- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 5 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to introduce a 24-hour suicide prevention helpline.
Answer
A 24-hour helpline for peoplein emotional crisis is already well established through Samaritans. The ScottishGovernment supports Samaritans’ work in Scotland through core grant funding. Inaddition Choose Life (the implementationteam for the government’s strategy on suicide prevention) have provided fundingto enable Samaritans to develop a co-coordinated approach to suicide interventionin branches in Scotland. This funding has included support to Samaritans to recruitand train more volunteers, with specific training in suicide intervention trainingskills, and support to pilot a phone texting service which will be reviewed in November2007.
There are no plans to introducea separate service to meet the same needs.
The government also supportsa number of other initiatives which provide support to people in crisis or experiencinglow mood or depression. This includes the free Breathing Space telephone adviceline (open 6pm to 2am nightly; currently piloting extended hours to 6am at weekends).
In emergency situations the emergencyservices can be contacted on 999 for assistance, 24 hours a day.
Through Choose Life, suicideprevention training is being rolled out across Scotland; over 11,500 individualsin community and public service settings have been trained in suicide interventionand risk management skills in the last three years.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 5 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to encourage more teachers to take the Chartered Teacher qualification.
Answer
Chartered Teacher alreadyoffers teachers substantial salary rewards in return for advanced learningwhich can lead to improved classroom practice. The scheme is currently beingreviewed to examine possible improvements. In the meantime universities reportincreasing interest in Chartered Teacher modules, in part as new generations ofteachers become eligible for entry.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many special advisers it appointed in each of the first two sessions of the Parliament; what their specific responsibilities were, and what the total annual costs were of the posts.
Answer
At the end of the first Parliament there were nine special advisers in post at an annual salary cost of £602,449 and at the end of the second Parliament there were 12 special advisers in post at an annual salary cost of £854,376. Both cost figures include ERNIC and employer pension contributions.
The specific role and duties of special advisers is set out in the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers at Schedule 1 of the Model Contract for Special Advisers which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 37226).
The following is the original answer (published on 5 June 2007); see below
At the end of the first Parliament there were nine special advisers in post at an annual salary cost of £602,449 and at the end of the second Parliament there were 12 special advisers in post at an annual salary cost of £851,520. Both cost figures include ERNIC and employer pension contributions.
The specific role and duties of special advisers is set out in the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers at Schedule 1 of the Model Contract for Special Advisers which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 37226).
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive which executive agencies and quangos it established during each of the first two sessions of the Parliament, also showing the remits of each body.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-134 on 5 June 2007. Information on the remits of non-domestic publicbodies is provided in the directory of Scottish public bodies on the Scottish Executivewebsite at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies/directory.All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 4 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to remove barriers to the construction of affordable housing.
Answer
We recognise the acute shortageof affordable homes that exists in many areas of Scotland and are committed to improvingthe supply and affordability of housing. We are developing a range of initiativesto achieve this objective and will be pursuing these over the coming months.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 4 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to reverse the decline in the population of North Ayrshire.
Answer
The Executive has been workingwith Irvine Bay Urban Regeneration Company and local partners, including North AyrshireCouncil, Communities Scotland and Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire, to assist in thedevelopment of comprehensive proposals for the regeneration of the Irvine Bay areaof North Ayrshire. These proposals will focus on both retaining the existing populationand also attracting new people to the area, by creating a vibrant area with a strongeconomy, a high quality of life and an enhanced environment.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 4 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have died in hospital in each of the last three years and, of these, how many died as a result of venous thromboembolism.
Answer
The information requested isgiven in the following table. The table also presents data on deaths from pulmonaryembolism as the overwhelming majority of these are likely to be the consequenceof venous thromboembolism.
Deaths in Hospital bySelected Cause, Scotland, 2003-05
Cause of Death | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
All deaths in hospital | 34,159 | 32,722 | 32,772 |
of which as a result of | | | |
(a) venous thromboembolism1 | 97 | 101 | 89 |
(b) pulmonary embolism2 | 327 | 268 | 276 |
Notes:
1. ICD 10 codes: I80, I82(excl. I82.0), O22.3, O22.9, O87.1, O87.9.
2. ICD 10 codes: I26, O88.2.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 4 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how much NHS Scotland has spent on branded drugs for which there is a generic equivalent in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Answer
Where clinically possible, cliniciansare encouraged to prescribe generically. In2006, the cost of prescribed branded drugs for which a generic equivalent was usuallyavailable was £10,843,438. This figure does not include the cost of modified releasepreparations or antiepileptic drugs where generic substitution might not be clinicallyappropriate. In some instances, branded drugs will need to be dispensed where thegeneric equivalent is temporarily in short supply.
The cost shown relates to prescribeditems dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctorsand excludes medicines dispensed by hospitals and hospital-based clinics. The costgiven is that before the addition of any pharmacy fees and deduction of any drugmanufacturers discount and patient charges.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 4 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what practical steps it will take, and in what timescale, to make more affordable housing available to (a) urban, (b) rural and (c) island communities.
Answer
We recognise the acute shortageof affordable homes that exists in many communities, whether urban, rural or island,and are committed to improving the supply and affordability of housing through targetedinvestment and by removing barriers to provision. We are taking stock of the widerange of action needed to achieve this objective and in so doing will take fullaccount of the varying needs of different types of community.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 4 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that no new nuclear power stations are constructed in Scotland against the wishes of the Parliament.
Answer
Any proposal to build a new nuclearpower station in Scotland would require consent from Scottish ministers. Given our position on energy policy, our generating capacity,our multiplicity of energy sources and our strong alternative strategies, such anapplication would be unlikely to find favour with this administration.