Questions and answers

Question reference: S3W-10877

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what barriers exist to increasing chlamydia screening among men to at least the levels of screening among women and what action could be taken to overcome such barriers.

Generally, men do not access health services as often as women. The reasons for this may be embarrassment, a lack of awareness of the services which are available or not recognising when they may be at risk.

It is our aim to increase chlamydia testing in men. This can be achieved through a variety of interventions such as better partner notification, young people friendly services including drop-in services and testing initiatives targeted at men, provided in venues they regularly attend.

Question reference: S3W-10472

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 11 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive who is prevented from donating blood; what the scientific justification is for each category of person prevented from donating blood, and what plans it has to reconsider who can and who cannot donate blood.

People prevented from donating blood can be placed broadly in two categories:

(1.) Those whose medical history, travel history, or behaviours put them at risk of passing on transfusion transmissible infections and

(2.) Those whose medical history suggests that giving blood could place them at risk of the adverse affects of donation.

Full details of the current UK donor selection guidelines, with explanatory notes, can be found at: www.transfusionguidelines.org.

The guidelines are reviewed on a regular basis at UK level through the Advisory Committee for the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs and the Joint Professional Advisory Committee for the four UK transfusion services, based on the latest epidemiological information from the Health Protection Agency, Health Protection Scotland and other experts in this field.

Question reference: S3W-10473

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many volunteer drivers there have been to take patients to health-related appointments in each year since 1997, also broken down by NHS board area.

The following table details the number of volunteer ambulance car drivers since 2004, broken down by NHS board area. Information is not held for the years previous to 2003-04.

NHS Board	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07
Argyll and Clyde	18	18	0	0
Ayrshire and Arran	15	16	14	11
Borders	9	9	10	10
Dumfries and Galloway	25	25	21	21
Fife	11	13	14	12
Forth Valley	29	34	35	35
Grampian	19	21	20	19
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	47	46	45	38
Highland	57	58	64	64
Lanarkshire	28	30	32	26
Lothian	13	11	10	10
Orkney	4	4	2	1
Shetland	0	1	0	0
Tayside	28	25	24	24
Western Isles	12	13	14	9
Scotland	315	324	305	280

Notes: * Information provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service

# Dissolution of NHS Argyll and Clyde “ figures for 2005-06 and 2006-07 included in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Highland

Question reference: S3W-10474

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to attract and retain volunteer drivers to take patients to and from health-related appointments.

Community transport organisations play a vital role in proving access to NHS facilities. Recent guidance to the NHS in Scotland sets out a three-year action plan aimed at increasing the focus on volunteering in Scotland''s NHS. The guidance is available at:

http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2008_10.pdf.

In addition, each division of the Scottish Ambulance Service places their own advertisements for volunteer drivers according to their recruitment needs.

Question reference: S3W-10471

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total number of vehicles was in the Scottish Ambulance Service’s fleet in each year since 1997, also broken down by NHS board area.

The total number of Scottish Ambulance Service fleet vehicles for the years 2001-02 to 2007-08 is outlined in the table. The information is provided in terms of Scottish Ambulance Service division areas and is not available broken down into NHS board areas. This information is not available for the years 1997 to 2001.

Total Number of Vehicles By Division	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08
East Central	228	235	235	247	252	242	244
North East	133	136	137	148	153	138	140
North West	108	109	111	119	123	122	125
South East	208	211	211	222	223	211	218
South West	280	281	283	315	316	293	293
West Central	272	287	289	319	322	331	329
Total Number of Vehicles for Scottish Ambulance Service	1,245	1,276	1,283	1,386	1,406	1,354	1,354

Note: *Information provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service

Question reference: S3W-10470

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints have been registered against the Scottish Ambulance Service in each year since 1997, also broken down by NHS board area.

Details of the number of complaints against the Scottish Ambulance Service from 1997-98 to 2007-08 are outlined in the following table. The information is only available broken down into complaints relating to Scottish Ambulance Service Divisional Areas and Emergency Medical Dispatch Centres (EMDCs).

>	1997-98	1998-99	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03
Air Ambulance	Complaints Recorded Against Divisional Area
East Central	23	21	101	141	104	128
East EMDC	EMDC Established 2003-04
North East	Not Provided	Not Provided	57	51	49	48
North EMDC	EMDC Established 2003-04
North West	Not Provided	Not Provided	Not Provided	22	5	5
South East	Not Provided	52	50	55	43	50
South West	144	137	69	74	61	32
West Central	240	135	89	131	92	103
West EMDC	EMDC Established 2003-04
Total	407	345	366	474	354	366

>	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007 to 28-02-08
Air Ambulance	Complaints Recorded Against Divisional Area				2
East Central	79	30	60	42	36
East EMDC	50	39	65	91	44
North East	65	19	34	27	10
North EMDC	34	4	3	14	7
North West	17	2	5	11	8
South East	61	21	44	32	42
South West	58	21	34	33	21
West Central	122	31	77	87	63
West EMDC	35	31	77	103	53
Total	521	198	399	440	286

Note: *Information provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service

Question reference: S3W-10476

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-9255 by Shona Robison on 19 February 2008, what steps NHS boards are taking to ensure that diabetic patients on rosiglitazone who suffer from ischaemic heart disease or peripheral arterial disease are no longer prescribed this medicine, as it is no longer recommended by the European Medicines Agency for these patients.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9255 on 19 February 2008. Health care professionals were informed about the advice from the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use in the February 2008 edition of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Drug Safety Update bulletin. This information can be accessed at:

www.mhra.gov.uk.

In addition, product information for rosiglitazone has been updated to include the new advice. Medicines should be prescribed by clinicians taking account of the approved advice provided in the Summary of Product Characteristics which provides full information about the product, including its side effects and its use.

NHS boards can reinforce this advice through a variety of methods. These may include articles in prescribing newsletters and information included in local formularies.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Question reference: S3W-10468

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking, and what targets it has, to reduce the number of documents that it publishes in hard copy.

Question reference: S3W-10469

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) total number and (b) cost were of Scottish Government publications produced in each year since 1999, showing how many recipients of these documents requested a hard copy and how many had documents sent to them as part of general mailshots.

A list of Scottish Government publications and their costs from 1 June 2007 to 31 December 2007 is as follows.

A list of Scottish Executive publications and their costs since 1999 is given in Scottish Executive List of Publications/Costs 1 April 2004 - 30 June 2005, a copy of which is in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 37172).

A list of Scottish Executive publications and their costs from 1 July 2005 to 31 May 2006 is given in Scottish Executive List of Publications/Costs 1 July 2005 “ 31 May 2006, a copy of which is in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre under (Bib. number 40127).

Data relating to 1 June 2006 to 31 May 2007 can be found in the answer to question S3W-2286 on 24 August 2007.

There is currently no central record held on the circulation of each publication and this could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Publication	Total	Date
Revised Staff Governance Standard	£2,826.88	28-06-2007
ERAD Economic Report Agriculture 07 Ed	£10,018.63	04-06-2007
Students With Dependent Children	£6,508.00	04-06-2007
Scotland for Emergencies Leaflet	£752.07	26-06-2007
Well 10	£38,704.13	04-06-2007
Police Framework Leaflet	£781.63	04-06-2007
SMART Scotland Awards Leaflet	£1,321.00	26-06-2007
Outpatients Programme Booking/Access	£2,131.50	25-06-2007
Key Information for Ministers	£1,452.50	04-06-2007
Housing Web Conversion (x2)	£445.00	25-06-2007
Survey of Achievement 2006 Annexes	£1,596.50	28-06-2007
WEB ONLY: SPP6 SEA STATEMENT	£82.40	08-06-2007
Age Participation Index 2005-06 WEB	£48.80	12-06-2007
WEB ONLY: NP FRAMEWORK 2 WEB UPDATE	£285.70	25-06-2007
WEB ONLY: TIMETABLE OF PLANNING	£15.68	27-06-2007
ISIS Desk drop Leaflet	£800.38	02-07-2007
Agricultural Facts and Figures	£871.38	02-07-2007
PAN 81	£5,266.50	02-07-2007
Judicial Appointments Board A/R	£4,173.50	02-07-2007
Education (ASL) Dispute Resolution	£101.58	23-07-2007
Gambling Act 2005:Consultation	£191.82	12-07-2007
Urban Fox Population	£118.25	27-07-2007
Web Conversion Raising the Age	£123.00	02-07-2007
Annual Pop Survey in Scotland 2006	£270.66	23-07-2007
Web Only - Quality Meat Scotland Or	£152.00	02-07-2007
School Estate Statistics 2007	£128.39	12-07-2007
RFs 5-Rail Networks & Policy	£178.45	12-07-2007
Rights Relationships & Recovery	£1,191.25	27-07-2007
Web Conversion - Community Survey	£509.00	12-07-2007
WEB ONLY: Forthcoming SPPs & PANs	£12.36	11-07-2007
Licensing of Pet Dealers	£119.45	17-07-2007
NPF2 - Participation Framework	£80.93	27-07-2007
NPF2 Consultation Councillor Seminar	£26.30	27-07-2007
Protocol Project	£1,065.63	01-08-2007
Review of Scotland's Colleges	£3,341.50	01-08-2007
Staffing, Learners & Learning Environment	£2,613.50	01-08-2007
10 out of 10	£6,592.00	28-08-2007
Part Time Study Learning Booklet	£6,007.12	01-08-2007
WEB ONLY: Planning Act Indic Mar 07	£17.00	31-08-2007
Funding for Learners Disabled 07-08	£5,586.63	01-08-2007
Funding For Learners Asylum Seekers	£1,401.50	01-08-2007
Web Only - Infertility Treatment -	£181.00	23-08-2007
UN Convention Rights Of A Child-Rep	£20,424.00	31-08-2007
Cost of Learning Post Grad Students	£1,234.42	01-08-2007
Cost of Learning Health Profession	£1,272.04	01-08-2007
Adult Learners in Scotland	£1,373.08	01-08-2007
Employing Support Workers Education	£3,278.50	01-08-2007
ROSCO Equalities Issues Report	£1,506.00	01-08-2007
Survey of Achievement 2006 Leaflet	£3,925.25	29-08-2007
Parents as Partners Leaflets x 8	£23,715.62	30-08-2007
StreetSense2 Updated Foreword	£966.00	01-08-2007
Urban Rodeo Poster Booklet	£5,270.37	31-08-2007
Private Rented Housing Poster Leaflet	£10,514.38	31-08-2007
A Brief Background Alts	£1,968.88	01-08-2007
Children's Hearings Info Referees	£867.50	01-08-2007
Children's Hearings Info for Employers	£797.50	01-08-2007
Children's Hearings Info For Training	£775.75	01-082007
Child Hearings Info - Time Off Work	£571.75	01-08-2007
Inquiry Reporters Unit Review 06/07	£1,699.50	31-08-2007
HMIP Escorts Report	£2,893.13	31-08-2007
SHS Annual Report	£4,560.00	01-08-2007
SHS Methodology	£666.00	01-08-2007
SHS Fieldwork	£669.00	01-08-2007
Capacity Planning Masterclass	£1,784.75	29-08-2007
Web Only - Leader Guidance	£296.00	15-08-2007
Web conversion x 2 bird and flocks	£124.00	01-08-2007
Web Only - Scotland Rural Development x 2	£5,204.00	21-08-2007
One Year Job Guarantee Reprint +Alt	£530.00	31-08-2007
Plant Health Guide Passporting	£2,314.00	28-08-2007
A National Conversation White Paper	£24,263.50	21-08-2007
Consultation-Amend Part 2 Act 1998	£1,678.00	31-08-2007
Fresh Talent Working in Scotland	£1,826.00	31-08-2007
RAS - Relocation Advisory Service	£2,053.00	31-08-2007
Web Conversion - Consultation	£71.00	13-08-2007
Procurement Guide Leaflet	£609.50	31-08-2007
Eye Leaflet	£6,935.00	23-08-2007
Draft Regulations Consultation	£268.00	31-08-2007
Equality Act Guidance	£125.00	28-08-2007
Web Conversion - Child Protection	£100.00	13-08-2007
LTS 5 - 14 Guidelines x 5 kinds	£17,732.00	31-08-2007
Web Conversion Scottish Flood Def.	£887.00	28-08-2007
SPPA A Guide to Buying Add Services	£828.00	31-08-2007
Web Conversions - Public Sector Pay	£515.00	29-08-2007
SEERAD Consultation Web Only	£230.00	31-08-2007
Mainstreaming Gender QA Education	£4,610.50	27-09-2007
Ready Steady Bike & Primary 7 Programme	£42,285.12	26-09-2007
Cost of Learning Older Learners	£1,092.38	27-09-2007
Key Scottish Environment Stats 07	£7,410.00	27-09-2007
Summary of Consultation Responses	£51.00	25-09-2007
Road Safety for Migrant Workers Book	£3,358.88	28-09-2007
Vital Voices E-Newsletter Issue 9	£285.01	24-09-2007
Supporting People Matters Issue. 25	£3,001.50	28-09-2007
Vocational Education/Training VET	£2,324.00	27-09-2007
Health/Wellbeing Action Plan	£7,985.63	27-09-2007
Restorative Practices Research Summary	£2,317.50	12-09-2007
Choosing Scotland's Future	£3,290.00	28-09-2007
LTS Financial Education Talk Money	£4,616.00	18-09-2007
SR Rpt-Quality of Life Fund Eval	£365.76	14-09-2007
RF 8-Quality of Life Fund Eval	£164.95	14-09-2007
Planned Care Improvement Programme	£3,689.00	27-09-2007
Intl Education-Opprnts Autm07Spri08	£2,773.87	28-09-2007
London Fashion Week Brochure	£4,777.00	28-09-2007
LTS ACfE 6 Newsletter	£8,676.00	18-09-2007
Well 11?	£36,626.82	28-09-2007
Scottish Household Survey	£1,531.00	25-09-2007
Sec 26 Mental Health- Incl in Mind	£9,867.87	30-10-2007
Independent Review of Scrutiny	£14,500.28	25-10-2007
National Care Standards GP Services	£4,986.50	30-10-2007
Learning for Our Future: UN Decade	£2,149.00	18-10-2007
Scottish Freshwater Fisheries	£7,815.00	29-10-2007
NHS Performance Management	£2,800.50	29-10-2007
JIT Adult Protection Risk & Protect	£2,168.62	26-10-2007
Skills for Scotland - strategy	£18,027.44	02-10-2007
Unscheduled Care Collaborative	£12,253.50	25-10-2007
Scotland in the USA	£2,014.00	29-10-2007
Abuse of Off-Street Parking	£3,692.75	23-10-2007
NHS Remuneration Committee	£2,364.50	29-10-2007
Summary Justice Reform - Policy Statement	£1,753.50	23-10-2007
Migrant Workers	£749.00	10-10-2007
Gov. Legislative Programme for Scot	£6,967.50	25-10-2007
Review-Disclosure in Criminal Proceedings	£3,467.25	25-10-2007
Exec Summary -Disclosure Criminal Proceedings	£1,365.25	25-10-2007
Public Procurement Reform Programme	£4,389.00	30-10-2007
Mental Health Topic Guide Easy Read	£83,729.25	01-11-2007
Biodiversity Indicators Summary	£5,136.00	29-11-2007
Vulnerable Witness Info Guide Book	£2,661.50	30-11-2007
Living Well Long Term Conditions	£4,050.50	01-11-2007
Vulnerable Witnesses Civil Leaflet	£1,536.62	28-11-2007
Chief Medical Officer Annual Report	£9,660.37	29-11-2007
Adult Protection Phase 2 Report	£3,752.50	23-11-2007
The Scottish Writers	£1,865.63	30-11-2007
Patient Pathway Poster	£2,361.52	30-11-2007
RSS Primary Booklet	£3,104.50	29-11-2007
RSS Secondary Booklet	£2,147.25	29-11-2007
HMIP Annual Report	£2,796.38	30-11-2007
Chief Scientist Office Annual Report	£6,946.50	30-11-2007
Adults With Incapacity Booklet	£3,657.38	01-11-2007
Children's Services (Scotland)	£8,267.63	28-11-2007
RURAL SCO KEY FACTS 2007	£3,099.25	30-11-2007
SCOTTISH SPENDING REVIEW 2007	£23,369.75	27-11-2007
SSSC Newsletter - Adult Residential	£2,631.75	30-11-2007
Government Economic Strategy	£10,347.40	26-11-2007
Historical Abuse Systemic Review	£20,625.00	27-11-2007
Teach in Scotland brochure	£7,312.00	01-11-2007
Choosing A School Booklet Update 07	£15,247.25	29-11-2007
Teacher Induction Scheme 2008/09	£1,107.33	30-11-2007
ROSCO - Promoting Excellence	£3,724.75	01-11-2007
Handshake Brochure	£3,436.00	06-11-2007
Resolving Disputes	£2,240.00	19-11-2007
E-Sourcing Document	£529.09	30-11-2007
Summary School on School Leadership 08	£558.36	30-11-2007
LTS NQCS History Ane End Ane Sang	£1,265.00	13-11-2007
e-Procurement Scotl@nd Newsletter	£1,153.98	30-11-2007
NHS Code of Practice	£2,893.00	26-11-2007
Global Friends Brochure	£8,467.00	26-11-2007
Scottish Biodiversity Summary	£94.00	29-11-2007
A Strategy for Healthcare Science	£17,798.48	21-12-2007
Being a Witness Civil Cases Booklet	£3,094.48	21-12-2007
Pandemic Flu Plan	£25,574.58	20-12-2007
Changing Lives Newsletter Autumn/Winter	£5,662.72	19-12-2007
World Skills Games Brochure	£2,415.00	21-12-2007
Volunteer Action Plan	£2,914.88	03-12-2007
Communicating with Public - Teaser	£1,888.22	21-12-2007
Pandemic Flu - Framework	£3,414.00	20-12-2007
Pandemic Flu - Staff Guidelines	£1,608.00	20-12-2007
Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Report	£6,291.34	21-12-2007
CI Of Constabulary Annual Report	£5,014.33	20-12-2007
Review of Community Penalties Report	£2,424.89	21-12-2007
Care Homes for Older People: Reprint with Alterations	£14,288.19	21-12-2007
Early Education & Childcare: Reprint with Alterations	£8,383.56	21-12-2007
Sexual Health Strategy 2nd Ann Rep	£3,389.78	21-12-2007
FLaT Programme: Design for Learning	£796.10	21-12-2007
National Fostering/Kinship Care Strategy	£9,048.34	20-12-2007
LTS Financial Education Newsletter	£1,446.00	17-12-2007
Fostering regulations	£4,870.74	20-12-2007
LTS French Reading Programme	£1,161.00	14-12-2007
Fact File on Scotland	£1,839.00	14-12-2007
	£881,075.32

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Question reference: S3W-10475

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Linda Fabiani on 6 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis it was decided to phase out the Cultural Co-ordinators in Schools programme and what guidance has been given to schools in light of this programme coming to an end.

Whilst the Scottish Government commends positive impacts achieved by cultural co-ordinators, it considers that these activities should be integrated into the mainstream of schools' and local authorities' cultural and educational practice. To assist this progress central funding continues for two further financial years and the Scottish Arts Council is working with authorities and co-ordinators to ensure the sustainability and dissemination of good practice which the initiative has generated.

Chamber and committees