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: S4O-04397

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what support it plans to provide to farmers’ markets.

Question reference: S4O-04371

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 May 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support East Lothian Council's efforts to promote the area as a tourist destination.

Question reference: S4W-25504

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 May 2015
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent on nationally commissioned specialist patient services in each year from 2009-10 to 2014-15.

Question reference: S4W-25500

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 May 2015
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are in place in each NHS board to ensure that suitable candidates can access deep brain stimulation surgery for conditions such as Parkinson’s and dystonia.

West of Scotland NHS boards refer patients requiring deep brain stimulation (DBS) to the regional centre at the Institute of Neurological Sciences at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow.

NHS boards in the north and east of Scotland refer patients requiring DBS to centres in England via their out of area referrals teams and NHS National Services Division. Funding for DBS procedures carried out in England is provided by NSD.

The National Specialist Services Committee is in the process of considering the application to set up a comprehensive national deep brain stimulation service for Scotland at the Institute of Neurological Sciences at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow. The outcome will be known in due course.

Question reference: S4W-25505

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 May 2015
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the budget is for nationally commissioned specialist patient services in 2015-16.

Question reference: S4W-25501

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 May 2015
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are in place to ensure that people living in Scotland who have received deep brain stimulation surgery in England receive follow-up support (a) in the first year after the procedure and (b) for the rest of their lives.

Patients from the north and east of Scotland currently access deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgical services in England. However, the management of a patient’s underlying condition, such as Parkinson’s or Dystonia, is managed by their local neurologist and specialist nurse in Scotland.

There are aspects of surgical intervention following a patient’s initial DBS implant that can be provided in NHS Tayside for north and east of Scotland patients including battery replacement and external lead replacement; and neuromodulation is provided by the local specialist nurse.

The Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle provides a comprehensive DBS service to patients from Scotland who have had surgery in their unit.

In terms of post-operative DBS follow-up, patients can return to the hospital in England where their DBS surgery was performed if there is a need to do so.

The National Specialist Services Committee is in the process of considering the application to set up a comprehensive national deep brain stimulation service for all patients in Scotland at the Institute of Neurological Sciences at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow. The outcome will be known in due course.

Question reference: S4W-25502

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 May 2015
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are in place to ensure that people who have received deep brain stimulation surgery in (a) Edinburgh and (b) Dundee can access long-term follow-up care, including (i) modulation of their stimulator, (ii) maintenance of their implant and (iii) neuropsychological support.

Modulation of the stimulator is a nurse-led service available in NHS Tayside. The Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle also provides a service for patients who would previously have been treated in either NHS Lothian or NHS Tayside.

Stimulators are removed in Tayside, but otherwise maintenance of existing stimulators takes place at deep brain stimulation centres in England.

Neuropsychological support is available in Scotland and access for patients who need it is arranged through the patient’s local neurology team.

Question reference: S4O-04347

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide for East Lothian Council to increase employment opportunities for young people.

Question reference: S4O-04311

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 May 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reasons for falling literacy and numeracy in schools.

Question reference: S4W-25325

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 April 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the education maintenance allowance in each year since 2007 and how much it plans to spend in each year of the next parliamentary session.

The following table details the education maintenance allowance (EMA) spend since academic year 2006-07. The EMA is an entitlement in Scotland and a demand led programme which means that any person who meets the eligibility criteria will receive EMA support. Therefore, the spend will fluctuate depending on how many young people qualify for the award.

Currently the budget for this financial year is £29.6 million. This will, however, be reviewed in light of the First Minister’s announcement to expand the EMA programme to benefit more young people. The Scottish Government are in the process of making the necessary changes.

EMA Spend: 2006-07 to 2013-14

Academic Year	Total (£)
2006-07	32,433,285
2007-08	33,340,440
2008-09	35,441,160
2009-10	33,193,010
2010-11	27,177,220
2011-12	27,613,140
2012-13	27,817,195
2013-14	28,234,625

Note: Figures in this table have been rounded to the nearest five.

Year	Total value of nationally commissioned services in NHS Scotland
2009-10	£140,326,000
2010-11	£139,914,000
2011-12	£147,314,000
2012-13	£152,071,000
2013-14	£162,990,000
2014-15	£164,978,000