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: S2W-20137

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 8 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times NHS penalty charge notices issued for evasion of NHS charges have subsequently been removed in each year since 1999.

The aim of penalty charges, andall of the work of NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services (CFS), is deterrence - tomake people who should pay for their NHS prescriptions, dental treatment or otherservices but try not to do so think twice about evading charges in future.

The CFS adopt a common senseapproach. Penalty charges are only imposed when patients have not provided proofof exemption to the CFS or have confirmed that they have made a mistake but notpaid back the charge evaded. Where a penalty charge notice has been issued and thereis subsequent contact which indicates that there are personal circumstances whichshould be taken into account, the charge will not be pursued. Each case is judgedon its merits. The CFS will also provide information on how to apply under the NHSLow Income Scheme for full or partial help with NHS charges and undertake publicitycampaigns to clarify and raise public awareness of the categories of people whoare entitled to Family health services free of charge.

The information requested isshown in the following table.

Financial Year	Number of Patient Entitlements Checked	Number of Penalty Charges Applied	Number of Penalty Charges Not Pursued
2005-06 (to 30-09-05)	20,056	5,289	1,411
2004-05	54,706	6,183	1,999
2003-04	31,487	6,071	1,122
2002-03	25,005	2,419	669
2001-02	10,236	32	0
2000-01¹	0	0	0
Total	146,490	19,994	5,201

Note: 1. The CFS was set up inJuly 2000. A small test run of 841 patient claims was carried out to check the qualityof CFS data against the Department for Work and Pensions’ automated system. No otherchecks of patient entitlement to exemption from NHS charges were undertaken duringthis period due to problems with patient consent.

Question reference: S2W-20140

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 7 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional support it will give to providing complementary therapies within the NHS.

Question reference: S2W-20141

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 7 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving for the provision of specialist art and music teachers in schools.

As part of the Partnership fora Better Scotland commitment to increase teacher numbers to 53,000 by 2007 thereis the provision of 1,000 additional visiting specialists, which includes art andmusic teachers, working across the primary and secondary boundary.

Significant financial investmentis being made in the training, induction and recruitment of these additional teachersto meet the commitments. We are in the final stages of discussions with COSLA aboutthe distribution of funding to employ extra teachers.

Question reference: S2W-19207

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2005
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any problems in the recruitment and retention of lawyers to the Faculty of Advocates.

Question reference: S2O-07461

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 7 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its announcement of an additional £65 million to provide modern facilities for patients and staff in the NHS, how medical practices, such as the Hermitage and Mayfield medical practices in Edinburgh, which have identified new premises but require additional finance in order to move, should apply for the necessary funding.

Question reference: S2W-17312

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2005
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 23 June 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on responding to correspondence from Scottish MPs on devolved matters and whether any agreement exists with UK government departments to achieve consistent handling of correspondence.

Question reference: S2W-16892

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 10 June 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to issue advice to NHS boards in respect of their General Medical Services budgets.

Question reference: S2W-16891

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 7 June 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the General Medical Services budget will be in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S2O-06679

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 12 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether medical rehabilitation is available to patients who have travelled abroad for a surgical operation that is not available in Scotland.

Question reference: S2W-15332

Asked by: Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 17 March 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with the Financial Services Strategy Group following its final meeting held on 1 March 2005.

The Financial Services Strategy Group (FSSG), a partnership of industry, trade unions and the public sector, was charged with developing a vision and strategy to support the future success of the financial services industry in Scotland. The final meeting of the Group was held on 1 March when the members ratified the completed strategy. Consequently we are today publishing A Strategy for the Financial Services Industry in Scotland and the first Annual Implementation Plan.

The ambitious shared vision is:

“An innovative, competitive and thriving international financial services industry in Scotland, underpinned by world-class infrastructure and universally recognised as a leader on the global stage.”

Through our continued commitment to working together, we strive to sustain and maximise the industry’s success and the impact it makes on the Scottish economy. We will achieve it by ensuring that the right competitive environment continues to flourish in Scotland. We aim to:

• Strengthen the world-class workforce and improve the business infrastructure;

• Build the industry’s profile within and beyondScotland, and

• Support and encourage innovation within theindustry.

The First Year Implementation Plan sets out the priority, short-term and longer term actions needed to deliver the strategy. Early actions include:

• Examining new air routes from Scotland to keyfinancial services locations;

• Working with mobile phone operators and transport bodies to eliminate “gaps” in coverage between Edinburgh and Glasgow;

• Feeding in the needs of the industry to theExecutive’s Fresh Talent initiative;

• Enhancing work underway on financial education;

• Building better labour market knowledge,and

• Boosting capability within the supply network.

AFinancial Services Advisory Board (FiSAB) has been created to ensure delivery andfurther development of the strategy. I will chair FiSAB, alongside an industry deputychair, with members of the board drawn from all parts of the industry, plus thepublic sector and trade union representation. FiSAB will be a prime enabler of thecontinued strategic level collaboration and communication needed to achieve ouraims.

Membershipof FiSAB:

JimWallace – Scottish Executive (Chair)

JohnCampbell – State Street and Scottish Financial Enterprise (DeputyChair)

MikeJones – Lloyds TSB Scotland

BenThomson – Noble Group

OttoThoresen – Aegon

DavidWallace – Abbey

MargaretWallace – Morgan Stanley

WillieWatt – Martin Currie

SandyBoyle – Amicus

GraemeDickson – Scottish Executive

JimMcFarlane – Scottish Enterprise

MartinTogneri – Scottish Development International

HMTreasury observer

Ithas been a privilege to chair the group and I look forward to the delivery of theImplementation Plan and to seeing the benefits flow to the industry, theeconomy and the Scottish people.

Copies of the report are availablein the Parliament’s Reference Centre, (Bib. number 35639).