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-04698

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 12 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a decision has been made on the merging of West Dunbartonshire and East Dunbartonshire children’s panels as part of the reforms to the children’s hearings system.

Question reference: S4F-00391

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 January 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 January 2012

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s most recent estimate is of the number of women in Scotland who have received breast implants manufactured by PIP.

Question reference: S4W-04498

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many foster carers in social housing will be affected by changes to housing benefit regulations in light of reports that those of working age living in under-occupied homes could be penalised for having a spare room.

Due to the small numbers of households with foster children identified in either the Scottish Household Survey or Family Resources Survey, it is not possible to provide a robust estimate of the number of households in the social rented sector affected.

Furthermore, the final details of the Welfare Reform Bill, and its impacts on tenants living in the Social Rented Sector, have yet to emerge.

However, it is highly likely that there will be some foster carers living in social housing affected in Scotland and we remain concerned about the potential impacts of the reforms on them.

Question reference: S4W-04500

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to mitigate the impact of housing benefit changes in relation to foster carers.

Once the finalised details of the Welfare Reform Bill provisions as they relate to housing benefit for foster carers are available, we will work closely with stakeholders to assess the potential impacts and agree any mitigating action as appropriate.

The Scottish Government notes with interest that the UK Government’s preferred approach to supporting foster carers affected by the changes is through Local Authority use of Discretionary Housing Payments. Whilst we welcome the recently announced increase to the Discretionary Housing Payment budgets across the UK, we remain concerned about whether that approach provides a sustainable solution in longer term.

Question reference: S4W-04506

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason funding for hepatitis C treatments is now set at 1,200 patients, in light of the target number of treatments in 2010-11 being 1,500 patients.

The original treatment targets for hepatitis C were set out in the Hepatitis C Phase 2 Action Plan, which was published in 2008. These targets were aspirational and, although supported by significant investment, they were challenging. In 2009-10 it became apparent that the rate of expansion of services across the NHS boards in Scotland was variable and that nationally the original target for that year would not be met. Although investment was provided to support service expansion, the rate of expansion was naturally being restricted by non-financial factors, such as the ability to recruit staff. Therefore, in discussion with the NHS boards, and based on expert advice from Health Protection Scotland, it was agreed that the national targets would be re-calibrated to take account of experience over the first year. Accordingly, targets were revised to 750 in 2009-10 and 1,000 in 2010-11, and funding was adjusted accordingly.

NHS boards are currently exceeding targets and in 2010-11 a total of 1,049 individuals have commenced treatment.

The Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework includes a commitment to continue to increase the number of people commencing treatment with targets of 1,100 in 2011-12, 1,150 in 2012-13, 1,200 in 2012-14 and 1,250 in 2014-15.

Question reference: S4W-04505

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards have yet to implement managed clinical networks for hepatitis C.

Question reference: S4W-04504

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there is a link between the incidence of hepatitis C and deprivation.

Question reference: S4W-04499

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with COSLA about the new housing benefit regulations in relation to foster carers and whether it considers that there will be an impact on the provision of foster care.

The Scottish Government is in regular communication with COSLA about the full range of proposed housing benefit changes contained in the Welfare Reform Bill, and the issue of the impact on foster carers and the provision of foster care has been discussed in that context.

It is not possible to fully assess the impacts of the bill until the parliamentary process is exhausted, however the Scottish Government has made representations to the UK Government on this issue. We welcome the recent UK Government announcement that Discretionary Housing Payment budgets across the UK are to be increased in recognition of the potential impacts of the changes on foster carers and other vulnerable groups, but remain concerned about whether that approach provides a sustainable solution in longer term.

Question reference: S4W-04501

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Scottish Women’s Aid about changes to housing benefit regulations and the potential impact on refuge accommodation.

Question reference: S4W-04510

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what cost benefit analysis it has carried out of newer medicines used for the treatment of hepatitis C.

New medicines for the treatment of hepatitis C have recently come onto the market in 2011-12 with many more in the pipeline in coming years, making this a fluid and rapidly advancing clinical environment.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) advises NHS boards across Scotland about the status of all newly licensed medicines. The Scottish Medical Consortium assesses the comparative clinical-effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of new medicines, including those for hepatitis C, and will accept for use those that clearly represent good value for money.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium has recently completed its assessment and published advice for several new medicines for hepatitis C (telaprevir, boceprevir and tenofovir disoproxil) through its website. These can be used by NHS boards and other partners to inform local decision making.