Chamber and committees

This is an operational matter for Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, a non-ministerial department. The Scottish Government cannot answer on behalf of OSCR. The member should therefore contact OSCR directly for this information.

Setting of fee levels associated with licenses for houses in multiple occupation is a matter for individual local authorities. The information is not held by the Scottish Government.

Scottish Government officials have had discussions with COSLA representatives on various aspects of the mandatory houses in multiple occupation (HMO) licensing regime since it was introduced in 2000.

Recently, this has included liaison with COSLA and individual local authorities on introduction of statutory guidance on the licensing of HMOs in 2011, and new HMO related provisions contained in the Private Housing (Scotland) Act 2011.

Deployment of staff on activity related to licensing of houses in multiple occupation is a matter for individual local authorities. This information is not held by the Scottish Government.

The information requested is not held centrally.

All optometrists can see emergency or red-eye patients. Such patients will either be dealt with by the optometrist or referred to secondary care depending on the presenting symptoms.

The Scottish Government has produced a leaflet Your Guide to Free NHS Eye Examinations in Scotland, in association with Health Rights Information Scotland.

This leaflet was revised in 2010. Supplies of the leaflet were sent to NHS boards for distribution to optical practices, GP practices, and pharmacies. The boards were also asked to send the leaflet to community health partnerships to decide how best to target distribution locally to raise awareness of the NHS eye examination with vulnerable groups.

The information requested is not held centrally.

All NHSScotland health boards now provide an orthoptic or orthoptic-led pre-school vision screening programme, with the exception of NHS Orkney which provides an orthoptist-led screening programme in Primary 1. Arrangements are in place for children who do not receive pre-school vision screening. These children will be seen in Primary 1 by a school nurse; will be advised to attend a community optometrist, local health centre or community hospital; or will be offered an appointment with a hospital screening orthoptist.

The Scottish Government has not carried out an evaluation of the work of the Grampian Eye Health Network. This is a local NHS Grampian scheme and any evaluation of the scheme would be for the board to undertake.