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-11234

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 9 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8267 by Susan Deacon on 10 July 2000, whether it has received from Her Majesty's Government a copy of the recently agreed protocol on under-age sales and, if so, whether it intends to review its position on the use of children in test purchases of tobacco products.

The Scottish Executive is aware of the Enforcement Protocol which has been launched in England and Wales, and is working with CoSLA and Scottish Trading Standards towards the development of a Scottish Tobacco Enforcement Protocol for use by local authorities in carrying out their duty in relation to the Children and Young Person (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991.The Lord Advocate is currently reviewing prosecution policy in relation to the use of children in test purchases of tobacco products. The outcome of this review will be taken into account in finalising the Scottish Protocol.

Question reference: S1W-11232

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 9 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to undertake a mass media campaign, along the lines of the Department of Health's "Don't Give Up Giving Up" campaign, offering practical tips to smokers on giving up.

The Scottish Executive is taking forward a range of measures to reduce the levels of smoking. These include the HEBS "Think About It" advertising campaign for young people and several "Top Tips" adverts launched last February which focus on practical aspects of stopping smoking. Follow-up support, advice and information, "You Can Stop Smoking" is also provided through the freephone helpline "Smokeline".The Executive has provided HEBS with additional funding from the £26 million Health Improvement Fund which will enable a new mass media campaign for teenagers to be delivered in the New Year. Other multi-agency work is also intended on tobacco issues covering adults, young people, prevention and cessation and the particular needs of ethnic minority groups and vulnerable young people.

Question reference: S1W-10647

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 October 2000
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 9 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what co-ordination there is, on a Scotland-wide basis, of services relating to the treatment of survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

The long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse require considered and sensitive long-term care responses. These care responses must be directly related to individual assessed needs, both physical and psychological. Health boards and NHS Trusts are expected to work with their care partners to develop services for the treatment and rehabilitation of such psychological disorders, based on a proper assessment of needs.

The Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland provides a template for the best inter-agency organisation of such services and support, based on the aim that all needs are met.

Question reference: S1W-09678

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 September 2000
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive why the mental health of young people has deteriorated in recent years as outlined in its document 1999 Health in Scotland.

There is no single reason. The Chief Medical Officer in his annual report Health in Scotland 1999 (bib. no. 8112) sets out a range of contributory factors.

Our task is to respond to individual needs, and to attack the causes at source. Our social inclusion agenda, combined with the three-level approach to public health set out in our White Paper Towards a Healthier Scotland (bib. no. 3036) and the service response proposals within the Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland (bib. no. 7392), combined with other initiatives, form the basis of a broad, co-ordinated approach in this regard.

Copies of the publications referred to are available from the Parliament's Reference Centre.

Question reference: S1W-11797

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 8 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce general practitioner list si'es in areas of deprivation and greatest health need.

While the statutory Regulations set overall limits on list size, they do not provide a mechanism to control list size in particular circumstances.

The needs of areas of deprivation and greatest health need are addressed through other means - e.g. through additional payments to GPs practising in deprived areas. These payments are made in recognition of the increased workload involved and to assist GPs in providing a high quality of service. The deprivation payments scheme was enhanced from 1 April 1999, increasing payments by £2.4 million to a total of £7.3 million in 1999-2000.

As indicated in Our National Health published on 14 December, we will also develop new contractual arrangements for GPs, building on Personal Medical Services pilots already underway, to allow Trusts to employ GPs directly to work in socially deprived areas.

Question reference: S1W-12202

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 5 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive over what timescale all local authorities will be expected to comply with Lord Hardie's recent judgement in the Court of Session in the recent Arthur McGregor case.

Question reference: S1W-12201

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 5 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding it will make available to local authorities to meet the costs of providing a permanent place in a nursing home for the 2,000 pensioners currently on waiting lists, following Lord Hardie's recent judgement in the Court of Session in the recent Arthur MacGregor case.

Question reference: S1W-12165

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 4 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will require of each health board to identify the action boards are taking to tackle homelessness and address inequalities, as outlined on page 20 of Our National Health - A Plan for Action, a Plan for Change.

Question reference: S1W-12156

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 4 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources it will provide to Glasgow, Lothian, Lanark and Argyll and Clyde Ambulance Services to ensure that they reach their 999 response time targets.

The Scottish Ambulance Service is funded to provide services across Scotland. This year's allocation is £94.3 million - up by £4.1 million on last year.

The allocation includes £500,000 specifically for 20 more front-line staff in Glasgow and a further £485,000 to train 75 more paramedics across Scotland.

Areas round Glasgow will benefit from deployment of extra front-line staff in the city. In addition, the Scottish Ambulance Service regularly reviews performance in all health board areas to ensure that it is providing the services people need.

Question reference: S1W-12044

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 4 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9245 by Iain Gray on 30 October 2000, why the number of clients receiving home help fell by 9,558 between 1997 and 1999 and what steps it is taking to reverse this decline.

The figures reflect a shift in the nature of local authority provided or commissioned home care to a more intensive service involving personal care with each client on average receiving more help. Over the period, the number of home care hours provided or commissioned by local authorities rose from 335,668 to 375,300.

The Minister for Health and Community Care announced a range of measures on 5 October 2000, which will considerably increase home care provision.