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: S5O-00693

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there is access to local specialist care services across the Highlands and Islands.

Question reference: S5W-06639

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many four-wheeled rollator walking frames were made available by each NHS board in the last year, also broken down by the (a) number and (b) type of alternative devices that were provided.

Question reference: S5W-06614

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of what walking aids are provided by the NHS.

This is a matter for individual Health Boards. The information requested is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government issued guidance on the Provision of Community Equipment and Adaptations (CCD 5/2009) in 2009. This guidance placed the responsibility for the provision of community equipment, including walking aids, with individual health and social care partnerships and the Scottish Government does not collect information on individual items issued by the NHS, local authorities or Integration Authorities.

Question reference: S5W-06496

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to introduce minimum staffing levels in the NHS, as announced in June 2016.

The link between safe and sustainable staffing levels and high quality care is well established. It is vital we have the right number of staff in place, with the right skills.

The Scottish Government’s Programme for Scotland made a commitment to begin work this year to engage with stakeholders to shape the consultation on enshrining safe staffing levels in law, starting with the nursing and midwifery workforce planning tools.

Scotland has led the UK in the development of nursing and midwifery workload and workforce planning tools. The Nursing and Midwifery Workload and Workforce Planning Programme provides a validated framework and suite of tools that enable NHS Boards in Scotland to make evidence based decisions regarding Nursing and Midwifery workforce requirements in a variety of settings.

The tools use a triangulated approach to determine appropriate staffing levels taking account of patients’ clinical needs, local context, professional judgment and associated quality measures, rather than a reliance on fixed ratios which are less responsive to the specific needs and dependencies of patients and to fluctuations in service demand.

The Safe and Effective Staffing legislation work is progressing and the consultation period will begin in Spring 2017.

Our intention is that Bill will have completed it’s legislative passage before the end of this Parliamentary session.

Question reference: S5W-06457

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many dentistry graduates there have been in each year since 2007.

Data on the number of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) graduates reported to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) as having completed successfully by the end of their year date, separated by domicile, is available between 2007 and 2015 and shown in the following table:-

Year	Scotland	European Union	Rest of UK	Rest of World	Total
2007	81	2	36	4	123
2008	91	0	32	10	133
2009	99	1	38	10	148
2010	123	3	39	4	169
2011	113	1	31	5	150
2012	114	2	39	3	158
2013	127	2	41	3	173
2014	124	2	45	13	184
2015	104	7	45	8	164

Source: HESA

Question reference: S5W-06454

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the general dentistry budget has been in each year since 2007.

The published general dental services budget in each year since 2007 is shown in the following table:

Year	Budget
2006-07	£313.6m
2007-08	£354.5m
2008-09	£354.3m
2009-10	£355.5m
2010-11	£343.2m
2011-12	£396.6m
2012-13	£398.7m
2013-14	£398.7m
2014-15	£398.7m
2015-16	£398.7m
2016-17	£401.3m

Note: this budget also includes funding for oral health measures, and Aberdeen Dental School.

Question reference: S5W-06453

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of NHS dental treatment charges in each year since 2007.

The treatments which can be provided under NHS general dental services are set down in Determination I of the Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR). Service payments to dentists are set out in the relevant SDR amendment circulars:

http://www.scot.nhs.uk//sehd/pca/PCA2007(D)03.pdf

http://www.scot.nhs.uk//sehd/pca/PCA2008(D)04.pdf

http://www.scot.nhs.uk//sehd/pca/PCA2009(D)06.pdf

http://www.scot.nhs.uk//sehd/pca/PCA2010(D)08.pdf

http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/pca/PCA2013(D)02.pdf

http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/pca/PCA2014(D)05.pdf

http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/pca/PCA2015(D)03.pdf

http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/pca/PCA2016(D)10.pdf

http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/pca/PCA2015(D)03.pdf

http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/pca/PCA2016(D)10.pdf

Question reference: S5W-06135

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 1 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in Scotland are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

This information is not held centrally.

Preliminary prevalence figures from Parkinson’s UK for 2015 give an estimate of at least 11,000 people living with a Parkinson’s diagnosis in Scotland, 1,500 of whom are under the age of 65. It is important to note, however, that these preliminary estimates are not adjusted to reflect under/over diagnosis and do not include cases where Parkinson’s is suspected but the diagnosis has not been confirmed (there are many complexities associated with accurately diagnosing the condition).

Question reference: S5W-06358

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report by the Be Real Campaign and the YMCA, Somebody Like Me, on the impact of body-image anxiety on young people.

We welcome the YMCA latest research - ‘Somebody like me’ as part of Dove’s ‘Be Real' campaign on body image. Teachers must ensure children and young people understand the importance of mental wellbeing and that this can be fostered and strengthened through personal coping skills and positive relationships. This government is clear that children and young people should have an understanding that there is support available to them if they need it. A mental health link person is available to every school, this has been achieved in a variety of ways using various models working to meet local needs.

Question reference: S5W-06347

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many colorectal consultants are employed in each NHS board.