The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S4W-03507

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on Sir Ian Kennedy’s recommendation for paediatric cardiac surgery that a minimum of four surgeons carrying out 400-500 operations per year is required to ensure safety and sustainability.

The quality of service and outcomes achieved by the paediatric cardiac surgery service in Glasgow are carefully monitored and benchmarked against other UK centres and are already well recognised as being good.

While it is desirable to demonstrate this in the context of the Safe and Sustainable Programme standards for designating cardiac centres in England and Wales (by the planned external review by Sir Ian Kennedy), it is with the understanding that standards relating to numbers of staff and activity levels should be interpreted within the context of the differing population and geography and the criticality of retaining a paediatric cardiac surgical and interventional cardiology service in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-03505

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review paediatric cardiac surgery at Yorkhill Hospital and, if so, when this will be carried out and by whom.

Question reference: S4W-03303

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason NHS Grampian has cancelled its contract with the Terence Higgins Trust for sexual health and HIV prevention work with gay and bisexual men.

The commissioning of third sector organisations, and the performance management of any contracts that exist, is a matter for NHS boards locally. The role of government is to ensure that our policy priorities of fewer new blood-borne virus infections and fewer STIs are achieved, and that individuals in the Grampian area are not adversely affected by any commissioning decision. NHS Grampian has informed us that this is not the case, and we will be monitoring this closely.

NHS Grampian has advised that they will re-tender this service early in the new year, with service delivery due to commence from April 2012. Terrence Higgins Trust, as with other third sector organisations, will be able to bid for the new contract to provide this service.

Question reference: S4W-03167

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 2 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the qualifying criteria for the concessionary travel scheme to ensure that no disabled person loses their entitlement following the reform of welfare benefits by the UK Government.

We are looking at how the reform of welfare benefits by the UK Government will affect disabled people’s eligibility for concessionary travel in Scotland as they emerge. We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Transport to ensure that appropriate passporting links between the proposed Personal Independence Payment and concessionary travel eligibility can be established.

Question reference: S4W-03166

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 2 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a commitment that no person who receives concessionary travel will have that entitlement removed as part of the reform of welfare benefits by the UK Government.

We are looking at how the reform of welfare benefits by the UK Government will affect disabled people’s eligibility for concessionary travel in Scotland as they emerge. We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Transport to ensure that appropriate passporting links between the proposed Personal Independence Payment and concessionary travel eligibility can be established. Discussions are at too early a stage to confirm any new arrangements.

Question reference: S4W-03304

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that gay and bisexual men will be able to access relevant sexual health and HIV prevention services in NHS Grampian.

The delivery of HIV and sexual health prevention services for gay and bisexual men is a matter for NHS boards to determine locally. NHS Grampian has informed us that they have been working with their former third sector provider and their local networks to ensure that sexual health and HIV prevention services are available between December and April. Local NHS clinical services will also provide support for people living with HIV during the transition period.

Scottish Government will monitor this activity through performance management visits to the NHS Grampian area as part of the Sexual Health and Bloodborne Virus Framework activity.

Question reference: S4W-03302

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to ensure that sexual health and HIV prevention services in Grampian are not reduced between 1 December 2011 and April 2012.

The delivery of HIV and sexual health prevention services is a matter for NHS boards to determine locally. NHS Grampian has informed us that they have been working with their former third sector provider and their local networks to ensure that HIV prevention services are available between December and April. Local NHS clinical services will also provide support for people living with HIV during the transition period.

Scottish Government will monitor this activity through performance management visits to the NHS Grampian area as part of the Sexual Health and Bloodborne Virus Framework activity.

Question reference: S4W-03465

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will pass on the UK Government's proposed 10% reduction in council tax benefit to local authorities when that benefit is devolved.

Subsequent to my answers to questions S4W-02669 on 23 September 2011 and S4W-03105 on 13 October 2011, the UK Government has confirmed its intention to abolish rather than devolve council tax benefit. The Scottish Government is working with COSLA to identify potential ways of reducing individuals’ local taxation liabilities and will consult on potential options later this autumn.

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.

Question reference: S4F-00237

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 November 2011

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to ensure that respite provision for carers is available across Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-03464

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 27 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much council tax derives from benefits recipients.

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Question reference: S4W-03507

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