- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 6 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been carried out seeking an explanation for the increased incidence of suicide among young people in Scotland in recent years.
Answer
I am not aware of any recent research about suicide among young people. The Chief Scientist Office is not currently funding any suicide-related research projects. However, within the last 5 years, 3 suicide-related projects have been funded, details of which are given below. None of these projects specifically targeted young people. We are also funding a National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by people with Mental Illness.
Title | Duration | Award | Lead Researcher |
| A study of suicides and deaths from undetermined cause in south-east Scotland. | 1/6/95- 28/2/98 | £116,688 | Owens, Dr D G C |
| The role of alcohol and medicinal drugs in completed suicide. | 1/2/96- 30/9/96 | £2,465 | Crombie, Dr I K |
| A study to evaluate early identification and follow-up of patients defaulting from care with a past history of self harm or harm to others. A general practice and mental health shared care for mentally ill. | 30/9/95- 31/8/97 | £81,288 | Turner, Dr M |
The Scottish Prison Service has its own Suicide Prevention Strategy and a research report on the Strategy was published in 1997. The Service's revised Suicide Risk Management Strategy is to be the subject of an evaluation, with research to commence early in 2000.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 6 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive why the white paper "Towards a Healthier Scotland" does not mention the issue of suicide and any co-ordinated action to prevent it.
Answer
Suicide is a complex phenomenon influenced by a wide range of social, cultural, psychological, economic and other factors. The White Paper confirms that mental health is one of the top 3 priorities for the NHS in Scotland, and as is well known, some individuals (although by no means all) who commit suicide have been suffering from mental illness.The White Paper also emphasises that improving life circumstances - poverty, unemployment, bad housing etc - will have a beneficial effect on people's mental health and sense of well-being; healthier lifestyles, too, contribute to better mental health. The thrust of the White Paper should lead to improvements in mental health and, therefore, to reductions in the suicide rate.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 6 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive why survival rates for patients admitted following a stroke are significantly lower at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy Acute Hospital Trust than the Scottish average, to provide an explanation for the wide variation in survival rates in such cases across Scotland, and what plans it has to improve survival rates in such cases across all Scottish hospitals, particularly those with the lowest survival rates.
Answer
The section on stroke in the most recent Clinical Outcome Indicators report, published on 23 August 1999, shows that survival rates in the 3 Trusts referred to appear to be significantly lower than the Scottish average.
It is important to emphasise that outcome indicators are not intended to be used as 'league tables'. As the report itself stresses, no direct conclusions should be drawn from any of the comparisons in this report about the quality or effectiveness of the services or treatment provided for patients of different Trusts or populations of different Health Boards. Such differences may exist, but they cannot be identified solely on the basis of these comparisons. The outcome indicator reports should rather be seen as part of a range of initiatives geared to the creation of a more quality-oriented and patient-centred NHS in Scotland.
The most likely explanation of any variations will be case mix (i.e. how ill the patients were then they were admitted), but this cannot be confirmed without further detailed analysis, which is the responsibility of the Trusts and Health Boards concerned. Both Boards, in conjunction with the Trusts concerned, are specifically investigating the stroke survival variations shown by the latest Clinical Outcome Indicators report. This gives added impetus to the work already being undertaken by these and all other local health services to translate into local practice the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guidelines on the management of patients who have had a stroke. In addition, both Boards are also investing in stroke services. In Lothian, £350 000 is being made available to develop an 11 bed stroke unit at St John's, while in Fife, £86 000 will be invested to provide a dedicated stroke rehabilitation unit at Cameron Hospital.In future, one of the roles of the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland will be to oversee the development and monitoring of standards for specific services, and it is in that context that the clinical outcomes indictors are likely to be of greatest value.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 3 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it considers should be taken to enable the Glasgow road networks and other public transport networks to accommodate the potential increase in the number of football fans no longer using the Underground systems to travel to matches in midweek and at weekends.
Answer
The operation of the Glasgow Underground is a matter for the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive. It is for the Executive and Glasgow City Council to consider appropriate contingency arrangements to accommodate service alterations or cancellations on the Underground.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 3 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the likely impact on acute patient mortality and morbidity in the area covered by Greater Glasgow Health Board of closing down acute service facilities in the Victoria Infirmary and the Western Infirmary and concentrating acute services in the Southern General and the Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
Answer
It is for Greater Glasgow Health Board to assess and provide the health care services to meet the needs of their local population. To date no firm decisions have been made in relation to the future configuration of acute health care services in Glasgow. However, when considering the possible reconfiguration of acute services, the Board will ensure that access to local services is balanced against the need to provide acute services at the highest level. The Health Board will, of course, consult in due course on any proposals for change.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 3 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve rail services in Scotland.
Answer
This financial year, over £208 million of public money will be spent to secure passenger train services in Scotland. An additional £6.1 million will be available for Scottish rail freight schemes.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 2 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve rail services in Scotland.
Answer
This financial year, over £208 million of public money will be spent to secure passenger train services in Scotland. An additional £6.1 million will be available for Scottish rail freight schemes.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 2 September 1999
To ask the Presiding Officer how the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body proposes to enforce the ban on MSPs and staff smoking in Parliament Headquarters.
Answer
The SPCB recently reaffirmed that the entire Parliamentary complex should be a smoke free environment. The SPCB will be looking to the Business Managers to assist in exhorting all Members to observe the ban. Any Member or their staff found smoking in the Parliamentary complex will be reported to the SPCB, who will consider appropriate action. Parliament staff found smoking will be dealt with under the disciplinary procedures.The Scottish Parliament Policy on Smoking in the Workplace, which reinforces this message will be issued to all Members, their staff and Parliament staff this week.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 1 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive how much revenue was raised through the car park trading account of each local authority in 1997/8; what was the expenditure on car parking facilities for each local authority in Scotland in 1997/8, and what was the accumulated balance held in the car park trading account of each local authority in Scotland at the end of financial year 1997/8.
Answer
Information on local authority car park trading accounts is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive when it proposes to examine the possibility of establishing a direct ferry link between Anstruther and North Berwick.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is currently part-funding a study of fast ferry links on routes between Granton, Rosyth and Burntisland in the context of its involvement with the Forth Transport Infrastructure Partnership. The findings of this study will be available later this year. The ferry study is one element of a wide-ranging consideration by the Partnership of options for cross-Forth travel.The Executive has no plans to investigate the possibility of a direct ferry service between Anstruther and North Berwick.
