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: S3W-18380

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 December 2008
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 10 December 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many arrest-referral schemes are funded on contracts of (a) less than three years and (b) three years or more and how many are funded on permanent contracts.

Scottish Government funding towards the cost of operating arrest referral schemes is provided under section 27 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. Local authorities as the ultimate recipients of section 27 funding are responsible for drawing up any contractual arrangements which might be needed in delivering arrest referral schemes within their areas. Information on such contracts is not held centrally.

In common with other areas of Government funding, section 27 grant is linked to the duration of the 2007 Spending Review, which covers the financial years to end March 2011.

Question reference: S3W-18251

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 December 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is appropriate for NHS boards to avoid providing cover for staff on maternity leave as part of efficiency savings.

Only schemes that comply with the definition of an efficiency saving would be accepted. The definition of a cash‘releasing efficiency saving is where the organisation delivers the same service at a reduced cost, demonstrated by delivering the same outcome(s) or output(s) for a reduced input or delivering a reduced unit cost allowing an increased volume of service for the same cost.

Potential efficiencies are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Question reference: S3W-18258

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 December 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is ensuring that pay protection is being extended beyond the originally planned three-year period, pending the conclusion of appeals under Agenda for Change.

The number of NHSScotland staff requiring pay protection under the new system is actually very low. It is currently running at just over 1.5% overall and this figure will continue to come down as Agenda for Change pay catches up with these protected salaries through incremental progression and yearly uplifts. Whilst Agenda for Change pay protection arrangements in England end five years after the date of implementation, Scotland has had a longstanding commitment to extend protection for as long as it is needed for the small number who will still require protection beyond that point. There are no plans to change this.

Question reference: S3W-18261

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 December 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken, or is taking, to ensure that all GP software systems to be used in Scotland are compatible with (a) all other clinical systems and (b) data collection systems being used by ISD Scotland.

There are accredited GP systems in Scotland. All of these systems are compatible with the Scottish Care Information (SCI) gateway store, SCI gateway, SCI-DC, the emergency care summary and ePharmacy. At present there is no requirement for GP systems to be compatible with all other clinical systems in use in Scotland. ISD''s National Clinical Dataset Development Programme has developed a range of clinical data standards. ISD will work with the eHealth Programme and NISG to ensure that new accredited GP systems meet ISD Scotland''s requirements.

Question reference: S3W-18250

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 December 2008

Details of in-year savings achieved in 2007-08 and the proposed savings for 2008-09 and 2009-10 for each NHS board are as follows:

NHS Board	2007-08 Savings Achieved (£000)	2008-09 Forecast Savings (£000)	2009-10 Forecast Savings (£000)
Ayrshire and Arran	5,516	10,934	11,284
Borders	1,704	5,661	4,700
Dumfries and Galloway	2,176	5,091	4,707
Fife	4,746	10,201	9,902
Forth Valley	4,323	11,741	12,185
Grampian	5,398	12,926	32,489
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	16,385	46,200	35,000
Highland	5,971	15,985	17,430
Lanarkshire	5,823	14,804	19,905
Lothian	10,016	19,737	20,000
Orkney	93	927	855
Shetland	408	710	1,165
Tayside	8671	19,039	19,512
Western Isles	601	2,177	1,898
National Waiting Times Centre	1,382	800	824
NHS 24	2,579	4,696	1,868
NHS Education for Scotland	1,468	724	747
NHS Health Scotland	0	336	358
NHS National Services Scotland	2,554	5,617	5,102
NHS Quality Improvement Scotland	79	332	338
Scottish Ambulance Service	1,792	5,338	3,918
The State Hospitals Board for Scotland	917	974	1,347
Total	82,602	194,850	205,534

Question reference: S3W-18243

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 December 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 18 known deaths due to, or associated with, Clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven Hospital between December 2007 and May 2008 were identified by type (a) before the patient’s death, (b) within two weeks of the patient’s death, (c) within one month of the patient’s death and (d) more than one month after the patient's death.

Question reference: S3W-18252

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 December 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether savings made by national e-drug procurement programmes are being passed to NHS boards and, if so, whether boards are allowed to count them towards efficiency savings.

Question reference: S3W-18242

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 December 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 18 known deaths due to or associated with Clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven Hospital between December 2007 and May 2008 were (a) type 027, (b) other types of Clostridium difficile and (c) not identified by type.

The information sought forms part of the Outbreak Control Team''s report which has been provided to the Area Procurator Fiscal for Argyll and Clyde by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to assist in his on-going investigations and the parallel investigations that are being undertaken by Strathclyde Police and the Health and Safety Executive. I am advised that the release of part or all of this report at this time may have a prejudicial effect on any action that may follow the investigation. I therefore cannot provide the member with the data he requests until the investigation by the Area Procurator Fiscal is complete.

Question reference: S3W-18257

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 December 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies there are for hospital pharmacists and how many of these posts have been vacant for more than (a) three and (b) six months, also broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S3W-18254

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 December 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive with the exception of the new Southern General Hospital, what plans there are to build hospitals with single rooms only.