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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 9278 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S4O-00499

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will maintain the level of council tax benefit going to local authorities in any revised system from April 2013, despite a 10% reduction in the funding transferred by the UK Government.

Question reference: S4W-04101

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-03257 by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 October 2011, whether it will consider collecting information about the number of people with Down’s syndrome.

Whilst the Scottish Government has no plans, as present, to collect information on the number of people with a diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. General information on the number of people with a learning disability within each local authority is currently collated annually through eSAY. Numbers are collated annually from local authorities by the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S4W-04117

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has plans to close Blawarthill Hospital and, if so, whether this will be subject to ministerial approval.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has carried out a review of the future of continuing care provision in West Glasgow. As part of the review, the board propose to cease the provision of NHS continuing care on the Blawarthill Hospital site and to transfer inpatient beds to Drumchapel Hospital. I am advised by the board that negotiations are progressing positively between the NHS board and Glasgow City Council on the future provision of a 120 bed care home facility on the site.

The Scottish Government is of the view that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s plans for Blawarhill Hospital do not constitute major service change under the terms of CEL 4 (2010) Informing, Engaging and Consulting People in Developing Health and Community Care Services. As such, the NHS board’s plans will not be subject to ministerial approval.

Question reference: S4W-04102

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-03258 by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 October 2011, whether it will consider collecting information about the number of people with a dual diagnosis of Down’s syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease.

Question reference: S4W-04097

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that all prisoners with learning disabilities will have access to a learning disabilities trained nurse.

Question reference: S4W-04103

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 30 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been provided to universities to support service user and carer involvement in social work or other related courses in each year since 2007.

The Scottish Social Services Council is the regulator of the social services workforce and their education and training. Through their annual Grant in Aid settlement, the council received £40,000 annually in years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 to support users and carers in the design and active involvement in the social work degree. The money is split equally between the eight higher education institutions which provide the degree course.

Question reference: S4W-04100

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 30 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that all prison staff will be given learning disability awareness training.

I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

Prison staff are trained to detect, assess and meet the needs of people with a range of abilities and assets, disabilities and deficits. A learning disability is amongst these characteristics. The Scottish Prison Service will continue to train its staff to be aware of people with disabilities in order to be able to respond with greater confidence to their needs. It will continue to invest in staff and services with specialist skills, to encourage education and health specialists to come into prison in order to support care.

Question reference: S4W-04099

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 30 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that prisoners with learning disabilities are provided with forms and information in an accessible format.

I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The Scottish Prison Service seeks to meet the needs of prisoners with a range of abilities and learning disabilities through easy-read forms and documents. Where a prisoner has difficulty, supporting staff can access a range of information appropriate to the abilities of the individual concerned. For those identified as having a barrier to learning, specialist assistance is available where this is required. Such assistance may include 1:1 small group support and access to specialist learning resources.

Question reference: S4W-04098

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 30 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider ensuring that all prisons have a dedicated learning disabilities service.

I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

Prisons assess the needs of those coming into custody, including needs related to learning disabilities. Prisons will strive, in partnership with the NHS, to meet the appropriate needs of prisoners. Where appropriate, they may have access to a learning disabilities nurse.

The SPS’s learning and skills service makes clear provision to accommodate special learning requirements. This includes a new literacy screening and levelling tool which is the basis for identifying those with a learning need.

Question reference: S4W-03951

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-03568 by John Swinney on 8 November 2011, how much of the £7.5 million for the Reducing Reoffending Change Fund is (a) new and (b) existing spending.