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: S4F-02254

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 August 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 August 2014

To ask the First Minister whether there will be foodbanks in an independent Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-22079

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 July 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-21351 by John Swinney on 9 June 2014, for what reason no diversity training for external selection panel members specific to the workstream has been delivered.

The key findings report from the event Women On Board: Quality through Diversity held in November 2013 included an action: “training in unconscious bias, equality and diversity for everyone involved in the recruitment process”. The Scottish Government’s Public Bodies and Corporate Diversity Programme Board has supported the integration of this action across the programme strands.

Further scoping work is currently underway to devise how to provide suitable diversity training for external board members. The programme board and relevant stakeholders will consider the content and timing of such training to ensure that any investment made delivers results.

Question reference: S4W-22078

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 July 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-21350 by John Swinney on 9 June 2014, whether the events are evaluated on a (a) formative or (b) summative basis and, if so, whether it will publish the evaluation (i) methodology and (ii) findings.

Events held by the Public Appointment Centre of Expertise vary greatly, from hosting a stand at a conference to organising large events such as Women On Board: Quality through Diversity, held in November 2013. As such, not every event is evaluated, and methods used may be on a formative, summative or other method as considered appropriate. Any evaluations that are published will be available on the Scottish Government’s website, alongside more information on the work of the Public Bodies and Corporate Diversity Programme Board:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Equality/PublicBoardsCorporateDiversityProg

Question reference: S4W-22168

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 July 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 1 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether the NHS has (a) sold or (b) passed-on the names and addresses of patients to commercial companies in the last five years and, if so, for what reason.

Question reference: S4W-21971

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 25 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is required to cover VAT charges on fees for safeguarders.

Question reference: S4W-21969

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 25 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how VAT on safeguarders fees was dealt with when the fees were paid by local authorities; how it is dealt with under Children 1st, and what the Scottish Government's position is on the matter.

The payment of safeguarders prior to the 2011 Act was a matter for local authorities. It is understood that the method and range of payments varied between local authorities as well as in respect of individual safeguarders. Prior to the 2011 Act and associated regulations coming into force on 24 June 2013, the Scottish Government undertook a consultation on fees applicable to the new arrangements with all safeguarders. A revised set of nationally consistent fees, expenses and allowances, with levels set on a ‘no detriment’ basis was published by the Scottish Government. From 24 June 2013, Children 1st have been responsible for the payment of fees and expenses to safeguarders - VAT is not payable on these fees.

Question reference: S4W-21970

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 25 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received representations on the issue of the payment of VAT on safeguarders' fees and, if so, when, and what action it has taken as a result.

Question reference: S4W-21968

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 25 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether fees paid to safeguarders by Children 1st are subject to VAT and what discussions it has had with HM Revenue and Customs about the matter.

Question reference: S4W-21972

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 25 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it will decide whether to cover VAT on fees for safeguarders.

Question reference: S4W-21939

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 24 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it collects information on patient experience of cancer services to inform service improvements and what the reason is for its position on this matter.

The Scottish Cancer Taskforce discussed the possibility of a cancer patient experience survey in Scotland in their meeting on 27 June 2014. The taskforce agreed that further investigation should take place, including examination of the methodology behind the surveys which have taken place in other parts of the UK.

The Scottish Government gathers the experiences of a range of health care users via the biennial Inpatient Patient Experience survey and the biennial Health and Care Experience survey (formerly the GP Patient Experience survey). This includes cancer patients.

A national cancer quality performance indicators (QPI) programme is being taken forward to drive continuous quality improvement in cancer care across NHS Scotland, and QPIs will be developed for all main cancers by October 2014. As part of the wider QPI work programme, Patient Experience QPIs were published in April 2014. The aim is to foster a culture of continuous quality improvement at a local level supported by a programme of regional and national comparative reporting and review. This will allow for identification of common themes and best practice for improvement in patient experience.