- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 11 May 2012
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 21 May 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out an evaluation of the implementation of the guidance, Introduction and Availability of Newly Licensed Medicines in the NHS in Scotland (CEL17), from the perspective of (a) NHS boards, (b) healthcare professionals and (c) patients and, if so, what the outcome was.
Answer
Since the issue of CEL 17 (2010) on 17 May 2010, the Scottish Government has continued to work with NHS boards to ensure effective and proper processes are in place. This work resulted in the issue of good practice guidance on the management of Individual Patient Treatment Requests which was issued on 18 March 2011 by the Chief Medical Officer under cover of SGHD/CMO(2011)3. In December 2011, The Chief Medical Officer and Chief Pharmaceutical Officer convened a clinical group to review extant processes, including Individual Patient Treatment Requests, and this resulted in the issue of guidance to further strengthen the safe and effective use of new medicines across the NHS in Scotland on 13 February 2012 under SGHD/CMO(2012)1.
All guidance was circulated widely to healthcare professional groups and the good practice guidance contains a section on providing information to the public. It asks boards to ensure their policies are available to the public in accordance with relevant legislation including equalities legislation.
Decisions regarding the provision of NHS services remain matters for NHS boards. Also, clinicians remain responsible for clinical decisions regarding the care of individual patients.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 11 May 2012
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 21 May 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive what information is available in each NHS board to inform (a) healthcare professionals and (b) the general public how to apply for medicines via individual patient treatment requests.
Answer
The issue of CEL 17 (2010) on 17 May 2010 set out a framework within which boards were expected to develop and align local policies regarding access to new medicines. This was followed up by the issue of good practice guidance on the management of Individual Patient Treatment Requests which was issued on 18 March 2011 by the Chief Medical Officer under cover of SGHD/CMO(2011)3. Also, guidance to further strengthen the safe and effective use of new medicines across the NHS in Scotland was issued on 13 February 2012 under SGHD/CMO(2012)1.
The guidance was circulated widely to healthcare professional groups and the good practice guidance contains a section on providing information to the public. It asks boards to ensure their policies are available to the public in accordance with relevant legislation including equalities legislation.
Decisions regarding the provision of NHS services remain matters for NHS boards. Also, clinicians remain responsible for clinical decisions regarding the care of individual patients.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 14 May 2012
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 17 May 2012
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to provide support to families fostering disabled children.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 17 May 2012
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2012
-
Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 11 May 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the report in the 1 May 2012 edition of The Press and Journal, which quoted a spokesperson from Transport Scotland saying that "following complaints, the commission had confirmed that the ADS [air discount scheme] was for the benefit of individuals and had 'no difficulty with the exclusion of business-related travel'”, whether it will provide information on (a) who made the complaints, (b) when the complaints were made and (c) the wording of the complaints.
Answer
Transport Scotland’s response to the Press and Journal on 30 April 2012 did not use the word "complaints" but did confirm that our approach to the European Commission followed meetings with local Councils and MSPs representing island communities. In the latter case, this includes my meeting with the member on 30 June 2011 which Tavish Scott and the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment also attended.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2012
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 17 May 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive how the rate of adult registrations with an NHS dentist in Orkney compares with the national average and what plans the Scottish Government has to improve the situation for patients in the islands.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 17 May 2012
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2012
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 May 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to create jobs during Homecoming 2014 and how it will ensure that the event will create jobs throughout Scotland.
Answer
Homecoming Scotland 2009 was a great success generating £53.7 million for the country and creating more than 1,500 full-time equivalent employment opportunities. Homecoming Scotland 2014 will aim to build on that success, with the delivery of an inspirational nationwide events programme and international tourism campaign that presents opportunities for economic growth and employment in communities the length and breadth of Scotland.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2012
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 May 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will manage accountability for spending public money when working with private companies during Homecoming 2014.
Answer
Robust mechanisms are in place to provide the necessary accountability and transparency needed for all public resources invested in Homecoming Scotland 2014. All organisations, including private companies involved in the delivery of events in the programme, will be required to show detailed budget plans as part of the application process. Progress updates against these plans will be provided to EventScotland’s Homecoming Scotland 2014 delivery team which will, in turn, keep Scottish Government officials updated.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 20 April 2012
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 2 May 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with (a) universities, (b) the National Union of Students and (c) other stakeholders on developing a consistent approach to advising people from the rest of the UK who are considering studying in Scotland about the fees structure and what support is available to them.
Answer
The Scottish Government engages with universities, student representatives and other higher education stakeholders on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues, including widening access and the support available to students.
Students from the rest of the UK who come to study in Scotland are supported in the first instance by the administration in their home country rather than the Scottish Government. However, every university can offer local support in the form of bursaries and the Scottish Government has welcomed the package of bursaries and scholarships that Scottish universities have agreed to provide to RUK domiciled students to ensure they remain accessible to learners from diverse backgrounds.
In addition to this, RUK students can apply for discretionary funds from the institution at which they are studying. These funds are intended to provide non-repayable assistance for students in financial difficulties in order for them to access and/or continue in higher education and are paid in addition to any other forms of student support.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 20 April 2012
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 2 May 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing proposals to ensuring that students from the rest of the UK from low-income backgrounds are not deterred from studying in Scotland.
Answer
Following the increase in RUK fees last year, Scottish universities announced a package of bursaries and scholarships to provide to RUK-domiciled students to ensure that our institutions remain accessible to learners from diverse backgrounds. The latest UCAS applications statistics show that relatively more students from England are applying to study in Scotland than are applying to study in England this year, however it is too early to break this down further to determine what the particular outcome is with respect to those from low-income backgrounds.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2012
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 2 May 2012
To ask the Scottish Executive how many higher education courses have been available at each college in each of the last three years.
Answer
The information requested is provided in the following table.
Table 1: Number of HE Courses at each College, 2008-09 to 2010-11
|
College
|
2008-09
|
2009-10
|
2010-11
|
|
Aberdeen College
|
250
|
275
|
250
|
|
Adam Smith College
|
180
|
170
|
145
|
|
Angus College
|
70
|
75
|
75
|
|
Anniesland College
|
90
|
80
|
85
|
|
Ayr College
|
85
|
45
|
45
|
|
Banff and Buchan College of Further Education
|
145
|
115
|
105
|
|
Barony College
|
5
|
5
|
10
|
|
Borders College
|
35
|
30
|
35
|
|
Cardonald College
|
55
|
65
|
90
|
|
Carnegie College
|
200
|
205
|
195
|
|
Central College Glasgow
|
85
|
100
|
100
|
|
Clydebank College
|
40
|
45
|
65
|
|
Coatbridge College
|
25
|
20
|
30
|
|
Cumbernauld College
|
40
|
40
|
40
|
|
Dumfries and Galloway College
|
75
|
75
|
60
|
|
Dundee College
|
110
|
130
|
120
|
|
Edinburgh’s Telford College
|
110
|
95
|
105
|
|
Elmwood College
|
35
|
35
|
40
|
|
Forth Valley College
|
185
|
165
|
165
|
|
Glasgow College of Nautical Studies
|
110
|
95
|
100
|
|
Glasgow Metropolitan
|
90
|
85
|
90
|
|
James Watt College of Further & Higher Education
|
95
|
100
|
110
|
|
Jewel and Esk College
|
90
|
90
|
90
|
|
John Wheatley College
|
15
|
15
|
20
|
|
Kilmarnock College
|
115
|
115
|
95
|
|
Langside College
|
105
|
90
|
85
|
|
Motherwell College
|
135
|
145
|
145
|
|
Newbattle Abbey College
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
North Glasgow College
|
50
|
65
|
65
|
|
Oatridge College
|
15
|
20
|
15
|
|
Reid Kerr College
|
130
|
140
|
130
|
|
South Lanarkshire College
|
30
|
30
|
35
|
|
Stevenson College Edinburgh
|
105
|
105
|
125
|
|
Stow College
|
140
|
130
|
160
|
|
West Lothian College
|
70
|
80
|
70
|
|
Total
|
3,135
|
3,070
|
3,095
|
Source: Scottish Funding Council.
Note: This includes each individual course title. Courses may have been run more than once in the academic year and so have a slightly different name and are included once for each of those names.
