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: S4W-22136

Asked by: Aileen McLeod, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 25 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how much will be invested in the new satellite of the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre at Monklands Hospital.

£22 million is being invested in the Monklands satellite of the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow to help meet rising demand for radiotherapy treatment over the next ten years. The centre is expected to be operational by the end of 2015.

The new centre will be equipped with the most advanced technology and equipment to deliver the same world-class treatment currently provided at the Glasgow centre. This includes two new state-of-the-art linear accelerators, which deliver high-energy radiation to shrink tumours and kill cancer cells, with expansion space for a third machine, if required.

The centre will also have a CT simulator to help plan radiotherapy treatment. This will enable around 80 patients a day who require radiotherapy for lung, breast, prostate and rectal cancers to be treated.

Initially, the majority of patients are expected to come from Lanarkshire, however over time patients from other West of Scotland areas may also be treated at the new facility.

Question reference: S4W-21718

Asked by: Aileen McLeod, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 23 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many medical consultants per 1,000 population there are in Scotland and what information it has on how this compares with Wales.

Statistics published by Information Services Department of National Services Scotland show the number of medical consultants in NHS Scotland is 0.86 per 1,000 population (4,596.9 whole time equivalent) as at 31 March 2014.

However, the most recent published information regarding numbers of medical consultants per head of the population in Wales is as at September 2012. At that point there were 0.7 consultants per 1,000 population in Wales with 2,289.8 whole time equivalent (wte) staff in post. For comparison, the number of medical consultants in NHS Scotland at that time, were 0.82 per 1,000 population with 4,373.4 wte staff in post.

Question reference: S4W-21719

Asked by: Aileen McLeod, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 23 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the real-terms increase in the resource budget of NHS Scotland is expected to be between 2010-11 and 2015-16 and what information it has on how this compares with NHS Wales.

Comparisons between countries are difficult as the classification of expenditure areas are different. For example in Wales, social services are included within ‘Health and Social Services’ whereas in Scotland social services are included within local authority budgets.

However the Nuffield Trust recently published their report A decade of austerity in Wales? The funding pressures facing the NHS in Wales to 2025-26 which reported that:

‘Funding for the NHS in Wales fell by an average of 2.5% a year in real terms between 2010-11 and 2012-13. Following an increase in 2013-14, funding is likely to continue to fall until 2015-16, when the total budget for the Welsh NHS is projected to be 3.6% lower in real terms than it was in 2010-11.’

This compares to the position in Scotland where the real terms increase in NHS Scotland’s resource budget between 2010-11 and 2015-16 is expected to be 2.2 per cent.

Question reference: S4W-21712

Asked by: Aileen McLeod, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 19 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether patients will continue to be sent to other parts of the UK for transplant operations in the event of independence.

The NHS in Scotland is already fully devolved and independence will not change the way cross-border transplantation of organs is managed. The vast majority of transplants on Scottish patients are carried out in Scotland. The rare cases of transplants being undertaken outside Scotland are generally for specialised transplants such as lung, small bowel and paediatric procedures. The small numbers of these cases in Scotland mean we get better health outcomes by contracting with specialist centres.

NHS Scotland fully pays for the transplants on Scottish residents undertaken elsewhere in the UK. These are arranged through NHS National Services Division (NSD) who commission transplant services for Scottish residents by contribution to the NHS England Specialised Commissioning Team. For lung transplantation and aftercare, a contractual arrangement, managed by NSD, is in place with the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. These contractual arrangements would not change in the event of independence and we will continue to work collaboratively across the UK countries, reflecting similar arrangements elsewhere in Europe where multiple countries come together to support donation and transplantation across borders.

In 2012-13 a total of 26 patients from Scotland received transplants in other parts of the UK. This compares with 333 transplants carried out in Scotland.

Question reference: S4O-03385

Asked by: Aileen McLeod, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its response to the final report of the Commission for Developing Scotland's Young Workforce.

Question reference: S4O-03403

Asked by: Aileen McLeod, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what strategic contribution education can make to improving regional economic activity.

Question reference: S4O-03333

Asked by: Aileen McLeod, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is to taking to help young people with cancer access clinical trials.

Question reference: S4O-03295

Asked by: Aileen McLeod, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 29 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what actions it has taken to support greater female employment.

The Scottish Government has taken a range of actions within our powers to support greater female employment which include:-

The delivery of increased and more flexible early learning and childcare through the Children and Young People Act;

Awarding £100,000 to Working Families in partnership with Parenting across Scotland, which will support a family friendly Scotland in employment;

Awarding £250,000 to fund Careerwise to encourage girls and young women to consider careers in science, engineering and technology; and

Funding Equate Scotland (£601,000 between 2012-15) to support recruitment, retention and success of women where they are significantly under-represented.

The Labour Force Survey for January to March 2014 shows that female employment rose by 38,000 to 1,238,000. At 69.4%, the employment rate in Scotland is higher than the UK rate of 67.7% and is the highest across the four nations, but we cannot be complacent.

With full powers in an independent Scotland, more action could be taken to address the barriers women continue to face in the labour market.

Question reference: S4W-20337

Asked by: Aileen McLeod, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 23 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the average salary will be for nursing and midwifery staff at pay bands (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3, (d) 4, (e) 5, (f) 6 and (g) 7 in April (i) 2014; (ii) 2015 and (iii) 2016, and what information it has on how this compares with staff in England.

In order to calculate average pay, information on the numbers of whole time equivalent staff in each pay band would be required. This is not yet available for the dates specified. However, from information available, it is possible to make direct comparisons at representative points on the Agenda for Change pay scales. Agenda for Change is the terms and conditions package which covers nurses.

The following table gives representative differences at the first, third and fifth pay point on each band from 1 April 2014.

Agenda for Change – Comparison of Pay Points 2014

Band 1	1^st Point on Scale	Top Point on Scale
Scotland	£15,058	£15,414
England	£14,294	£15,013
Difference	£764*	£401

*The bottom pay point available in Scotland is higher because of

the application of the Scottish Living Wage

Band 2	1^st Point on Scale	3^rd Point on Scale	5^th Point on Scale
Scotland	£15,058	£15,829	£16,660
England	£14,294	£15,432	£16,271
Difference	£764*	£397	£389

Band 3	1^st Point on Scale	3^rd Point on Scale	5^th Point on Scale
Scotland	£16,660	£17,803	£18,654
England	£16,271	£17,425	£18,285
Difference	£389	£378	£369

Band 4	1^st Point on Scale	3^rd Point on Scale	5^th Point on Scale
Scotland	£19,202	£20,300	£21,477
England	£18,838	£19,947	£21,265
Difference	£364	£353	£212

Band 5	1^st Point on Scale	3^rd Point on Scale	5^th Point on Scale
Scotland	£21,602	£23,132	£25,047
England	£21,388	£22,903	£24,799
Difference	£214	£229	£248

Band 6	1^st Point on Scale	3^rd Point on Scale	5^th Point on Scale
Scotland	£26,041	£28,180	£30,057
England	£25,783	£27,901	£29,759
Difference	£258	£279	£298

Band 7	1^st Point on Scale	3^rd Point on Scale	5^th Point on Scale
Scotland	£31,072	£33,227	£35,891
England	£30,764	£32,898	£35,536
Difference	£308	£329	£355

As the pay policies announced in Scotland and England cover both the 2014-15 and 2015-16 financial years, it is possible to use these as a basis for speculative figures for the financial year starting April 2015. Finalised arrangements for pay in the NHS from 1 April 2015 have not yet been put in place and decisions for the 2015-16 financial year will be taken as part of the annual pay cycle.

Agenda for Change – Comparison of Pay Points 2015

(Forecast Based on Announced Policy)

Band 1	1^st Point on Scale	Top Point on Scale
Scotland	£15,358	£15,714
England	£14,294	£15,013
Difference	£1,064*	£701

*The bottom pay point available in Scotland is higher because of

the application of the Scottish Living Wage

Band 2	1^st Point on Scale	3^rd Point on Scale	5^th Point on Scale
Scotland	£15,358	£16,129	£16,960
England	£14,294	£15,432	£16,271
Difference	£1,064*	£697	£689

Band 3	1^st Point on Scale	3^rd Point on Scale	5^th Point on Scale
Scotland	£16,960	£18,103	£18,954
England	£16,271	£17,425	£18,285
Difference	£689	£678	£669

Band 4	1^st Point on Scale	3^rd Point on Scale	5^th Point on Scale
Scotland	£19,502	£20,600	£21,692
England	£18,838	£19,947	£21,265
Difference	£664	£653	£427

Band 5	1^st Point on Scale	3^rd Point on Scale	5^th Point on Scale
Scotland	£21,818	£23,363	£25,298
England	£21,388	£22,903	£24,799
Difference	£430	£460	£499

Band 6	1^st Point on Scale	3^rd Point on Scale	5^th Point on Scale
Scotland	£26,302	£28,462	£30,357
England	£25,783	£27,901	£29,759
Difference	£519	£561	£598

Band 7	1^st Point on Scale	3^rd Point on Scale	5^th Point on Scale
Scotland	£31,383	£33,560	£36,250
England	£30,764	£32,898	£35,536
Difference	£619	£662	£714

Pay policies beyond 2015-16 have not yet been announced. It is therefore not possible to provide figures for 1 April 2016.

Question reference: S4O-03106

Asked by: Aileen McLeod, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the estimated 100,000 increase in the number of children living in poverty by 2020 would have on health inequalities.