- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 31 January 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-7844 by Fergus Ewing on 18 January 2008, whether it will now give a positive timeline for the establishment of its proposed national drugs commission or whether the answer indicates that it is uncertain about the usefulness of such a commission.
Answer
We are exploring thepotential role of a National Drugs Commission in the context of developing our newDrugs Strategy which we intend to publish in spring 2008.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 21 January 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are adequate residential and day-based drug rehabilitation services available across Scotland.
Answer
There are over 230 services listedin the National Directory of Drug Services in Scotland, including 26 which offera residential option. Further information on these services can be found at
www.scottishdrugservices.com.It is for local service plannersand commissioners to assess and plan their services according to local need. Weare reforming local structures to improve the range, access and quality of drugservices delivered locally and to hold local partners more strongly accountableto the government.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 21 January 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what demand there is for rehabilitation services (a) across Scotland and (b) in each local authority area.
Answer
Demand varies across Scotland dependingon drug availability and drug use. Because of this variability, information is notheld centrally but we expect delivery partners to be aware of and meet this demandwith an appropriate range of services available locally.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 18 January 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the remit of a national drugs commission to develop and agree a long-term national strategy backed up by a more robust evidence base, as promised in the SNP manifesto, will include consideration of alcohol as well as drugs.
Answer
I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-7844 on 18 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 18 January 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the timeline will be for the establishment of a national drugs commission to develop and agree a long-term national strategy backed up by a more robust evidence base, as promised in the SNP manifesto.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committedto developing a new National Drugs Strategy, which is informed by evidence and built, as far as possible, aroundconsensus. As part of developing our strategywe will consider how best the Scottish Advisory Committee on Drug Misuse, alcoholand drug action teams and other key stakeholders can assist in theimplementation of a successful strategy. We will consider the potential role ofa commission within that context.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 18 January 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit will be of the commission, referred to in the SNP manifesto, to establish a national drugs commission to develop and agree a long-term national strategy backed up by a more robust evidence base.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-7844 on 18 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 18 January 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the remit of a national drugs commission to develop and agree a long-term national strategy backed up by a more robust evidence base, as promised in the SNP manifesto, will include consideration of Scotland’s record in dealing with the social impact of drugs and substance abuse.
Answer
I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-7844 on 18 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 17 January 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to reverse the decline in response rates from 97% of schools in 1990 to 69% in 2006 and overall response rates from 87% in 1990 to 57% in 2006 in the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey for the next survey in 2008.
Answer
The apparent fall in responserates to the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS)is against a background of a general downward trend in response rates to large surveysof this type. However, there have been some methodological changes to the surveydesign between 1990 and 2006 which may also explain part of the fall.
Schools which refused to takepart in the 2006 survey were asked their reasons for refusal. The main reason citedconcerned existing survey commitments and commitments in the previous term.
In planning for the 2008 survey,it is intended to establish better contacts with Education Officers and Health ImprovementOfficers in each area to try and improve commitment to the survey within local areas.Improved co-ordination with other Scottish Government funded surveys taking placein schools should help to reduce some of the burden on schools and encourage moreto take part.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 January 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in NHS boards with waiting times over 26 weeks, it will authorise the use of the private sector for any patients whose needs cannot be met by either their own NHS board or by the Golden Jubilee National Hospital.
Answer
We have made it clear thatthe Scottish Government will invest in the NHS in Scotland toensure patients get rapid access to high quality care. We have no intention ofinvesting or expanding the private health care sector, but are content for NHS boardsto make use of independent sector hospitals to help address short-term capacityissues and to ensure that NHS patients are treated quickly.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 January 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, given its commitment to include audiology in the waiting times guarantee of 18 weeks by 2011, what interim targets have been set for NHS boards, also showing the current audiology waiting times in each board.
Answer
We are confident that the new18 week patient journey target will delivered by 2011. While no interim targetshave yet been agreed, such targets will be agreed with NHS boards as part of forthcomingdiscussions around their respective action plans.
