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: S4W-19433

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 24 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it gave to local authorities that had already topped up their discretionary housing payments on the use of the £20 million allocated to mitigate the impact of the so-called bedroom tax.

On 2 October 2013, I informed local authorities that the Scottish Government was making £20 million available for the purpose of adding to Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) budgets. In recognition of the fact that some local authorities may already have already topped up their DHP allocation to the maximum permitted, I stated that the funding is aimed not only at enabling topping up of DHPs, but also in recognition of the financial pressures that have been placed upon authorities by the UK Government’s welfare reforms.

Question reference: S4W-19432

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 24 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether the £20 million allocated to mitigate the impact of the so-called bedroom tax was (a) ringfenced and (b) paid to the general revenue account.

Question reference: S4W-19426

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 24 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can quantify the benefit that NHS boards derive from the work of Care and Repair teams in terms of facilitating hospital discharges and preventing hospital admissions, and what contribution boards make to the teams' costs.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable contribution made by Care and Repair Services in helping older and disabled people to live safely and independently at home and by reducing delays to hospital discharge.

We have not commissioned research in this area but a Social Return on Investment report in respect of Care and Repair West Lothian published in June 2013 showed a social return of £4.53 for every £1 invested.

There is no statutory requirement on health boards to contribute to the cost of local Care and Repair services. However Orkney Care and Repair and Midlothian Care and Repair, for example, received additional funding from the Older People's Change Fund to, respectively, extend their information and advice service and support piloting a small repairs service.

Question reference: S4W-19431

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 21 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £33 million for the Scottish Welfare Fund was (a) devolved by the UK Government and (b) additional funding.

Question reference: S4W-19450

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it achieved the (a) 40% target for female applicants, (b) 15% target for disabled applicants and (c) 8% target for minority ethnic applicants for public appointments prior to May 2013.

Question reference: S4W-19449

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for public appointments there were in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2010-11 and (d) 2011-12 and how many were from (i) women, (ii) disabled people and (iii) people from an ethnic minority background.

The following table sets out the numbers of applications for public appointments received by the Scottish Government:

Applicants	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12
Women	209	699	566	310
Disabled	126	160	205	140
Ethnic Minority	22	52	64	33
Total	668	2294	1657	990

Source: Commission of Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland Annual Report 2011-12:

http://www.ethicalstandards.org.uk/publications/publication/695/cespls-annual-report-201112

As at 31 March 2013, the Scottish Government had made good progress but not yet met its previous diversity targets. Figures achieved were: (a) women applicants - 32%, (b) disabled applicants - 13% and (c) ethnic minority applicants - 4.1%.

Source: Public Appointments in Scotland 2012-13 Regulated Ministerial Appointment Statistics.

Question reference: S4W-19436

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what communications campaigns it has run since September 2008 to promote diversity in public appointments and what the (a) nature and (b) cost has been of each.

Question reference: S4W-19437

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has created a new hub website for public appointments since September 2008.

Question reference: S4W-19438

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has commissioned research into the impact of (a) board meeting times and arrangements and (b) remuneration on the (i) number and (ii) diversity of applications for public appointments.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to understanding the experience of applicants for public appointments and to developing members of the boards of our public bodies.

Although we have not commissioned specific research into the impact of board meeting times and arrangements, or into the level of awareness of our public bodies, joint research on applicant experience with the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland has been carried out both in 2012 and 2013 and has informed our improvement agenda. Information regarding remuneration is also collected for analysis by the Scottish Government.

Prior to the introduction of the new Commissioner’s Code of Practice on 1 October 2013, all selection panel members were confirmed to the Commissioner as competent in diversity and selection matters. This responsibility has now passed to the Scottish Government. Advice and guidance on diversity issues is provided by the Public Appointments Centre of Expertise at all stages of the appointment process. Training for board members is the responsibility of individual public bodies, although, to support further development, the Public Appointments Commissioner has also previously delivered a mentoring programme for appointees.

Question reference: S4W-19446

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has action plans for each recommendation in Diversity Delivers: A strategy for enhancing equality of opportunity in Scotland's ministerial public appointments process.