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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-27680

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 9 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist heart failure nurses there are, broken down by NHS board.

The information requested on how many specialist heart failure nurses there are, broken down by NHS Board is not centrally held by ISD or NES.

Clinical Nurse Specialists are also involved in heart failure care. Due to data quality concerns, some NHS Boards have asked for their Clinical Nurse Specialist data not to be published while these issues are addressed.

ISD have advised that all historical CNS data, whilst approved by NHS Boards when it was published, should be treated with caution in light of the concerns reported to them by Boards.

Question reference: S5O-04256

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-27339

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 4 March 2020

To ask the Government for what reasons the recent paper, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), NHS Scotland National Service Specification, does not propose the introduction of the multi-agency assessment system for CAMHS that was recommended previously in Rejected Referrals Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

CAMHS already works within the context of a multi- agency system and the Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) model and principles. At the heart of the GIRFEC process is an assessment of need and creation of a single child’s plan. The meeting at which the joint (multi-agency and multi professional) plan is agreed is called The Child’s Plan meeting. Anyone involved with the child or young person can call a Child’s Plan meeting, and all relevant children’s services, and others, are involved.

In the context of CAMHS how it works in practice is that most children and young people are referred to CAMHS by a Named Person – this could be a Health Visitor or Teacher – who, based on their own assessment and knowledge of the young person’s needs, may make a ‘request for assistance’ to CAMHS where they cannot meet the child’s needs without others help and in doing so triggering a multi-agency assessment.

Where the child or young person is referred by a GP, then CAMHS should, with consent, inform and involve the Named Person, and include both the Named Person’s assessment of needs and a wider multi-agency assessment.

Question reference: S5W-27337

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 3 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the comments in the recent paper, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), NHS Scotland National Service Specification, and the recommendation made previously in Rejected Referrals Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, whether it considers the tiered model of CAMHS to be fit for purpose and, if not, what plans it has to replace it.

The national CAMHS Service Specification is based on the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) model and principles and provides a stepped and matched care model – this is often described in Tiers but this service structure varies across Scotland. What is of greater importance is that the Children’s Services System works as a whole, including CAMHS, however CAMHS is structured. NHS boards and Local Authorities will agree local structures to ensure that the standards are delivered, taking into account the local context.

Question reference: S5W-27336

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 3 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the assessments outlined at section 1.4 in the recent paper, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), NHS Scotland National Service Specification, will be carried out face-to-face.

Question reference: S5W-27540

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of buildings on the NHS estate have asbestos present.

The Scottish Government does not hold that information centrally, however we have instructed Health Facilities Scotland to obtain that information by the end of April and we will report once the information has been checked and validated.

The Scottish Government recognise the hazard of asbestos and the risks to health that it poses. However, asbestos is only dangerous when disturbed and the advice from the Health and Safety Executive is that asbestos should remain in-situ providing it is in ‘Good’ Condition, and even where damage is minor it should still be encapsulated rather than removed.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg223.pdf

Therefore, if it is safely managed and contained, it doesn't present a health hazard and removing asbestos can be more dangerous than leaving it in place and managing it.

In 2018 a group was formed to review and update 'Managing Asbestos Unified procedures for use within NHSScotland'. The NHS Board Policy on the Management of Asbestos is designed to conform to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR2012). The Policy and Procedures apply to all premises and all individuals employed and/or engaged by the organisation without exception.

NHS Boards acknowledge the health hazards arising from exposure to asbestos and take all measures to prevent the exposure of staff, patients, contractors, or any other persons to airborne asbestos fibres within their premises. Where prevention of exposure to asbestos is not reasonably practicable, measure are taken to ensure any such exposure is reduced to the lowest level reasonably practicable by measures other than the use of respiratory protective equipment.

The Boards achieve that by:

- systematically and proactively identify throughout its estate, any materials containing asbestos or presumed to contain asbestos;

- presume that materials contain asbestos unless there is strong analytical evidence that they don’t;

- ensure that all premises are assessed and surveyed where applicable in order to identify any asbestos containing materials that may be present;

- maintain an up-to-date electronic record (Asbestos Register) of the location and condition of asbestos containing materials and of materials presumed to contain asbestos. The Register need to be reviewed at periods not exceeding 12 months;

- assess the risk of exposure from such materials;

- prepare and implement a plan to manage the risk to ensure that any material known or presumed to contain asbestos is kept in a good state of repair, and is inspected/ reassessed, at regular specified intervals;

- ensure information on the location and condition of the material is given to anyone potentially at risk;

- undertake risk assessments prior to commencing work which could expose or is liable to expose employees or others to the risks from asbestos materials, and;

- produce a plan of work detailing how such work is to be carried out;

- prevent exposure to asbestos or reduce it to as low a level as is reasonably practicable;

- provide adequate information, instruction and training to those employees who are likely to come into contact with asbestos.

Asbestos should remain in-situ providing it is in ‘Good’ Condition, and even where damage is minor it should still be encapsulated rather than removed.

Question reference: S5W-27542

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it last carried out a survey regarding the level of asbestos on the NHS estate, and when it will next do so.

Question reference: S5W-27541

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the risk of exposure to asbestos on the NHS estate is to (a) staff, (b) patients and (c) visitors, and what action it is taking to reduce this.

Question reference: S5W-27560

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards have asbestos management plans, and on what date each plan (a) was last and (b) will be next updated.

Question reference: S5F-03917

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2020

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to work with football authorities and clubs to reduce problem gambling.