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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-14125

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 1 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many LARC (long-acting reversible contraceptive) methods are (a) offered and (b) administered in primary care settings.

The IUD (the coil), IUS (mirena) and contraceptive implant are all available to women wishing to access LARC. Other hormonal and barrier methods of contraception are also available meaning women are supported and empowered to choose the method most suited to them. The number of LARC prescriptions can be obtained from the ISD publication on LARC in Scotland at Table 5a: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Sexual-Health/Publications/2017-09-05/mat_la_table5.xlsx?08:31:21

It is the responsibility of NHS Boards to ensure that women can access LARC, whether that is through primary care or specialist sexual health services.

Question reference: S5W-14127

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 1 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what efforts are being made to recruit nurses who are trained in sexual health.

It is for NHS Boards to determine their recruitment requirements based on local need.

However, following the commitments in both the 2016-17 Programme for Government and the National Workforce Plan, published in June, we are planning to commission a further 2,600 nursing and midwifery training places over the next 3 years.

The CNO Commission report, Widening Participation into Nursing and Midwifery Education and Careers, also sets out ways in which to maximise opportunities to participate in nursing and midwifery education and careers, recommending initiatives to remove current barriers of entry into nursing and midwifery training and careers.

We plan to create and fund further enhanced initiatives that are expected to result in a further 1,300 nurses and midwives working in Scotland.

Initiatives include:

Commission additional nursing and midwifery student training places;
Undertake a marketing campaign that tackles stereotypical images of nurses and midwives;
Strengthening the successful Return to Practice programme, which has already seen over 370 former nurses and midwives start this programme, with 257 completions to date;
Increase places for access programmes for healthcare support workers;
Provide funding to enable the Open University to double their intake numbers;
Finalise the review of the nursing and midwifery student bursary and consider specific funding packages for students in remote and rural areas;
Improve recruitment, retention and completion rates;

Question reference: S5O-01769

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Guardian/ICM survey, which suggests that 69% of people in Scotland support a referendum on the final terms of Brexit.

Question reference: S5W-14016

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it is having with stakeholders to inform its assessment of ways to maximise opportunities for access to repurposed off-patent medicines.

Question reference: S5W-14017

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the results of its work to assess the improvements that can be made to the way repurposed off-patent drugs are assessed and recommended for use.

Question reference: S5W-14018

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what processes are in place to ensure that developments on new uses for off-patent drugs inform NHS prescribing guidance.

There are currently local processes in existence in NHS Boards to facilitate access to off-patent drugs. A Short Life Working Group was established in 2017 to look at off label cancer medicines. The work of this group supports one of the key ambitions of our national cancer strategy, that is, to maximise the opportunities of increasing access to off patent drugs. One of the aims of the Group is to produce guidance on a national approach to the prescribing of these medicines to ensure consistency across Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-13980

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve air quality, in light of research by Friends of the Earth Scotland regarding some of the country's most polluted streets, including Queensferry Road and St John's Road in Edinburgh.

The Cleaner Air for Scotland strategy sets out a series of actions for the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland, local authorities and others to further improve air quality across Scotland. Amongst these actions is a commitment to introduce Scotland's first Low Emission Zone by the end of 2018 in Glasgow, followed by further Low Emission Zones in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh by 2020.

Financial and other support is provided to local authorities to assist them with monitoring and implementing local actions to improve air quality.

Question reference: S5W-13651

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 26 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients are waiting to have a sacral nerve stimulation for urinary incontinence (UI) carried out in the current National Services Division service for UI in Scotland, broken down by NHS board.

The Scottish Sacral Nerve Stimulation Service for Urinary Dysfunction is provided by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GG&C) Board for all of NHS Scotland as a national specialist service commissioned by National Services Division (NSD).

There are less than 5 patients who have been assessed and are waiting for a permanent implant.

There are 24 patients who are waiting for an outpatient appointment. Due to the potential of identifiable information, this information cannot be provided broken down by individual NHS Board.

Question reference: S5W-13844

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 24 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what information NHS boards (a) must and (b) are expected to provide to (i) constituency and regional MSPs and (ii) councillors in advance of proposed service redesign in the areas that they represent.

The NHS Reform (Scotland) Act 2004 places a statutory duty on NHS Boards to involve people to whom healthcare services are being, or may be, provided in the planning and development of those services, and in decisions significantly affecting their operation.

The Scottish Government's CEL 4 (2010) guidance to NHS Boards on "Informing, Engaging and Consulting People in Developing Health and Community Care Services", which is available online at http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2010_04.pdf, sets out that NHS Boards should seek to involve people at an early stage and throughout the process. It states that people and communities who may be affected by a proposed service development or change should be given information about the clinical, financial or other reasons why change is needed and which may limit possible choices. It includes guidance on involving affected people and communities and public stakeholders in developing and appraising options and includes specific processes for major service change, where a full public consultation is required.

While the guidance does not specify what information NHS Boards must and should provide to locally elected representatives in particular, we would expect the relevant Board (informed as required by advice from the Scottish Health Council) to engage with them at an early stage and throughout the process.

Question reference: S5W-13849

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making regarding introducing legislation to ban parking on pavements.

We launched a consultation in 2017 entitled “Improving Parking in Scotland” which sought views on how parking is currently managed and enforced across the country. The responses are currently being analysed to inform our policy on how best to manage and enforce parking in Scotland, and will help develop provisions for the Scottish Government’s Miscellaneous Transport Bill. The Bill and supporting guidance will then be presented for consideration by the Scottish Parliament in this Parliamentary session.