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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 2357 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S2W-29378

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 10 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average size of catchment area was for accident and emergency departments in (a) 1997, (b) 2001, (c) 2005 and (d) the most recent period for which figures are available in terms of (i) geographical area and (ii) number of people.

The information is not held centrallyin the form requested. My answer to question S2W-27107 on 24 July 2006 set outthe number of NHS locations recorded as providing an accident and emergency servicein each financial year from 1995 to 2005. 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.

NHS boards do not formally definecatchment areas for accident and emergency units. In practice, Scottish AmbulanceService crews will assess an emergency patient’s condition and treatment requirementsand on the basis of that assessment and any other relevant factors will take thepatient to the most appropriate accident and emergency facility. Although this willmost often be the nearest facility, it need not always be so. The crucial factorin most emergency situations is the time within which paramedical support reachesthe patient rather than the time taken thereafter to transport the patient to anaccident and emergency facility.

Question reference: S2W-29380

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 10 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length of in-patient stay was for a person admitted to hospital with influenza in each year since 1997.

The followingtable contains the mean length of in-patient stay for patients with a diagnosisof influenza for the financial years (ending 31 March) 1997-98 to 2005-06:

Mean Length of In-Patientstay with Principal Diagnosis of Influenza

Financial Year	Mean Length of Stay (Days)
1997-98	7.0
1998-99	7.1
1999-2000	7.6
2000-01	4.6
2001-02	5.5
2002-03	4.9
2003-04	5.3
2004-05	5.2
2005-06	4.3

Source: Scottish MorbidityRecord SMR01 linked database - in-patient/day case discharge summaries from non-obstetric/non-psychiatricspecialties.

Notes:

Main diagnosis of influenzaidentified using InternationalClassification of Diseases 10th revision (ICD10) codes J10 and J11.

Data is for allNHS hospitals in Scotland.

Although the trend in mean lengthof stay appears to be downward, there is much variability in these data. Much ofthis relates to variations in virus characteristics. For instance, the total numberof cases in 1999 was 555, but only 91 in 2004. Furthermore, different age groupsare more affected in different years. For example, the strain of flu which was prevalentin 2002 seemed to cause more child admissions than adult admissions.

Question reference: S2W-29077

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 10 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive for how many prisoners (a) who were considered to have literacy and/or numeracy difficulties or (b) for whom English was considered to be a second language national harm reduction awareness sessions were delivered in a suitable format and style in the last 12 months for which the information is available.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

The information is not available.The specific needs of individuals from minority ethnic backgrounds or for thosefor whom English may be a second language, will be met by the Enhanced AddictionCasework Service. Appropriate specialist support will be made available. Harm reductionawareness sessions can be delivered on an individual basis if required. Harm ReductionAwareness documentation is also available in Braille and large print.

Question reference: S2W-29074

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 10 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of eligible prisoners who initially refuse to attend national harm reduction awareness sessions in each prison subsequently ask to attend.

Question reference: S2W-29082

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 10 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Royal Mail blue transfer pouches, used for inter-prison records transfer, have been lost in transit in the last 12 months for which the information is available.

Question reference: S2W-29076

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 10 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average and median times are after reception by the Scottish Prison Service before eligible prisoners, other than those who refuse to do so, attend national harm reduction awareness sessions in each prison.

Question reference: S2W-29080

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 10 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many case management files relating to individuals’ addictions are currently open in each prison.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

The number open is given in thefollowing table:

Aberdeen	72
Barlinnie	196
Cornton Vale	115
Dumfries	30
Edinburgh	170
Glenochil	130
Greenock	69
Inverness	27
Low Moss	110
Open Estate	101
Perth	52
Polmont	191
Shotts	125

Question reference: S2W-29079

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 10 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the General Practice Administration System for Scotland (GPASS) is available to the contractor under Contract No. 00487 for the provision of enhanced addiction casework services to the Scottish Prison Service.

Question reference: S2W-29078

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 10 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many referrals were made to the Throughcare Addiction Service by (a) the Scottish Prison Service or (b) prisoners themselves in the last 12 months for which the information is available.

Question reference: S2W-29081

Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 10 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Royal Mail blue transfer pouches were used for inter-prison records transfer in the last 12 months for which the information is available.