- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the Healthy Start budget as referred to on page 36 of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document, is distributed.
Answer
The Healthy Start programme in Scotland, is a statutory UK-wide demand-led scheme (formerly known as Welfare Foods). Pregnant women and families with children up to the age of four on certain benefits or tax credits can claim for the Healthy Start Scheme.
The Scottish Government reimburse the Department of Health for the Scottish costs of the scheme. We also reimburse health boards for the cost of the Healthy Start vitamins issued free of charge to beneficiaries and additionally the budget funds the nursery milk scheme.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the Access Support for the NHS draft budget for 2010 has been reduced by £48.5 million, which is 32% less than the 2009-10 budget, as referred to on page 36 of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document.
Answer
The budget reduction of £48.5 million reflects a recurrent transfer to NHS boards of £28.5 million for waiting times support and savings of £20 million through efficiencies realised following a review of the processes and procedures underpinning the delivery of the access targets and taking account of progress achieved ahead of schedule.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the reduction in the Mental Health Legislation and Services draft budget for 2010-11 is fully accounted for by a transfer of £9.5 million to the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland budget, as referred to on pages 36 and 50 respectively of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document.
Answer
The overall reduction is £9.7 million of which £9.5 million relates to the transfer to the Justice portfolio for the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland. The remaining £200,000 represents a contribution to local government in respect of the delivery of 10,000 additional respite weeks by 2010-11.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the Access Support for the NHS budget as referred to on page 36 of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document, is distributed.
Answer
The phasing of funding during any waiting time programme is to reflect the position of each NHS board in terms of (a) the number and length of patients waiting, (b) availability of key workforce, (c) the position of each board in terms of specialist (tertiary) work that it may perform for other boards and (d) proximity to facilities such as Golden Jubilee National Hospital and Stracathro.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the Health Protection draft budget for 2010-11 has been reduced by £8.8 million, which is 24% less than the 2009-10 budget, as referred to on page 36 of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document.
Answer
The Health Protection budget covers a range of activities relating to promoting and protecting public health in Scotland.
The reduction primarily represents efficiencies arising from utilising modern technologies in respect of key programmes reflecting an innovative and cost effective approach.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the Healthy Start draft budget for 2010-11 has been reduced by £1 million, which is 10% less than the 2009-10 budget, as referred to on page 36 of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document.
Answer
Healthy Start is a UK reserved scheme and is part of the benefits system. The budget is demand led and has been amended to reflect the latest cost estimate.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the Health Screening budget as referred to on page 36 of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document, is distributed.
Answer
The breakdown is as follows:
| Programme | £ Million |
| Cancer Screening | 4.454 |
| Pregnancy and Newborn Screening | 2.346 |
| Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening | 1.700 |
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing’s statement that she expected all 1.3 million people in the priority groups to have been offered influenza A (H1N1) vaccination by Christmas 2009 (Official Report c. 20608), for what reason there are patients in the at-risk groups still to be invited for vaccination by their GP.
Answer
Health boards have indicated that vaccination has been offered to all those in the initial priority groups however a mop up exercise will continue to take place to the end of January to ensure that everyone in the initial priority groups has been invited for vaccination.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether pregnant women presenting for the influenza A (H1N1) vaccination can have the mercury-free cevlapan vaccine.
Answer
The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has given clear recommendation that both Celvapan and Pandemrix vaccines are safe for use in pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy. Both vaccines have been licensed for use in pregnant women by the European Commission and the European Medicines agency (EMEA).
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommend that pregnant women should be given Pandemrix as it provides adequate levels of antibodies following administration of one dose, thereby conferring more rapid protection than Celvapan which requires two doses a minimum of three weeks apart.
Supplies of the Celvapan vaccine are limited therefore these are being reserved primarily for at-risk people with severe allergic reaction to egg products. Pandemrix is manufactured in hens eggs therefore is unsuitable for people with egg allergies, Celvapan does not contain egg products therefore is suitable for people with egg allergies.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the announcement by HM Government of £20 million for the Thalidomide Trust to support survivors of the effects of the drug, thalidomide, whether it plans to provide an equivalent contribution for survivors in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government will make proportionate funding available to contribute to the package of assistance being provided by the UK Government. I am happy to confirm that I am meeting with representatives of the Thalidomide Trust in February to open discussions on the best way to allocation these additional funds.
