- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 August 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to ensure that new-build schools and hospitals do not suffer problems with excessive heat, in light of recent reports of staff at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh fainting as a result of high temperatures.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has takenno specific action to ensure that new-build schools and hospitals do not sufferproblems with excessive heat as issues such as the output specifications and operationalmanagement for such contracts are, in the case of schools, a matter for individuallocal authorities and, in the case of hospitals, a matter for individual NHSScotlandbodies.
All building procurements areexpected to meet the requirements of statutory standards and the operational guidanceavailable in relation to environmental control.
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-24316, S2W-25442, S2W-26233, and S2W-26566 by Lewis MacDonald on 27 March, 8 May, 2 June and 19 June 2006 indicating that the Medical Research Council (MRC) had received no proposals of sufficient quality to fund research into the investigation of a link between bowel disease and autism, what the Executive’s position is in respect of MRC’s refusal to fund a proposal to examine 500 autistic children, plus controls, submitted in early 2002 by Dr David Wilson, gastroenterologist, and Dr Anne O’Hare, both from Edinburgh Sick Children’s Hospital, Dr John March from the Moredun Research Institute, Dr M Afzal and Professor Subrata Ghosh, gastroenterologist from Hammersmith Hospital, and whether the Executive will seek a full explanation from the MRC regarding its refusal to fund clinical investigation into the relationship between bowel disease and autism since 2001, given the MRC’s statement that this was a priority area for research.
Answer
As stated in the answer toquestion S2W-25366, answered on 3 May 2006, the Medical Research Council(MRC) is an independent funding body, the responsibility for which is reservedto Westminster. While my department works closely with the MRC onmany issues and has co-funded the MRC’s programme of research on autism, itwould be inappropriate for me to comment on the MRC’s decisions on specificresearch proposals, which are a matter for them.
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the research findings of Dr Steve Walker which replicate the findings of Professor John O’Leary and Dr Andrew Wakefield in discovering measles RNA from the MMR vaccine in the gut of autistic children and, in light of the recent study by Professor Gillian Baird, published in The Lancet which stated that one child in 100 in the United Kingdom now has autism and given that this level of autism appears to follow the introduction of the MMR vaccine to the UK, what urgent steps will be taken to re-introduce single vaccines as a choice until all the environmental factors contributing to autism are established.
Answer
The research findings of DrWalker’s work are unpublished and have not yet been peer-reviewed. There hasbeen extensive research into whether the measles virus can be found in gut ofchildren with autism however, there remains no convincing evidence to indicatea causal relationship between MMR and autism.Notably, the university atwhich all the authors of the abstract work (Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, North Carolina, USA) issueda press release on 1 June 2006
http://www1.wfubmc.edu/News/NewsARticle.htm?ArticleID=1856.This quotes Dr Walker saying “We haven’t done anything to demonstrate that themeasles virus is causing autism or even causing bowel disease. The new researchdoes not support the connection” The research findingstherefore do not impact upon current MMR policy. The childhood immunisationprogramme in Scotland does not offer single vaccines routinely and thereare no plans to change this policy. Offering single vaccines, with some timelags between vaccinations, would leave a child at risk from mumps, measles andrubella which could result in death or serious illness. This also has seriouspotential consequences for any other unprotected child or adult with whom theyare connected.
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of recent research published by Professor Gillian Baird in The Lancet stating that autism now affects one child in 100 in the United Kingdom and that environmental factors are implicated, what urgent steps will be taken to identify the environmental factors which are the potential triggers for this condition and whether it will now directly fund independent research.
Answer
The report by ProfessorGillian Baird and others which was published in
The Lancet on 14 Julydoes not implicate environmental factors as a reason for an increase in theprevalence of autism and related spectrum disorders (ASDs). While the papersuggests that the incidence of ASDs may be higher than previously thought, itdoes not show that this represents a genuine increase in incidence rather thanbetter ascertainment. Indeed, in a commentary published in the same issue of
TheLancet Dr Kurita states that while a number of previous studies havesuggested that environmental factors might have contributed to higher incidencerates none have so far been consistently supported.
The Chief Scientist Office would welcome research proposals on developmental problems in childrenincluding research on the causes of autism which would be subject to the usualpeer and committee review.
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 26 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the report in the Sunday Telegraph on 19 June 2006 on the MMR/autism debate which stated that the Department of Health would be very happy to consider information from families and would welcome appropriate samples being analysed by acknowledged international experts in the field, what arrangements are being made to allow Scottish families to participate in this exercise.
Answer
In June 2006 theDepartment of Health was made aware that the parents of the children whosetests had been reported as positive were offering this information to the department.The Department of Health has stated that it would be very happy to accept thisinformation from the families, and would welcome appropriate samples beinganalysed by acknowledged international experts in the field and wouldfacilitate this by passing the samples to appropriate laboratories. Thelaboratories would make the results known.
To date no caseshave been presented to the Department of Health. We are happy to liaise withour colleagues in Department of Health if any such cases were presented in Scotland.
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 26 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the report in the Sunday Telegraph on 19 June 2006 which stated that UK ministers have agreed that tests should be carried out on children whose families claim that they were damaged by MMR, what information it has on which ministers have agreed to this development and whether it was consulted on this matter.
Answer
Ministers at the Departmentof Health have not agreed that testsshould be carried out on children whose families claim that they were damagedby MMR and have not agreed to an MMRautism inquiry. Neither has the Department of Health issued a statement saying that there will be an inquiry.
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 29 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding any impact on services in Scotland arising from current and future job losses resulting from its efficiency review.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-26889 on 29 June 2006. All answers towritten parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the searchfacility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 29 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding current and future job losses in Scotland resulting from its efficiency review.
Answer
Two UK-wide Governmental networksare in place to monitor and discuss this issue.
Each network meets monthly andthe Executive is represented by officials at those meetings.
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 28 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to ensure that ethical standards are maintained in the care of all women prisoners in labour.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-26571 on 28 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 28 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it necessary for women prisoners to be handcuffed when in labour.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
No, unless in exceptional circumstances.
No specific guidance has beenissued on the management of women prisoners who are in labour. Only around two womena year give birth while in custody and the last birth was subject to close liaisonbetween Reliance and healthcare staff. This helps ensure that ethical standardsare met. A risk assessment is done in each case and it is a matter for Relianceto then determine the appropriate escort arrangements. This has resulted in theprisoner being handcuffed while in labour. The company have recently reviewed theirapproach and subject to a risk assessment, Reliance no longer handcuff prisonerswhile in hospitalised labour and handcuffs are not put on the prisoner until afterbonding with the baby has taken place.
