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: S5W-20513

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how the review into alleged bullying and harassment at NHS Highland will take account of the views of patients.

As part of its scope the review aims to understand what, if any cultural issues have led to any bullying, or harassment, and a culture where such allegations apparently cannot be raised and responded to locally. John Sturrock QC will be holding a series of private meetings with a large number of individuals who have contacted him to raise concerns, which may include any patients who have come forward who have witnessed or experienced bullying among NHS staff.

Given the volume of interest and the requirement to provide a report in the early part of the new year, the review will now work with those who have come forward at this stage, listening to and distilling their concerns. If patients make contact with stories of staff bullying staff, their written representations will help inform the review. An initial report will be submitted by the end of February 2019, and any next steps will then be decided upon.

Question reference: S5F-02898

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 December 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 December 2018

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the capacity of NHS 24 to deal with demand over the Christmas period.

Question reference: S5O-02715

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has asked the DWP to cease recovery action against recipients of carer's allowance who have been overpaid.

Question reference: S5W-20366

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 12 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when the full national implementation of the Scottish Primary Care Information Resource system will be completed.

Question reference: S5W-20378

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 12 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost of merit awards to consultants has been in each year since 2015, including 2018 to date, broken down by NHS board.

In Scotland, Merit Awards are known as Distinction Awards for NHS Consultants. The Distinction Award Scheme has been frozen since 2010.

The following table details the annual costs over the last 3 financial years. The 2018 figures are not yet available.

Cost of Distinction Awards Health Board	2015-16 £	2016-17 £	2017-18 £
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	315,990	315,990	315,990
NHS Borders	41,991	36,114	36,114
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	36,114	72,227	56,429
NHS Fife	407,116	488,798	359,722
NHS Forth Valley	234,734	207,649	147,310
NHS Grampian	1,510,980	1,104,059	876,937
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde	4,782,257	4,506,304	3,931,449
NHS Highland	200,550	144,455	160,137
NHS Lanarkshire	216,682	216,682	175,151
NHS Lothian	4,108,497	3,914,892	3,642,341
NHS Orkney	0	0	0
NHS Shetland	0	0	0
NHS Tayside	2,029,544	1,608,638	1,461,972
NHS Western Isles	0	0	0
NHS National Services Scotland	240,151	240,151	210,056
NHS Education for Scotland	193,199	205,838	205,838
The State Hospital	36,114	36,114	36,114
Scottish Ambulance Service	0	0	0
Healthcare Improvement Scotland	0	0	0
NHS Health Scotland	121,868	121,868	121,868
NHS 24	0		0
NHS National Waiting Times Centre Board	180,568	180,568	180,568
Total	14,656,355	13,400,347	11,917,996

Note: The figures include a contribution of 13% towards on-costs.

Question reference: S5O-02660

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position on legislating to ensure that all new-build social housing has working sprinkler systems installed.

Question reference: S5O-02615

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 28 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the North Coast 500 on tourism and infrastructure, and how best the route can be used to develop these.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), who chair the North Coast 500 working group established to support communities and business along the route, commissioned a baseline assessment of the impacts of the route, published in 2017. Initial evidence demonstrated that business trade was up 10-20% with a corresponding increase of around 200 new jobs. A further update of these impacts will be completed by HIE in December 2018. Through its workstreams, the group’s members have engaged with communities to both support tourism development plans and to identify and mitigate impacts on infrastructure, including through the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund.

Question reference: S5O-02608

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 November 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding the provision of home security assessment reports for Members.

Question reference: S5W-19591

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is the proposal by Reform Scotland to establish a rail infrastructure commission.

We agree with Reform Scotland that many of Network Rail’s central functions would be more effectively carried out if they were devolved to the Scottish route. The UK Rail Review affords the opportunity to explore this further.

Within the current arrangements a robust framework for continued investment in rail for the next 15-20 years is provided through the High Level Output Specification (with its focus on improving performance, reducing journey times, efficient electrification and increasing the capacity and capability of the Scottish rail network) together with the Rail Enhancements & Capital Investment Strategy and the outputs of the forthcoming second Strategic Transport Projects Review.

Question reference: S5W-19509

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 6 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its acceptance of the recommendations in the report, Clinical Review of the Impacts of Hepatitis C: Short Life Working Group Report for the Scottish Government, when it expects to provide payments to people affected by contaminated blood-borne viruses, including hepatitis C and HIV, and how much each claimant will be entitled to.

The Scottish Government already provides a range of payments to those infected with hepatitis c and/or HIV and their widows, widowers or partners through the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme (SIBSS), as recommended by the Financial Review Group in 2015. Details of payments are as follows:

Individuals with advanced hepatitis c (HCV) or HIV – annual payments of £27,000 per year plus a £70,000 lump sum payment for new applicants.
Individuals infected with both HCV and HIV – annual payments of £37,000 per year plus a £70,000 lump sum payment for new applicants.
Widows, widowers, civil partners and other long-term cohabiting partners of those who had advanced HCV and/or HIV who have died – annual payments of 100% of the amount their spouse or partner would have been eligible to receive if they were still alive for the first twelve months after the death of the infected person and then 75% in subsequent years.
Individuals with chronic HCV receive a lump sum of £50,000 for new applicants. In light of the recommendations of the Clinical Review, they will also be eligible for an annual payment if they self-assess themselves as either severely or moderately affected by HCV. The levels of these new annual payments will be confirmed following the initial deadline of 5 November for individuals to return their application forms.

In addition, there are also Support and Assistance grants payments available to those who are infected and their widows, widowers and partners, particularly for those on lower incomes.