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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S5W-03504

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of the medicine, Sativex, in the NHS.

Sativex is currently licensed to treat patients with moderate to severe spasticity due to Multiple Sclerosis. In Scotland, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) provides advice to NHS Scotland on the clinical and cost effectiveness of all new medicines. They do this following submissions made by the manufacturer. For Sativex, whilst the manufacturer does hold a product licence, they have not yet made a submission to the SMC to have Sativex considered for routine availability on the NHS in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-03469

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it will develop the national social isolation strategy, committed to in its Programme for Government, and what consultation will take place in its development.

Following on from the Programme for Government, we committed in the Fairer Scotland Action Plan, to developing a new approach to social isolation over 2017. We intend that this will build on existing work, that it will draw on the findings of the previous Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee’s Inquiry into Social Isolation and Loneliness as well as the Befriending Networks Summit held in September 2016 and that it will be informed by the best available evidence and research. We will engage with partners and a wide range of interests in the development of our approach.

Question reference: S5W-03502

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to produce guidance on specific cancers as part of its cancer strategy and, if so, which types of cancer will be covered.

Question reference: S5W-03503

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many "never events" there have been in the NHS in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S5W-03801

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many people with drug addictions have been supported to cease drug use completely in each year since the Road to Recovery strategy was launched in 2008.

It is not possible to say how many people have ceased drug use completely since the publication of The Road to Recovery as this information is not held centrally. The Scottish Government is currently working closely with Information Services Division Scotland, national commissioned organisations, ADPs and services to develop a new data collection system (Drug and Alcohol Information System ) which will collect and report on drug and alcohol treatment and outcomes information, including abstinence.

Recovery for some individuals is not the same as abstinence. The Road to Recovery set out the importance of developing a system of care which ensured that individuals were offered a treatment and recovery package that best met their needs and aspirations.

Question reference: S5W-03800

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how often methadone users are offered a review of their treatment.

Decisions on the type of Opioid Replacement Therapy (ORT), including methadone, to prescribe are for clinicians, in close discussion with their clients. The use of ORT is done in line with UK guidelines on the Clinical Management of Drug Misuse and Dependence. These guidelines state that for those individuals who are in receipt of longer-term prescriptions, that they should be reviewed at regular intervals (usually at least three-monthly), and should be part of a broader programme of care planned social and psychological support.

Question reference: S5O-00280

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support veterans.

The Scottish Government places great importance on veterans and their families. We established a state-of-the-art National Prosthetics Service, committed over £5 million from 2015 for world-class specialist mental health services and provided almost £4 million for veterans housing. We have appointed a Scottish Veterans Commissioner – the first such position in the UK.

I have published a fresh strategy, “Renewing Our Commitments” setting out priorities on healthcare, housing and jobs. Earlier this month I announced a partnership with Standard Life, bringing our Scottish Veterans Fund to total £600,000 over three years. We also want the private sector to treat veterans as an asset to bridge skills gaps; that is why I was delighted to launch the Supporting Veterans into Employment initiative with HRH The Duke of Rothesay at Dumfries House on 24 October 2016.

Question reference: S5W-03410

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 1 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses participating in the Healthy Working Lives Award Programme have more than ten employees.

Question reference: S5W-03409

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 1 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many calls were made to the Healthy Working Lives Adviceline in the last three years, and how many of these calls were regarding mental health advice.

The following table shows the number of enquiries to the Healthy Working Lives Adviceline including calls and emails.

Date	Total enquiries	Calls	Mental Health Calls	E-mails	Mental Health e-mails
01-4-2013 – 31-03-2014	2284	1712	91	572	14
01-04-2014 – 31-03-2015	3672	2466	119	1206	18
01-04-2015 – 31-03-2016	3812	2696	167	1116	17
01-04-2016 – 30-09-2016	2170	1571	82	599	12

Mental Health calls are recorded under a variety of sub-categories as follows - Mental Health & Wellbeing-Anxiety-Depression-Distress-Stress.

Question reference: S5W-03408

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 1 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses participate in the Healthy Working Lives Award Programme, broken down by bronze, silver and gold awards.