals can manage, exchange and use information from a variety of sources, particularly the web, is important for the economic wellbeing of our country and plays a part in the development of a skilled and knowledgeable workforce. It is important for the maintenance of successful and vibrant local communities. For the individual who through their ability to use technology can learn, work, play, entertain, inform and discover, we are increasing opportunities to fulfil their potential.

Question reference: S2W-20608

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2005
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 21 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will identify and define information literacy as a core skill set within educational curricula distinct from ICT to encourage the development of information handling skills.

The curriculum is non-statutory. Responsibility for effective teaching rests with authorities and schools. A Curriculum for Excellence will provide a framework for young people’s learning which will enable them to develop as successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, effective contributors who are confident in the handling of information. Information literacy is unlikely to be a discipline in its own right; however literacy and communication skills are important elements in the four capacities underpinning A Curriculum for Excellence.

Question reference: S2W-18339

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 23 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16326 by Mr Andy Kerr on 17 May 2005, whether the Scottish Cancer Group has had discussions with providers of speech and language therapy services regarding improving access to diagnosis and treatment for cancer patients with communication impairment.

There have been no discussions between the Scottish Cancer Group (SCG) and the speech and language therapy services on these issues. The SCG is a strategic advisory body. It is the responsibility of NHS boards to provide services to meet the needs of their local population.

I also refer the member to the answer to question S2W-18338 on 23 August 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Question reference: S2W-18338

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 23 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16326 by Mr Andy Kerr on 17 May 2005, what action is being taken to improve access to diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer patients with communication impairments, such as women with cerebral palsy.

Question reference: S2W-18298

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 19 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the level of provision of palliative care is sufficient to meet the needs of the population.

NHS boards are responsible for ensuring that they provide the services that their populations need. Generally, palliative care is available for cancer patients across Scotland. We know that other patients have difficulty in accessing hospice care. The Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care have been funded by the Big Lottery to look at how access to palliative care for people with life threatening conditions other than cancer can be increased and will be producing a report in the autumn of 2006.

However, NHS boards have a duty to ensure that all their patients receive the care they need, and this includes pain relief at the end of life whether delivered in a hospice or not. We would be very concerned if this were not being done.

Many hospitals have dedicated palliative care teams. ISD Scotland 2004 figures show 59 doctors working within palliative care medicine in Scotland, 22 of whom are consultants.

Question reference: S2W-18295

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 19 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is supporting people with a terminal illness who would prefer to die at home, as highlighted by the Marie Curie Cancer Care: Scotland Supporting the Choice to Die at Home campaign.

Question reference: S2W-18081

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 16 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many newly qualified teachers will be entering schools in August 2005 and how this compares with the most recently collected figures for teacher vacancies not filled after a three-month period, broken down by local authority area.

The following table shows the latest information available for primary and secondary teacher vacancies at February 2005 and the probationer allocations at July 2005 expected to enter schools in August 2005, broken down by local authority area.

Local Authority	Primary		Secondary
	Teacher Vacancies not filled after a 3 Months Period*	Probationer Teacher Induction Scheme	Teacher Vacancies not filled after a 3 Months Period*	Probationer Teacher Induction Scheme
Aberdeen City	17	29	39	52
Aberdeenshire	16	76	32	54
Angus	-	41	-	28
Argyll and Bute	7	17	9	13
Clackmannanshire	-	12	3	6
Dumfries and Galloway	-	36	8	21
Dundee City	27	18	28	16
East Ayrshire	1	39	-	36
East Dunbartonshire	1	24	1	42
East Lothian	1	46	-	40
East Renfrewshire	-	75	-	64
Edinburgh, City of	-	87	-	87
Eilean Siar	-	6	9	7
Falkirk	-	46	-	51
Fife	8	80	4	77
Glasgow City	16	118	28	127
Highland	2	60	6	48
Inverclyde	-	7	-	18
Midlothian	-	21	3	27
Moray	-	30	10	29
North Ayrshire	-	54	-	47
North Lanarkshire	13	153	16	114
Orkney Islands	-	9	1	7
Perth and Kinross	1	41	5	28
Renfrewshire	-	32	13	39
Scottish Borders	1	25	5	16
Shetland Islands	-	6	1	8
South Ayrshire	-	25	2	18
South Lanarkshire	2	91	6	123
Stirling	5	29	2	44
West Dunbartonshire	12	42	12	42
West Lothian	2	34	3	32

Note: *The numbers for teacher vacancies include headteachers and teachers.

Question reference: S2W-17208

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 20 June 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to map the needs of people with communication impairments but who do not have sensory impairments.

Question reference: S2W-17209

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 20 June 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to determine the numbers of people with communication impairments but who do not have sensory impairments.

Question reference: S2W-16325

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 23 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to address health concerns amongst people with communication impairment, in particular with regard to the delivery of the sexual health strategy.

Improving access to informationabout health services and access to such services is key to having a more inclusiveNHS. This includes responding to the needs of disadvantaged groups including peoplewith communication impairments.

The implementation of the nationalsexual health strategy “Respect and Responsibility: Strategy and Action Plan forImproving Sexual Health” is still at an early stage. However, it contains a fundamentalprinciple of ensuring equality of opportunity to lifelong learning and service provisionin terms of sexual health and wellbeing. Taking account of the particular communicationneeds of individuals due to language, disability or other impairments will be addressedthrough a number of actions including the development of the national communicationsstrategy on sexual health, the materials used to support school based sex and relationshipseducation, and provision of easy to read information leaflets to promote sexualwellbeing and service access. At a nationallevel, the National Sexual Health AdvisoryCommittee will promote the use of the equality and diversity impact assessment toensure that no-one is excluded from accessing sexual health services.

In addition, in March 2003 theFirst Minister made a commitment to look at ways to double the number of BritishSign Language/English interpreters in Scotland. The Scottish Executive has allocated funding of £0.5million to support this commitment.