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-22350

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 4 September 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that people with fibromyalgia have their condition recognised by employers and the wider community.

The Scottish Government recognises that fibromyalgia can be a difficult and debilitating condition. As with all long term conditions we are committed to providing the best care and support to people living with fibromyalgia and have funded third sector led initiatives to help raise public awareness of the condition.

We acknowledge the important link between work and health and our health works strategy, sets out a range of actions to support both employers and individuals of working age to ensure that health is not a barrier to employment.

Question reference: S4W-22278

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-21124 by Alex Neil on 29 May 2014, when the Scottish Public Inquiry into Hepatitis C/HIV acquired infection from NHS treatment in Scotland with blood and blood products is due to present its final report.

Lord Penrose, Chairman of the Scottish Public Inquiry into Hepatitis C/HIV acquired infection from NHS treatment in Scotland with blood and blood products (The Penrose Inquiry) wrote to me on 28 May 2014 updating me on the inquiry’s progress.

As the member will be aware, the Penrose Inquiry is independent of Scottish Minsters and it is for Lord Penrose to decide on the progress and timetabling of the inquiry.

The inquiry is currently in the process of issuing warning letters and, as set on the inquiry’s website, http://www.penroseinquiry.org.uk/, the process has not yet concluded.

Subject to the inquiry team progressing with the warning letter process at the anticipated rate, the final report will be published in the autumn of 2014. Lord Penrose has agreed to write to me again to provide a further update on progress.

Question reference: S4O-03492

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 August 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on police stations having mental health nurses assigned to them, similar to the pilot exercise being carried out in England.

Question reference: S4O-03412

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it will address the attainment gap between girls and boys identified in the 2014 edition of the Summary statistics for attainment, leaver destinations and healthy living.

Question reference: S4W-21610

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 17 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance has been given to NHS board area drug and therapeutic committees on (a) patient and public involvement in decision making and (b) publication of minutes of meetings, and how compliance with such guidance is being monitored.

Question reference: S4W-21364

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 12 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when the new Peer Approved Clinical System will be operational and whether the transitional arrangements will continue in its place and remain financially supported by the Rare Conditions Medicines Fund.

Work is ongoing between the Scottish Government and NHS boards evaluating the financial implications of the new approach by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) and how the Rare Conditions Medicines Fund (RCMF) can best support an increase in SMC approvals under this new approach. This work is also looking at whether additional financial support, through RCMF, should support the transitional period from Individual Patient Treatment Requests to a Peer Approved Clinical System in 2014-15. I will provide the Health and Sport Committee, and the member, with an update once this work has concluded. The transitional period has provided useful feedback to the development of the new system which will be rolled out shortly alongside information to NHS boards on RCMF.

Question reference: S4W-21363

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 11 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its missing the 1 May 2014 introduction date, when it will introduce the new Patient and Clinician Engagement approval system.

Patient and Clinician Engagement now forms part of the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) evaluation process. Submissions from pharmaceutical companies received by SMC after noon on 7 April 2014 are eligible for this new approach, in line with what was set out in the Task and Finish Group report provided to me and published by the Health and Sport Committee. The first decisions from this new process are expected in autumn 2014.

Question reference: S4O-03345

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 11 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the chief executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S4W-21598

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what weight is given to cognitive behavioural therapy in the provision of mental health services.

The Scottish Government is committed to creating a well-functioning mental health system, where all therapeutic interventions are based around the needs of the individual, and recognises the important role cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) plays within this.

NHS boards are working towards the HEAT target, ‘Deliver faster access to mental health services by delivering 18 weeks referral to treatment for Psychological therapies from December 2014’. CBT is one of the key psychological therapies delivered through this target.

We have published The Matrix: a Guide to Delivering Evidence-based Psychological Therapies in Scotland on what treatments are effective for which conditions. There is an evidence base to show that CBT is effective in the treatment of a range of conditions, including anxiety disorder, depression, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, and the management of chronic pain.

Question reference: S4W-21365

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 4 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding concerns raised by the scientific community that the recent amendments passed at the European Parliament to Articles 81 and 83 of the European Data Protection Regulation will harm the opportunities and benefits available as a result of Scotland’s health records data.

Data protection is a reserved area and the Ministry of Justice has made representations on behalf of all parts of the UK. The Scottish Government takes the view that it is not yet clear whether the conditions and safeguards set out in the amended Articles of Data Protection Regulation will have negative implications on research given that NHSScotland already has robust scrutiny and security controls in regard to requests to use patient-originated data for research. Article 83 (b) states that such processing must comply with all other relevant legislation, in each member state. As health is a devolved area, the Scottish Government will consider whether any statute or instrument through the Scottish Parliament, would assist in making clearer how health records are to be used by public bodies for research which directly benefits NHSScotland.