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: S1W-06712

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 24 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources will be allocated to extending breast cancer screening for women up to the age of 69.

The results of the Scottish project aimed at assessing the implications of extending the upper age limit of invitation for breast screening are being considered by the Scottish Breast Screening National Advisory Group. In addition, the UK National Screening Committee will also be considering the evidence available on this issue when they next meet in June. I will consider the recommendations and any associated costs from both the National Screening Committee and National Advisory Group in due course.

Question reference: S1W-06710

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 24 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are given to breast cancer screening units on the number of views to be taken at repeat mammogram appointments.

The Scottish Screening Programme Central Co-ordinating Unit provides guidance to Breast Screening Centres about repeat mammogram appointments. The number of views taken at repeat mammography appointments is based on an assessment of each individual case and depends on the reason for calling the woman back and on the individual's physical condition. Geographical location is not taken into account in determining the number of views.

Question reference: S1W-06711

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 24 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any geographical variance in the number of views taken at repeat mammogram appointments in breast screening units.

Question reference: S1W-06481

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 23 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the collaborative review of child services in Glasgow between Yorkhill NHS Trust and the Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust.

Yorkhill and Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trusts have been collaborating with Greater Glasgow Health Board in reviewing the provision of Children's Community Health Services in the health board's area. I believe that a report on their findings will be discussed at a meeting of the health board's Child Health Strategy Group later this month.

Further information is available from either of the Trusts or the health board direct.

Question reference: S1W-05981

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2000
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 23 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of National Lottery grants awarded in Scotland are given to organisations in (a) the Glasgow area and (b) the Glasgow Kelvin constituency.

Question reference: S1W-06480

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 16 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the timetable for improvements at the Partick rail interchange.

Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) were successful in securing £3.5 million additional capital consent from the first round of the Public Transport Fund towards the upgrading of Partick railway station to a fully integrated transport interchange. One of the main features of the upgrade will be to improve access for disabled passengers. The timetable for improvements is a matter for the SPT - it is envisaged that work on site will commence early next year.

Question reference: S1W-06482

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 12 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to develop community learning accounts alongside its proposals for individual learning accounts.

Question reference: S1O-01648

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 11 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an update on the progress of the evaluation of the Glasgow Airport rail link.

Question reference: S1W-04235

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 4 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on breast cancer services in 1999 and how much is allocated to be spent on this area in 2000.

Question reference: S1W-04236

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 4 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements are being made in breast cancer care in Scotland.

Cancer services are one of the three top clinical priorities for the NHS in Scotland. The Scottish Executive is committed to reducing the incidence of all forms of cancer, including breast cancer, and we have set a challenging target of reducing the incidence of cancer by 20% over the next 10 years.In order to meet those targets we have in place a number of different policies aimed at improvements in the treatment and care of people with cancer. These include:

supporting the breast cancer screening programme with funds of over £5 million per year:

establishing one stop clinics for investigation and diagnosis of breast lumps, to reduce the anxiety of waiting for results;
setting a national maximum waiting time for cancer treatment, to be delivered by March 2001;
encouraging the use of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN) guidelines on Breast Cancer in Women which was published in 1998;
renewing and updating the guidelines on the Referral of Women with Breast Problems and issuing them to all GPs in Scotland, including new evidence and guidance on determining the urgency of individual cases;
setting up three multi-disciplinary managed clinical networks on breast cancer across Scotland, allowing for the sharing and dissemination of good practice;
encouraging referral of patients to specialist breast surgeons;
undertaking prospective audits of breast cancer, among others, nationwide using the relevant SIGN guidelines;
having the Scottish Cancer Group work with the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland on ways of improving quality of cancer care generally and on developing standards for assessment and accreditation of cancer services;
supporting six research projects on or related to breast cancer through funding of £754,000;
funding the Cancer Therapy Network to encourage the entry of as many patients as possible to clinical trials at a cost of £1 million.

As cancer is an overall clinical priority for the NHS in Scotland and is tackled through many different routes, we do not require health boards and NHS Trusts to identify separately how much of their expenditure they devote to providing cancer services, but we expect them to give the treatment and care of all forms of cancer due priority in allocating their resources.