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 2702 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S4W-17674

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 29 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many follow-up inspection reports since 2011 by (a) Healthcare Improvement Scotland and (b) the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate on the care of older people have led to a referral to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing because the recommendations in the original report were not carried out, and what action was taken, broken down by (i) NHS board and (ii) hospital.

Question reference: S4W-17678

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will invite Information Services Division Scotland (ISD) to include under-15s in future statistics that it publishes on long-acting reversible contraception.

The ISD publication on Long Acting Reversible Methods of Contraception includes data on the number of contraceptives dispensed in primary care and the number distributed from central pharmacies.

The ages of a high proportion of women using these contraceptives are unknown as data relating to contraceptives supplied via central pharmacies are not collated at an individual level.

It is expected that the majority are in the age group 15-49, although some women outside this age range may be included. The denominator used in the calculation of rates in the publication comprises females in Scotland aged 15-49 years. This is a standard age range used for studies on contraception.

Question reference: S4W-17492

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether the remit of the expert group on sexual and reproductive health issues in relation to Community Pharmacy includes consideration of issues relating to preventable unplanned pregnancies.

Question reference: S4W-17491

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when the expert group on sexual and reproductive health issues in relation to Community Pharmacy will report its findings.

The Expert Working Group has not been established with a specific reporting deadline, but it is anticipated that recommendations will be made to the Scottish Sexual Health Lead Clinicians Group (of which the Working Group is a sub-group) in time for their meeting in March 2014.

The recommendations will be considered by the Lead Clinicians Group. Depending on the recommendations and the views of the Lead Clinicians, advice will then be provided to Scottish Government.

Question reference: S4W-17488

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the expert group on sexual and reproductive health issues in relation to Community Pharmacy (a) has met and (b) will meet between September and December 2013.

Question reference: S4W-17490

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government from which external bodies or groups the expert group on sexual and reproductive health issues in relation to Community Pharmacy will seek advice.

To date, the Expert Working Group has sought advice from all NHS boards. This is in order to determine current practice around emergency hormonal contraception and the extent of existing sexual and reproductive health services being offered via community pharmacies.

Consideration will be given to seeking advice from other bodies or groups as and when appropriate. It is for the experts on the group to determine what additional advice or evidence they may need.

Question reference: S4W-17114

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the level at which dentistry charges are split between the NHS and patients.

Question reference: S4W-17108

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the number of vocational trainees in dentistry.

The Scottish Government remains committed to matching the number of dental vocational training (DVT) places in Scotland to the expected graduate output of Scottish dental schools. Our commitment to provide 172 dental vocational places in 2013 was met.

It is NHS Education for Scotland (NES) which co-ordinates the recruitment of dental practices that offer DVT places to dental graduates and, with anticipated dental school graduate output in 2014 anticipated to be 193, Scottish Government officials have commenced discussions with NES to ensure appropriate steps are taken to meet this anticipated need.

Question reference: S4W-17103

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the General Dental Practice Allowance has had on the number of practices, broken down by NHS board.

It is not possible to establish what impact, if any, the General Dental Practice Allowance (GDPA) has had on the number of dental practices.

The GDPA is one element in the overall funding package available to independent dentists providing NHS general dental services. For example dental practitioners receive fees for items of service (by far the largest funding stream), capitation and continuing care payments and a range of other allowances including reimbursement for rent and seniority payments.

Question reference: S4W-17099

Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what impact setting the General Dental Practice Allowance payment for non-committed practices has had on increasing access to NHS dentistry.

The General Dental Practice Allowance (GDPA) was not introduced as a measure to impact on access to NHS general dental services.

The purpose of the GDPA is as outlined in the answer to question S4W-17096 on 26 September 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.