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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 2242 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S2W-11625

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 October 2004
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive from what date clinicians were advised that they can prescribe the anti-TNF drugs, etanercept and Infliximab, whenever it is clinically appropriate in an individual case.

The Health Technology Board forScotland (HTBS) (now part of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland) issued advice onthe use of etanercept and infliximab on the following dates:

17 May 2002 - Comment on theNational Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Technology Appraisal Guidancenumber 35 on the use of etanercept for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

17 May 2002 - Comment on theNICE Technology Appraisal Guidance number 36 on the use of etanercept and infliximabfor the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

28 June 2002 - Comment on the NICE Technology Appraisal Guidance number40 on the use of infliximab for Crohn’s disease.

The comments can be accessedat www.nhshealthquality.org.

On 12 July 2004, the Scottish MedicinesConsortium (SMC) issued advice to NHSScotland about the use of infliximab for thetreatment of ankylosing spondylitis in patients who have severe axial symptoms,elevated serological markers of inflammatory activity and who have responded inadequatelyto conventional therapy. On the same date, the SMC also advised on the use of etanerceptfor the treatment of active and progressive psoriatic arthritis in adults. The SMCadvice can be accessed at www.scottishmedicines.org.

In each case, the HTBS and theSMC advised that NHSScotland should take account of the advice and ensure that recommendeddrugs and treatments are made available to meet clinical need.

Question reference: S2W-11626

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 October 2004
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 19 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive from what date NHS Scotland was advised that funding for the anti-TNF drugs, etanercept and infliximab, should be made available to meet local clinical need.

The Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) (now part of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland) issued advice on the use of etanercept and infliximab on the following dates:

17 May 2002 - Comment on the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Technology Appraisal Guidance number 35 on the use of etanercept for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

17 May 2002 - Comment on the NICE Technology Appraisal Guidance number 36 on the use of etanercept and infliximab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

28 June 2002 - Comment on the NICE Technology Appraisal Guidance number40 on the use of infliximab for Crohn’s disease.

The comments can be accessed at www.nhshealthquality.org.

On 12 July 2004, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) issued advice to NHSScotland about the use of infliximab for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis in patients who have severe axial symptoms, elevated serological markers of inflammatory activity and who have responded inadequately to conventional therapy. On the same date, the SMC also advised on the use of etanercept for the treatment of active and progressive psoriatic arthritis in adults. The SMC advice can be accessed at www.scottishmedicines.org.

In each case, the HTBS and the SMC advised that NHSScotland should take account of the advice and ensure that recommended drugs and treatments are made available to meet clinical need.

Question reference: S2W-12035

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 19 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what savings have been derived from the erection of ticket barriers in railway stations as part of the ScotRail franchise.

Question reference: S2W-12034

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 19 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive when it would expect to see improvements in the ScotRail service following the award of the new franchise to First Group plc.

Service improvements from the new Franchise began with its launch on 17 October 2004. For example, early improvements include higher standards of cleaning of stations and trains, additional ticket inspectors to be in place by the beginning of December and improved customer communications.

Longer term improvements for passengers will be derived from a £40 million rolling programme of investment throughout the life of the Franchise. This includes £20 million scheduled for station upgrades, more than 90 extra customer liaison staff and the rolling out of CCTV on trains across Scotland.

First ScotRail is also required, by the terms of the franchise agreement, to deliver a 2% year-on-year improvement in train reliability over the term of the franchise.

Question reference: S2W-12037

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 19 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of any savings made from the ScotRail franchise will be reinvested in the service.

Question reference: S2W-12038

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 19 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what targets have been set in the ScotRail franchise for the punctuality of trains.

The franchise agreement contains targets for punctuality, which divides the train fleet into eight service groups. There are targets for each of these groups, based on minutes lateness of trains. Information on lateness is gathered and reported on at least monthly.

The franchise agreement requires the operator to provide a punctual service by prescribing a maximum number of “minutes late” which is permitted during any four week period. Where the operator exceeds the permitted minutes late, a financial penalty may be imposed. Conversely, an incentive payment may be made if the operator does not exceed the permitted minutes late.

In addition, the minutes late target is to be tightened by 2% year-on-year throughout the life of the franchise.

Question reference: S2W-12039

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 19 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new ScotRail franchise distinguishes the reliability of commuter trains from other train services.

Question reference: S2W-11595

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive how it differentiates between shared equity and shared ownership schemes.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

Shared ownership enables people who cannot afford outright purchase to buy an equity stake in a property. Sharing owners must also make an occupancy payment to a Registered Social Landlord to obtain exclusive occupancy of that property.

Shared equity also enables people who cannot afford outright purchase to buy an equity stake in a property. Shared equity differs from shared ownership however because a shared equity owner would not make an occupancy payment to a Registered Social Landlord. A shared equity owner would be expected instead to maximise the use of their available funds towards the purchase of an equity stake in a property. They would therefore be expected to have a larger equity stake in a property than would be the case with shared ownership.

Question reference: S2W-11596

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive how communal repairs will be charged under shared equity home ownership schemes

Question reference: S2W-11481

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 October 2004
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 10 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the review of police grant aided expenditure will have on Glasgow.