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The Scottish Ambulance Service have assured me that they would not charge any pregnant woman for a journey in the case of false labour. Should any member have evidence of this happening, I would welcome the details in order that this can be fully investigated.

Since 1st April 2012, Healthcare Improvement Scotland has advertised 14 roles within the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate on Permanent, Fixed Term and Secondment terms. The 14 roles were advertised via eight separate recruitment campaigns throughout the year, three of which were advertised internally and five which were advertised internally and externally at the same time.

All members of NHS boards are expected to carry out their responsibilities in line with the board member’s Code of Conduct surrounding any potential conflicts of interest and any conflict of interests would be recorded on the Register of Interests. Further details on these can be found on the Healthcare Improvement Scotland website via the following link:

http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/about_us/our_board.aspx.

The Regulation of Care Award is a qualification required by inspectors regulating social care services. Inspectors working in the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate are required to hold appropriate qualifications, but the Regulation of Care Award is not a requirement.

The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate, which has been part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland since 2011, is independent of the Scottish Government.

These details can be found in Part 6 Health Care: Scrutiny and Improvement of the Public Services Reform Act 2010, a link to which is as follows:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2010/8/contents

A key function of any inspection report is to give public assurance on the quality of care provided. The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate has a robust quality assurance process to ensure reports are accurate; therefore all reports will be subject to amendment during that quality assurance process to ensure the final published report is factually accurate.

The Cabinet Secretary and I have commissioned a project to determine the scope and budget of developing an intensive pain management services in Scotland. Budgets to fund this service will be decided and allocated once this exercise has been completed.

Both the Cabinet Secretary and myself have indicated that an intensive pain management service should be developed and delivered within Scotland. I would be pleased to keep the member and Parliament updated on the progress of this work as it is further developed.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-13679 on 28 March 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.