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-00087

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 June 2011

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government will take in response to figures showing that one in 10 care homes have been assessed by Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland as weak or unsatisfactory in at least one area of inspection.

Question reference: S4W-00815

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the BMA's view that lifting the cap on international students studying medicine would be "wholly counterproductive" in terms of workforce planning.

We are well aware of the problems associated with this issue. Extensive work around the analysis of the factors relating to the appropriate level of medical undergraduates is being undertaken, of which the BMA is aware, having been invited to sit on the reference group examining this issue. Any decision to change the number of international medical students studying at Scottish universities will take due regard of workforce planning.

Question reference: S4W-00885

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people the NHS has employed in each year since 1999, expressed as (a) headcount and (b) full-time equivalent.

Question reference: S4W-00811

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the BMA's view that the Scottish Government's workforce planning projections reveal "stark anticipated medical oversupply in Scotland".

Workforce planning projections indicate that over the next three to four years there are likely to be more doctors completing training than there will be consultant posts available to employ them. The issue to be tackled is not necessarily one of simple medical over-supply but one of how to employ these newly trained doctors in an affordable, appropriate, and sustainable manner.

The Scottish Government’s response to this issue has been to take steps to move towards a service predominantly delivered by trained doctors, rather than doctors in training. Moving to a trained doctor service provides an opportunity to enhance the service’s capacity to deliver high quality care and to achieve better value for money. A trained doctor service will necessarily consist of a “mixed economy” of existing and future consultants and Specialty Doctors, with a role for other healthcare professionals which makes the most of their potential.

Question reference: S4W-00813

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many undergraduate places for medicine were and are available in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

The number of undergraduate places available for medicine in 2010-11 and 2011-12 are as shown in Tables 1 and 2.

Medical Undergraduate Intake Targets

Table 1

University

AY 2010-11 Intake Targets

Home/EU

Overseas

Total

Aberdeen	162	13	175
Dundee	143	11	154
Edinburgh	202	16	218
Glasgow	223	18	241
St Andrews	104	8	112
Total	834	66	900

Table 2

University

AY 2011-12 Intake Targets

Home/EU

Overseas

Total

Aberdeen	162	13	175
Dundee	143	11	154
Edinburgh	202	16	218
Glasgow	223	18	241
St Andrews	104	8	112
Total	834	66	900

Question reference: S4W-00814

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the NHS workforce demand for doctors was in 2010-11 and is for 2011-12.

NHS board projected staff in post (whole-time equivalent) changes in 2010-11 were published on 3 June 2010 at:

http://www.scsotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/06/NHSWorkforce2010.

National Services Scotland Information Services Division are due to publish the national NHSScotland workforce statistics up to 31 March 2011 on the 28 June 2011.

We are in the process of requesting from NHS boards their projected staff in post changes for 2011-12 and plan to publish consolidated workforce projections for NHSScotland when this information is available.

Question reference: S4W-00755

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a reduction in laboratory services at the Vale of Leven Hospital is in keeping with the SNP 2011 manifesto commitment to keep services local.

No decision has been made as yet about changes to laboratory services in the Clyde area.

The Scottish Government is committed to keeping NHS services as local as possible whilst recognising that patient safety and sustainable high quality care remain the priorities.

I expect all boards to plan and provide services in line with this commitment. Where changes to local services are proposed, the consideration must be fully informed by robust evidence and meaningful engagement with the appropriate stakeholders.

Question reference: S4W-00731

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will receive in Barnett consequentials arising from the £600 million announced by the Secretary of State for Health for cancer services over the next three years and how it will allocate it.

Question reference: S4W-00831

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures the quality of care for older people.

Scottish ministers are required to prepare and publish standards for regulated care services including care homes. There is already a specific set of National Care Standards in place for this type of services setting out the quality and standards of service that users should expect from their provider.

Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS) inspects and regulates services against the requirements and criteria set in legislation as well as the National Care Standards.

I also refer the member to the answer to question S4F-15 on 2 June 2011. The answer to the oral parliamentary question is available on the Parliament’s website, the official report can be viewed at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/apps2/business/orsearch/ReportView.aspx?r=6271&mode=html.

Question reference: S4W-00754

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the outcome of the review of laboratory services in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde represents a significant service change that will come before the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy for decision.