Chamber and committees

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.

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Question reference: S5W-10190

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in the light of the recommendation in the review by Dr Brian Montgomery that managed access schemes should be developed as an additional option rather than a replacement for patient access schemes, what the principles are for development of new processes; what types of schemes are being considered and what level of flexibility is being built-in to improve access and affordability of innovative new medicines.

Question reference: S5W-10194

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its approach is to supporting work toward finding new treatments and a cure for cystic fibrosis.

Question reference: S5W-10191

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 26 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it will give to consulting toward the drafting of a cystic fibrosis treatment strategy for Scotland and the appointment of a national clinical lead to ensure access to uniformly high standards of care across Scotland.

People living with cystic fibrosis can access a range of appropriate services via their local NHS Boards, Integrated Joint Boards and a national service. Specialist services for people with cystic fibrosis are delivered via the nationally designated service across 3 specialist centres around the country – in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh. There is also an outreach service in Dundee. The national service shares treatment protocols and guidelines in order to maintain high standards of care across Scotland.

Additionally, there is a National Managed Clinical Network for paediatric cystic fibrosis with well-established transition into adult services.

Question reference: S5W-10193

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) investment it has made and (b) actions it has taken to support work towards finding new treatments and a cure for cystic fibrosis.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of health research and its contribution to improving patient outcomes and delivering improvements to patient care. Through the Chief Scientist Office the Scottish Government invests over £60m each year into health research. This resource is used to support and encourage research excellence. NHS Research Scotland supports clinical trials across the spectrum of medical conditions with further funding provided to support clinical research networks and research units.

Funding to support research is provided by research grant awards. These researcher led awards are not restricted to any particular clinical area and cover the full clinical spectrum. Further support to Scottish based research is provided by the access given to Scottish based researchers to the National Institute of Health Research.

Recent specific funded research by the Chief Scientist Office in respect to Cystic Fibrosis has been:

Title	Budget	Start Date	End Date
Inflammation in CF: Defining the Role of Calprotectin	£532,997	01-01-2017	31-12-2021
Development of an intervention to increase physiotherapy adherence among children with CF	£190,188	01-05-2014	31-03-2016

Although not the main funder, there are 15 other relevant active research studies in Scotland which are supported both financially and in kind by NHS Research Scotland. These trials recruit adults and children across Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-10192

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 26 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the treatment of people with cystic fibrosis is of the same uniform high standard regardless of where they live.

Question reference: S5W-10187

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 26 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the difference in the incidence of cystic fibrosis in Scotland compared with (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland.

Question reference: S5W-09965

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 25 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the new Scottish social security system takes account of the comments of the respondees to its consultation on this who said that the language used in the Disability Living Allowance application process is "intrusive", "negative" and "blunt".

The core principles of dignity, respect and fairness will be at the heart of delivery of the social security system in Scotland. The Social Security (Scotland) Bill embeds these principles, including a commitment to a human-rights based approach.

Over 2,000 people with recent experience of benefits have volunteered to join our Experience Panels. They will help us design, build and improve the new system including the application process and the language we use. We are also consulting our ill-health and disability stakeholder groups on the use of inclusive language.

Question reference: S5W-09966

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 25 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that mental and physical disability is treated on an equal basis when applying for a disability benefit.

We have heard from individuals and organisations that there is too much focus on physical disability within the current system. We are committed to taking a different approach to social security in Scotland. We are designing our new social security system with the help of the Disability and Carers Benefits Expert Advisory Group, our reference groups and our Experience Panels, which involve over 2,400 people with recent experience of benefits and with their assistance will ensure that both mental and physical disabilities are treated equally. This includes the assessment of disability benefits from application all the way through to final decision.

Question reference: S5W-10025

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 19 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how the managed clinical network for perinatal mental health will help it implement recommendation 38 of the report, The Best Start: A Five-Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland, which states that it should ensure that the forthcoming mental health strategy makes appropriate connections with the new model for neonatal care, and whether the network will (a) include input from a neonatal clinician at board level and (b) review the psychological support available to parents whose baby requires neonatal care.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring equitable, coordinated access to mental health provision for families throughout pregnancy and during the postnatal period including those whose babies require a stay in neonatal care. We will continue to work with NHS boards to ensure that families receive the support they need.

A Programme board, Chaired by Jane Grant, has been established and are currently considering approaches to implementing the recommendations within The Best Start.

Work to establish the managed clinical network on perinatal metal health has already started, with a Lead Clinician now appointed. The Perinatal MCN will be appointing clinical expertise from infant mental health perspective. We are looking forward to the Network becoming operational over the course of this year.

Question reference: S5W-09967

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 19 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the incidence of respiratory tuberculosis.

Scotland has a low incidence of respiratory tuberculosis (TB). A total of 315 cases of TB were reported to the Enhanced Surveillance of Mycobacterial Infections (ESMI) scheme in 2015, representing an annual incidence of 5.9 cases per 100,000 population. This was a decrease of 10% in the number of cases and 9.2% in the annual incidence when compared with 2014.

This represents a fifth consecutive decrease in numbers and incidence of TB cases reported since 2010 and is the lowest number of cases and incidence reported since enhanced surveillance began in 2000. In addition, accepted indicators of both recent and ongoing TB transmission also decreased in 2015, suggesting that TB transmission may be reducing in Scotland.

The Scottish Health Protection Network Respiratory Infections Group comprising the SG, HPS and a range of experts from across Scotland are working to ensure the implementation of the recommendations of the 2011 A TB Action Plan for Scotland to further reduce incidence rates.