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 558 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S3W-09455

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 04 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 20 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to improve the level and quality of information available for young physically disabled adults on the support services available to them.

The Scottish Government provides core funding under section 10 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to Update, a charitable organisation which aims to improve the quality of life of disabled people by enabling information providers to offer accurate, relevant and accessible disability related information. The government also funds the Scottish Accessible Information Forum (SAIF) to produce standards for information and advice services for disabled people. The SAIF recently published a practical guide for disabled people on the standards of services that should be provided by information, advice or service providers. The booklet is available at www.saifscotland.org.uk. ncia

Question reference: S3W-08980

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 25 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 5 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific measures will be taken to improve education, information and advice in relation to sexual health, given that improvement in these areas is an aspiration in Better Health, Better Care: Action Plan.

Sex and RelationshipsEducation in schools includes specific teaching around HIV and how it is transmitted.

Information on sexual health and HIV is also availablethrough a wide range of sexual health services who make condoms available free ofcharge. The use of condoms is essential to reduce the levels of sexually transmittedinfections in Scotland.

In addition, we havebegun preparations for a public awareness campaign and increased public informationas part of our aims to improve attitudes to relationships and sexual health, thiswill include information on HIV and sexually transmitted infections.

Question reference: S3W-08979

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 25 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 5 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the record number of newly identified cases of HIV reported to Health Protection Scotland in 2007, whether it plans to review the sexual health strategy or the way it is implemented.

We are currently undertakinga stock taking review of Respect and Responsibility, our sexual health strategy,which is due to report in spring 2008. The review will identify any gaps in theimplementation of the Strategy and recommendations will be made on how it shouldbe best progressed.

Recent discussionshave also taken place between Scottish Government officials, Health Protection Scotlandand HIV Scotland to consider how we can increase our efforts and those ofhealth boards across Scotland to reduce the rates of HIV transmission.

Question reference: S3W-07837

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many doctors or locums were employed by NHS Scotland under contracted-out services on which VAT was paid in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board.

This Information is not held centrally and was provided by Information Services Division (ISD). The tablebelow shows information on Hospital, Community and Public Health Services of the NHS and General Medical Services staff. The information is shown by NHS boardas at 30 September in each of the last three years.

2006

Head Count at 30 September	HCHS Medical Staff^1,2	HCHS Locums	General Medical Service^3,4
Scotland	10,500	240	4,637
NHS Argyll and Clyde	..	..	..
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	524	17	312
NHS Borders	167	4	113
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	270	4	151
NHS Fife	476	9	270
NHS Forth Valley	420	7	241
NHS Grampian	1,192	19	539
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	3,274	50	996
NHS Highland	411	13	389
NHS Lanarkshire	813	45	378
NHS Lothian	1,855	28	781
NHS Orkney	13	29	43
NHS Shetland	16	..	29
NHS Tayside	978	7	356
NHS Western Isles	22	7	40
Golden Jubilee	23	1	..
National Services Scotland	67	1	..
NHS 24	..	..	..
Scottish Ambulance Service⁴	..	..	..
State Hospital	14	..	..
Special Health Boards	12	..	..
NHS Education for Scotland	8	..	..
NHS Health Scotland	2	..	..
NHS Quality Improvement	2	..	..

2005

Head Count at 30 September	HCHS Medical Staff^1,2	HCHS Locums	General Medical Service^3,4
Scotland	10,212	220	4,579
NHS Argyll and Clyde	567	13	360
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	512	8	307
NHS Borders	149	3	109
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	259	6	150
NHS Fife	463	10	271
NHS Forth Valley	383	10	242
NHS Grampian	1,132	16	525
NHS Greater Glasgow	2,702	53	735
NHS Highland	373	11	280
NHS Lanarkshire	787	45	375
NHS Lothian	1,795	15	762
NHS Orkney	21	4	42
NHS Shetland	24	..	30
NHS Tayside	960	6	350
NHS Western Isles	28	8	43
Golden Jubilee	22	..	..
National Services Scotland	66	12	..
NHS 24	..	..	..
Scottish Ambulance Service⁴	..	..	..
State Hospital	9	..	..
Special Health Boards	10	1	..
NHS Education for Scotland	5	..	..
NHS Health Scotland	3	1	..
NHS Quality Improvement	2	..	..

2004

Head Count at 30 September	HCHS Medical Staff^1,2	HCHS Locums	General Medical Service^3,4
Scotland	10,023	209	4,456
NHS Argyll and Clyde	634	13	356
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	511	11	298
NHS Borders	155	..	107
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	254	2	143
NHS Fife	450	8	270
NHS Forth Valley	407	8	239
NHS Grampian	1,151	20	499
NHS Greater Glasgow	2,565	38	725
NHS Highland	345	9	280
NHS Lanarkshire	744	46	370
NHS Lothian	1,757	37	716
NHS Orkney	24	1	40
NHS Shetland	17	1	30
NHS Tayside	948	8	344
NHS Western Isles	26	5	41
Golden Jubilee	12	..	..
National Services Scotland	68	..	..
NHS 24	..	..	..
Scottish Ambulance Service⁴	..	..	..
State Hospital	10	1	..
Special Health Boards	4	2	..
NHS Education for Scotland	2	..	..
NHS Health Scotland	..	2	..
NHS Quality Improvement	2	..	..

Source: MEDMAN andPractitioner Contractor Database (PCD), ISD Scotland.

Ref. IR2007-03030.

Notes:

1. HCHS refers to theHospital, Community and Public Health Services of the NHS.

2. Includes consultants,medical directors, doctors in training and other medical staff.

3. Excludes Performer Locums.

An employee can work in morethan one NHS board/region and is presented under each group but counted once inthe total. This issue must be considered when using head count figures.

The dissolution of NHS Argylland Clyde took effect from 1 April 2006. From 2006, staff from NHS Argyll and Clydetransferred to NHS Highland and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

For further information onthe statistics in this table, including information on how the data are collectedand notes on interpretation, please seehttp://www.isdscotland.org/isd/workforce-statistics.jsp?pContentID=2063&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&.

Question reference: S3W-07841

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to HM Revenue and Customs to ensure that the memorandum of understanding, issued by the Department of Health, which stated that, provided certain conditions were met, any charges between universities and NHS bodies would be outside the scope of VAT, is fully applicable in Scotland.

I can confirm thatdiscussions have taken place between the relevant parties in Scotland andthat it has been agreed that the same Memorandum of Understanding which hasalready been agreed in England will also be adopted in Scotland.This will ensure that the supply of teaching and research staff employed byUniversities to the NHS for patient care is outside the scope of VAT bytreating such arrangements as joint employment between the university and NHSbodies involved. No VAT is in practice being paid in Scotland inthese situations, pending agreement of the Memorandum of Understanding.

Question reference: S3W-07839

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how much VAT was paid by NHS Scotland for the supply of academic staff by universities to NHS boards for clinical services in each of the last three years, broken down by board.

Question reference: S3W-07840

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been provided in each of the next three years of the spending review for the payment of VAT on the supply to staff to NHS Scotland and under which budget heading.

Question reference: S3W-07838

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how much VAT was paid by NHS Scotland on contracted-out services in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S3W-07769

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 11 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice has been given to doctors completing research posts on the options available to them to enter higher specialist training.

Question reference: S3W-07771

Asked by: Ross Finnie, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 11 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it intends to take to ensure that selection procedures and entry into higher specialist training in cardiology are conducted on the basis of open and fair competition.

Recruitment and selection toall speciality training posts is carried out on the basis of fair and open competition.The competences required for each specialty have been widely disseminated, throughthe medical Royal Colleges, PMETB and the NHS Education for Scotland websites. Thecriteria used at interview will be based on these specialty-specific competences. Offers of training posts will be made on the basis of an applicant’s ranking at interview and theirpreferences for specialty, programme and location.