- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 20 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-6836 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 March 2004, what resources, financial and otherwise, have been used by the Care Commission in publicising the national care standards in each year since its inception.
Answer
Scottish ministers are responsiblefor the development and publication of the National Care Standards, which the CareCommission must take into account when carrying out its business. The Scottish Executiveworks closely with the Care Commission in publicising the standards. Decisions onhow its budget is allocated are an operational matter for the Care Commission.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 20 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the US Food and Drug Administration requesting the label of 10 anti-depressant drugs to include a statement that recommends close observation of the patients for worsening depression or the warning signs of suicide and the fact that nine of these drugs are prescribed in Scotland, what steps will be taken to instruct NHS Quality Improvement Scotland to introduce a monitoring structure in respect of the use and effect of these drugs.
Answer
The regulation and safety ofmedicines is reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcareproducts Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The safetyof the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) has been closely monitoredby the MHRA and the UK independentexpert advisory committee, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM).
The CSMhas considered the question of suicidal behaviour in association with the SSRIson a number of occasions and carefully assessed any new data. The CSM has advisedthat it is general clinical experience that patients taking any anti-depressantmay develop an increase in suicidal behaviour in the first few weeks of treatment.SSRI product information has been amended to include warnings that suicidal behaviourmay increase in the early stages of treatment with any anti-depressant and thatpatients should be carefully monitored during this period. The CSM advice is availableon www.mhra.gov.uk.
The CSM'sExpert Working Group on the safety of SSRIs is currently reviewing the availableevidence relating to the safety of these medicines, with particular reference tobehavioural disorders, including suicidality, to ensure that the advice in the productinformation is optimal for safe use of these products.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 13 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received the report on the Miss X case by the Chief Inspector of Social Work Services and, if so, when the report will be published.
Answer
The Executive has receivedthe Social Work Services Inspectorate report into the Borders case, and expectsto publish it in the near future.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 13 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has secured a commitment from the Strategic Rail Authority to the contribution of #4 million towards the Borders railway.
Answer
As promoters of the BordersRailway project, it is the responsibility of the Waverley Railway Partnershipto assemble and deliver the funding package.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 2 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4161 by Nicol Stephen on 1 December 2003, on what date the proposed formal consultation on the concessionary fares commitment outlined in A Partnership for a Better Scotland and announced as commencing shortly will be launched and whether proposals for a nationally-recognised bus pass will be included in that consultation.
Answer
The consultation paper onconcessionary travel is currently being finalised and we intend to publish thedocument in April. The introduction of a nationally recognised bus pass will beconsidered as part of the consultation.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 31 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to The Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 - Regulation of Care Services by the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care. Proposals for Maximum Fees to be set by Scottish Ministers for 2004-05: Consultation paper, what information it has on the number and location of "smaller providers" of care homes, in particular care homes for elderly people, that may have to close as a consequence of the fee levy to fund the Care Commission; what information it has on the number and location of elderly people who may require to be relocated as a consequence of such closures, and where such people will be relocated.
Answer
No information is held onthis. There is no evidence to suggest that care homes may have to close as aresult of fee increases and it would be wrong to speculate.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 30 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3039 by Mr Tom McCabe on 14 November 2003, when the strategic review of the care home sector will be published.
Answer
Work on the review iscontinuing. I expect to see a report in the coming months.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Health and Community Care was aware that compensation to those in the Republic of Ireland who developed hepatitis C through contaminated blood products was a no-fault compensation scheme when giving evidence to the Health Committee (Official Report, 9 September 2003; col 155-156) and, if so, why the committee was not advised of this at the time.
Answer
My reply of 20 March to yourletter of 12 March on this issue sets down the important facts concerning thesituation in the Republic of Ireland as I understand them.
I have placed copies of myletter in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 31878).
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Health and Community Care was aware that no-fault compensation awards to infected haemophiliacs in the Republic of Ireland were made on compassionate grounds without legal liability on the part of the state and, if so, why he did not advise the Health Committee (Official Report, Health Committee, 9 September 2003; col 155-156) of this when questioned.
Answer
I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-6958 on 29 March 2004. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 26 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Health Technology Assessment Advice 5, what increases in the NHS budget will be made to allow for the estimated increase in costs to the antenatal scanning service following the implementation of the Health Technology Assessment recommendations.
Answer
NHS boards are given anannual general allocation to meet the health care needs of their residentpopulations. It is for boards to determine, within the funds available, how tomanage and deliver local health care services to meet these needs, bearing inmind national and local priorities.
Every NHS board received aminimum increase in their funding of 7.4% in 2003-04 and 6.75% in 2004-05.
The contents of the HealthTechnology Assessment Advice 5 report is currently being fully reviewed by the Scottish Executive taking into consideration the advice from the UK National ScreeningCommittee. Resources will be considered as part of this process.
