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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S4O-00982

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to strengthen the role of mediation in resolving family contact disputes.

Question reference: S4O-00870

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing the transcatheter aortic valve implantation heart valve procedure.

Question reference: S4W-05637

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason operable pancreatic cancer cases might not result in an operation being carried out.

There are a number of reasons why pancreatic cancer cases might not result in an operation being undertaken. The fitness of the patient, the choice of whether they wish to be operated on, consideration of how the tumour has developed and the risks involved in potential removal are, as examples, some of the considerations that will be taken into account.

The most suitable treatment option will be selected following discussion at a multi-disciplinary team meeting and also, most importantly, between the clinician and the individual.

Question reference: S4W-05636

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of operable pancreatic cancer cases result in an operation being carried out in (a) Scotland and (b) the rest of the UK.

Question reference: S4W-05635

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to assist in the early detection of pancreatic cancer.

Our “Detect Cancer Early” initiative is initially focusing on the three most common cancers, lung, bowel and breast, which represent 45% of all cancers diagnosed in Scotland per year.

To allow the early stages of the programme to be appropriately managed and be the most effective, we have decided to focus on these three cancers to enable us to have the greatest impact both in terms of patient numbers and in addressing cancer in areas of deprivation where survival has historically been poorest. Once this initial phase is completed, we will consider which others cancers need to be addressed in a similar way and pancreatic cancer will certainly be considered as part of this process.

Question reference: S4W-05633

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what pancreatic cancer survival rates are in Scotland and what information it has on how this compares with the rest of the (a) UK and (b) world.

<>Information on survival rates from pancreatic cancer in Scotland can be found on the Information Services Division cancer statistics website: http://www.isdscotland.scot.nhs.uk/Health-Topics/Cancer/Cancer-Statistics/Pancreatic/.

Survival rate estimates for Scotland and the UK as a whole can be seen on the Cancer e-Atlas provided by the National Cancer Intelligence Network at: http://www.ncin.org.uk/cancer_information_tools/eatlas/network/atlas.html?select=Eav&indicator=i0.

Due to the differences in data collection between countries, it is difficult to make true comparisons between countries. However, survival rates from cancers which can be compared amongst countries are often estimated as part of international studies. Some studies have attempted to compare survival estimates from a number of countries including Scotland, for example, EUROCARE (www.eurocare.it ).

Question reference: S4W-05634

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on whether survival rates for pancreatic cancer in Scotland have improved since 1992.

<>Data showing improvements in survival rates of pancreatic cancer can be found on Information Services Division Scotland's cancer statistics website at: http://www.isdscotland.scot.nhs.uk/Health-Topics/Cancer/Cancer-Statistics/Pancreatic/.

One year relative survival from pancreatic cancer has improved from 13.7% (diagnosis period 1993-97) to 17.3% (diagnosis period 2003-07). However, there has been no increase in five year relative survival (4.0% in 1983-87; 3.9% in 2003-07).

Question reference: S4O-00749

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider establishing closer working relationships with the emerging democracies in Europe in order to share best practice.

Question reference: S4O-00559

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing the cities strategy and what role towns and villages can play in this.

Question reference: S4O-00333

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in improving the accountability of factors to the residents of housing estates in relation to landscape maintenance.