- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Derek Mackay on 16 July 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what regulatory measures are in place to avoid potential conflicts of interest between advisory groups appointed by Audit Scotland and the sectors being audited.
Answer
The Auditor General for Scotland was established under section 69 of the Scotland Act 1998 as an individual appointed by the Crown on the recommendation of the Scottish Parliament. In the exercise of any of her functions she is not subject to the direction or control of either the Scottish Government or the Parliament.
My understanding is that the role of advisory group members is to provide independent specialist advice and feedback to audit teams in the course of an audit, but the detailed governance of those advisory groups would be a matter for Audit Scotland to comment on.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 14 June 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that some of its and its agencies' staff have clauses in their contracts that prohibit them from speaking out or whistleblowing.
Answer
There is nothing in Scottish Government contracts of employment which prevents employees raising concerns. Our policy on raising a concern under the Civil Service Code and Whistleblowing ensures that staff are fully informed about how to raise different types of concern and what support is available to them during this process. The policy also ensures that managers are aware how to respond to any concerns raised and clearly sets out the roles of individuals, managers, investigating officers, nominated officers and the Integrity Group as well as the Civil Service Commission. There are no circumstances under an employment contract which could legally prevent someone from making a protected disclosure.
In addition, advice is provided to all Board members of executive agencies to highlight their responsibilities under the Public Interest Disclosure Act to ensure that the body has appropriate policies and procedures in place to allow staff to raise concerns and links to guidance from Audit Scotland on whistleblowing.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 7 June 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to reduce waiting times for children’s health services in the Highlands.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 7 June 2018
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 May 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 15 May 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how the survival rate of people in Scotland with haemophilia compares with the rest of the UK.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-16316 on 10 May 2018. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 May 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 May 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many people with haemophilia in each NHS board area have died from (a) Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) and (b) other neurological conditions in each year since 1999.
Answer
No patients with haemophilia or other bleeding disorders have been reported to have died from any form of CJD in Scotland.
With regard to other neurological conditions, this is a matter for the UK Haemophilia Centre Doctors' Organisation which collects data related to the diagnosis, management and complications of bleeding disorders on the National Haemophilia Database. The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 May 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 May 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what the survival rate is of people aged (a) 50 to 59 and (b) 60 and over with haemophilia, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
The UK Haemophilia Centre Doctors' Organisation collects data related to the diagnosis, management and complications of bleeding disorders on the National Haemophilia Database. The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 May 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 May 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that the people who were infected by contaminated blood are in receipt of the correct level of benefit and that no person who is entitled to these is left without regular payments, and how it monitors the effectiveness of this.
Answer
The payments provided by the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme (SIBSS) to those affected by infected NHS blood are not taken into account when calculating a beneficiary's entitlement to means-tested benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions. SIBSS gathers information on benefits claimed when assessing eligibility for income top-up payments or one-off grants and encourages beneficiaries to claim all of the benefits they are, or seem to be entitled to.
SIBSS also directs beneficiaries to financial advice services and has provided grants for a welfare rights advisor to provide detailed advice and assistance to some SIBSS beneficiaries who have appealed against DWP benefits decisions. However, SIBSS does not have information covering the full individual circumstances of any beneficiary and, apart from those beneficiaries seeking income top-up or one-off grant payments, does not have access to data about beneficiaries' benefits; therefore it cannot monitor whether all beneficiaries are accessing the correct benefits.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 May 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 May 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many recipients of haemophilia plasma-pooled products in each NHS board area are subject to public health observation for neurological disorders or abnormalities.
Answer
This is a matter for the UK Haemophilia Centre Doctors' Organisation (UKHCDO) which collects data related to the diagnosis, management and complications of bleeding disorders on the National Haemophilia Database. The UKHCDO is responsible for the surveillance of bleeding disorder patients identified as having received plasma products between 1990 and 2001 — the largest single 'at risk' group for variant CJD. The information requested is therefore not held centrally.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 9 May 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to consult people in remote and rural areas on the impact of the new GP contract.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 9 May 2018
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 April 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage female pupils to consider enrolling in the STEM teaching initiative run by the universities of Dundee and the Highlands and Islands.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2018