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: S4W-02377

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 23 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it envisages that a process of renegotiation of single outcome agreements will be required in 2012.

Question reference: S4W-02378

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 23 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the progress that has been made in delivering single outcome agreements in advance of any renegotiation of such agreements.

In March this year, the Scottish Government and COSLA jointly published Local Matters: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/03/10115335/0 which reported on progress made to date using the outcomes-based approach as embodied in single outcome agreements (SOAs). The report showed there is clear evidence of the effectiveness of that approach and set out a number of challenges that need to be met if it is to be implemented more widely and effectively. The Scottish Government remains committed to that approach and will take the progress made so far into account in considering the future shape of SOAs in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

Question reference: S4W-02382

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will invite local authorities to provide details of their anti-poverty strategies as part of its monitoring both of single outcome agreements and of progress being made toward achieving the aims of its strategy, Achieving Our Potential.

We will be encouraging local authorities to provide a range of materials regarding their efforts to tackle employability and poverty issues which we will make available through our Employability and Tackling Poverty Learning Network website. These materials, which may include anti-poverty strategies, are being submitted at local discretion to facilitate sharing of practice rather than as a monitoring exercise.

Question reference: S4W-02381

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it reviews its child poverty strategy annually.

Question reference: S4W-02374

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-00854 by Michael Matheson on 28 June 2011, when it will make a decision regarding the introduction of a socioeconomic duty in Scotland.

It would be premature to make a decision on the introduction of the socio-economic duty in Scotland until the UK Government makes a final decision regarding the implementation of the socio-economic duty as contained in the Equality Act 2010. The UK Government is currently reviewing the Equality Act 2010 as part of their Red Tape Challenge and the socio-economic duty is in scope of these considerations.

Question reference: S4W-02380

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether tackling poverty is one of the key themes in its cities strategy.

Question reference: S4O-00236

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how its procurement processes safeguard the terms and conditions of its contract staff.

Question reference: S4W-02334

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that adults requiring treatment for an attention deficit disorder should be able to access treatment in another NHS board area when the treatment required is not available in their own locality.

The Scottish government sets national direction of policy on mental health and provides funding to agencies, including NHS boards and Local Authorities, to support implementation of policy. The management of local actions in implementing national policy, and decisions on local spending priorities are the responsibility of relevant local agencies. The provision of care for people with mental health problems is the responsibility of GPs, NHS boards and local authorities working with partners in the private and third sectors.

NHS boards are free to consider the availability of treatments in other Health Board areas where this might be appropriate. However treatment for attention deficit disorders would normally be delivered in the community and it is a matter for clinicians in consultation with the relevant professional staff within a multi-disciplinary team to decide on the best treatment or intervention based on the individual needs of their patients.

Question reference: S4W-02332

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what support is provided by the NHS for (a) children and (b) adults with an attention deficit disorder.

The Scottish Government sets national direction of policy on mental health and provides funding to agencies, including NHS boards and local authorities, to support implementation of policy. The management of local actions in implementing national policy, and decisions on local spending priorities are the responsibility of relevant local agencies. The provision of care for people with mental health problems is the responsibility of GPs, NHS boards and local authorities working with partners in the private and third sectors.

The majority of children and young people with an attention deficit disorder will be treated in the community by local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. In each case an Individual care package will be devised and delivered following a multi-disciplinary needs assessment.

Guidance for health professionals treating children and young people with attention deficit and hyperkinetic disorders can be found in the SIGN national clinical guideline 112: http://www.sign.ac.uk/guidelines/fulltext/112/index.html.

Management of attention deficit and hyperkinetic disorders in children and young people.

NICE Clinical Guideline 72 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity:- Diagnosis and Management of ADHD in Children, Young People and Adults:

http://www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/CG72/NiceGuidance/pdf/English.

provides guidance for clinical staff treating adults with attention deficit disorders.

These national guidelines provide a framework for evidence based assessment and management of ADHD, and we would expect healthcare professionals to take account of all available evidence when providing care and treatment for individuals.

Question reference: S4W-02333

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides to NHS boards for the treatment of adults with an attention deficit disorder.