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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.

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Question reference: S5W-11762

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what impact leaving the EU would have on the price and availability of generic and biosimilar medicines.

It is not possible at this time to predict the outcome of negotiations between the UK and the rest of the European Union, and therefore what the impact will be on the price and availability of medicines as a result of the UK leaving the European Union.

However, the pharmaceutical industry exists in a global market which trades in dollars and euros, and we are already receiving representations from community pharmacy contractors about increases in the procurement costs of some generic medicines as the value of sterling has fallen in recent months.

I am very concerned that some medicines manufacturers will be less attracted to the UK as a market following Brexit in terms of additional costs related to tariffs and other barriers to direct trade. I have already made it clear that there could therefore be a negative impact for patients, and that the UK Government should seriously consider these very real concerns.

I have written to Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health requesting that the Scottish Government is fully involved in discussions and decision-making around these issues, specifically in relation to our continued involvement in the European Medicines Agency (EMA). This will be crucial in maintaining access to medicines and helping to secure and sustain the availability of essential medicines throughout the UK supply chain.

Question reference: S5W-11758

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of NHS-funded research is first published in an open-access format.

Question reference: S5W-11824

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much the NHS has spent in each of the last 10 years to pay any article processing charges that have been levied by publishers on institutions that have carried out NHS-funded research.

The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care directorates funds health research to address health and care challenges in Scotland, which includes but is not restricted to research hosted by the NHS or where the NHS is a participant. CSO requires that information from all papers arising from CSO funded research be deposited in a publicly accessible repository (such as Europe PubMed Central) and be made freely available within 6 months. To facilitate this and open access to the research, CSO currently reimburses the research grant holding institution the costs of the open access publication fees that are applied by scientific and medical journals up to a value of £6,000 per CSO grant funded project for papers accepted for publication within 18 months of completion of the project. The reimbursement costs are not collated separately.

Question reference: S5W-11756

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation (a) last met and (b) will next meet, and when the meeting papers will be published.

The last meeting of the TAGRA took place on 5 December 2016 and discussed the implementation of the recommendations of the Review of the MLC Adjustment for the Acute Care Programme in the NRAC Formula. The final report for that review is available on the TAGRA website. TAGRA agreed to publish target shares for the following three years, in order to provide boards with information to improve their ability to plan future service provision for their populations. The formula continues to be re-run each year using new data by National Services Scotland’s Information Services Division. Following completion of the Review of the MLC Adjustment for the Acute Care Programme, consideration is currently being given to how TAGRA will support National Services Scotland in maintaining the formula moving forward.

Question reference: S5W-11480

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 5 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken since the publication of the 2016 Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey to increase the number of cancer patients who are given a care plan.

The Scottish Government’s expectation is that NHS Boards should provide all patients with a care plan, where appropriate.

Evaluation of the learning outcomes from the Transforming Care After Treatment (TCAT) programme, which was outlined in our cancer strategy, “Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action”, is now underway and will consider how measures such as individual care plans and holistic needs assessments can be further utilised to improve the quality of care delivered to all those with cancer.

Question reference: S5W-11481

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 5 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that cancer patients are able to access expert financial advice following diagnosis.

Question reference: S5W-11482

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 5 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey on an annual basis.

Question reference: S5W-11390

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 4 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what protocols are in place regarding informing next of kin in Scotland of the homicide, unexplained or suspicious death of a person from Scotland in another country; what support it provides, and what discussions it has had with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office regarding this.

Consular assistance, including the notification of a death abroad and subsequent advice to bereaved families, is reserved to the UK Government and the Scottish Government would ordinarily refer individuals to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Consular Affairs department who would work with Police Scotland. In addition to support provided by community-led and Police groups, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has a protocol in place with 'Victim Support Scotland' for the provision of support to families.

Question reference: S5W-11393

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 4 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding the investigation of the circumstances that lead to the death of Kirsty Maxwell in Benidorm.

Question reference: S5W-11759

Current Status: Withdrawn