- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder when they were reacting adversely to E-numbers contained in food and drink in each year since 1999.
Answer
The specific information requestedis not available centrally.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 19 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how much of the profits from vending machines in schools is being used to make up any shortfall in the funding of schools.
Answer
As Scottish education authoritieshave responsibility for the provision of vending machines in schools, informationon the uses to which any potential profits may be put is not collected centrally.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 19 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any records are kept of children who have been excluded from school because of behaviour problems that may be linked to an allergy to E-numbers.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not keep records of children who are excluded because of behaviourproblems linked to food additive allergies.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are tested for any allergy to E-numbers before being prescribed any medication.
Answer
The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guideline 52 on “Attention Deficit and Hyperkinetic Disorders in Children and Young People” provides clinicians with advice on the diagnostic criteria and assessments for ADHD. It is for clinicians to determine the most appropriate tests for individual patients.
The guideline can be accessed at www.sign.ac.uk.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 19 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has conducted any surveys into the causes, including (a) allergies to E-numbers and (b) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, of behavioural problems in schools.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is undertaking a range of research initiatives to inform policy making onbehaviour in schools. The Scottish Executive Education Department and Health Departments also work closely together tolearn from the findings of research and assess its relevance in different contexts.
The Chief Scientist’s Officeis currently funding one research project on attention deficit hyperactivitydisorder (ADHD) through the NHS Programme Support Grant, which will investigatewhether chronic treatment with methylphenidate in boys with ADHD leads to sensitisationor tolerance. The National Research Register, a UK wide research database, recordsthat there are 11 on-going research projects in the UK on ADHD and two completed research projects on whether food additivescause hyperactivity in children.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what information can be made available about the monitoring of the performance of NHS boards in providing photodynamic therapy for patients with age-related macular degeneration.
Answer
Work is under way to developa Scotland-wide photodynamic therapy service and monitoring arrangements to ensurea fair and equitable service is delivered to meet clinical need. NHS boards areinvolved in this process. The Scottish Executive Health Department will continue to monitor the provisionof the service.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to ensure that all NHS boards make budget allocations so that there is no "postcode" treatment for patients with age-related macular degeneration.
Answer
A national planning exercisehas been initiated to plan the service for Scotland and ensure equitable access.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the incorporation of the Health Technology Board for Scotland into NHS Quality Improvement Scotland has affected the target of achieving 25 health technology assessments by December 2006.
Answer
One of the main reasons for establishingNHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) was to coordinate work on clinical effectivenessand quality improvement more effectively. This has resulted in the forward workplans of all the predecessor organisations being reviewed to ensure that NHS QISresources are used to best effect on behalf of patients. Health technology appraisalsremain an important part of NHS QIS portfolio of activities, and are being targetedon areas where they have the potential to contribute most to improvement in patientcare.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review how NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS) issues guidance relevant to Scotland following a National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal, given that NICE guidance provides the NHS implications of cost and further research for England and Wales and there is no further publication offered by NHS QIS giving such costs for Scotland.
Answer
The processes for issuing guidancewere reviewed with NHSScotland in 2002. It was agreed that separate work on theresource implications for Scotland of NICE technology appraisal guidance was notan effective or efficient use of public resources, and led to delay in issuing NICEguidance in Scotland. As with all its work NHS QIS will, however, keep thisunder review.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS treatment centres have the facilities to treat people with age-related macular degeneration with photodynamic therapy.
Answer
At present services are providedfrom hospitals in North and South Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. There are facilities in other areas and work is in handto develop and extend the service in Scotland for the future.
