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-20917

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve nail cutting services for older people with diabetes.

Everyone diagnosed with diabetes should be screened/assessed using the traffic light foot risk stratification and triage system, which identifies and defines those patients who are at risk of developing a foot problem due to their diabetes. This system aids in identifying those who can and can’t self-manage their foot care, including nail cutting.

Those who can self-manage will be given advice on how best to look after their feet. Those who are at risk or unable to self-manage should receive a suitable level of podiatric care and advice as part of their management/treatment plan.

This system ensures that valuable podiatry resources are used more effectively by focussing on giving the best possible appropriate care, to those who need it.

Question reference: S4W-20365

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 3 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted research into the health risks associated with the use of e-cigarettes for (a) smokers and (b) passive smokers.

<>E-cigarettes are a relatively new products so research on the long term health impacts is not currently available. While the Scottish Government has not commissioned its own research into the health risks of e-cigarettes, it will consider the publicly available evidence which underpinned the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency report The Regulation of Nicotine Containing Products: http://www.mhra.gov.uk/home/groups/comms-ic/documents/websiteresources/con286834.pdf

and the Tobacco Products Directive:

http://ec.europa.eu/health/tobacco/products/revision/index_en.htm

in considering future policy on e-cigarettes.

Question reference: S4W-20367

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken research into the uptake of the use of e-cigarettes by (a) ex-smokers, (b) people under 18 and (c) non-smokers.

E-cigarettes are relatively new products so only limited research is available. While the Scottish Government has not commissioned its own research into the use of e-cigarettes, a question on the use of e-cigarettes by under 18s has been added for the first time to the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey. The 2013-2014 data will be available late 2014. More generally, new questions asking about the use of electronic cigarettes were added to the Scottish Health Survey in 2014 and the data will be available in September 2015.

Question reference: S4W-20366

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to bring forward legislation on e-cigarettes.

Question reference: S4W-20159

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 26 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates that there will be traffic congestion associated with construction works to dual the A9 and, if so, whether it will lead to increased rail traffic in the Highlands.

Measures will be put in place in the contracts to ensure disruption during construction is minimised as far as is possible. Two way traffic will be maintained in each direction during peak times and agreed key events in order to keep the disruption to a minimum at those times. At this stage in the project's development it is too early to determine what impact, if any, the construction works are likely to have on rail traffic.

Question reference: S4W-20158

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 26 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will dovetail rail and road improvements before the commencement of the construction to dual the A9.

Question reference: S4W-20156

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 26 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) budget and (b) timeframe is for completion of improvements to the (i) Highland Main Line and (ii) Inverness to Aberdeen line.

Phase 1 of the Aberdeen to Inverness line improvements, which includes the new stations at Dalcross and Kintore and phase 2 of improvements on the Highland Main Line are fully funded within the Office of Rail Regulations (ORR) overall regulatory determination for Control Period 5 (2014-19) and will be delivered by Network Rail by March 2019.

Future phases of the Highland Main Line project will be delivered in subsequent control periods to 2025 and future phases of Aberdeen to Inverness by 2030. Associated funding requirements will be determined by the ORR.

Question reference: S4W-20133

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 26 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many information systems contractors rather than CalMac employees have been employed to facilitate the CalMac IT improvement projects and at what cost.

Question reference: S4W-20137

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 26 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how reliable the technologies are that Transport Scotland and CalMac are using in the CalMac IT improvement projects.

Question reference: S4W-20138

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 26 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what organisation is responsible for procurement for CalMac IT projects.