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-26727

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the British Transport Police to merge with Police Scotland.

The timing for the integration of the Scottish Division of the British Transport Police within Police Scotland is subject to the progress of legislation through the UK Parliament. Following the devolution of railway policing in Scotland to the Scottish Parliament, a detailed timetable for integration will be developed and implemented. The Scottish Government will engage with key stakeholders and partners to ensure railway policing in Scotland is subject to appropriate oversight by the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S4W-26555

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 August 2015

Question reference: S4W-26724

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what average distance patients have to travel to access out-of-hours GP services.

Question reference: S4W-26723

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many out-of-hours GP services have been removed from practices and hospitals in each year since 1999.

All territorial NHS boards are responsible for the design, delivery and management of NHS services to their population. Therefore, the Scottish Government does not hold the information requested as this is an operational matter for NHS boards.

However, Information Services Division publishes information on the number of GP practices that have opted in to provide out-of-hours services throughout Scotland. This can be accessed by visiting the link at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/General-Practice/Workforce-and-Practice-Populations/Practices-and-Their-Populations/

Question reference: S4W-26725

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 31 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to re-open (a) Newburgh and (b) Bridge of Earn railway station.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans to open a railway station at Newburgh or Bridge of Earn however we understand that South East of Scotland Transport Partnership, in conjunction with Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership, Fife Council and Perth and Kinross Council, are undertaking a feasibility study regarding proposed rail stations at Newburgh and Bridge of Earn (Oudenarde). If a decision to progress with either station is made by the regional transport partnerships and the councils, a further appraisal which is compliant with Scottish Appraisal Transport Guidance will be required to consider all possible solutions to any identified transport problems at Newburgh and/or Bridge of Earn, not just rail.

Question reference: S4W-26557

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish Qualifications Agency examination presentations from secondary schools there were in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and (e) 2014-15.

Question reference: S4W-26552

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona McLeod on 28 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions, other than the public consultation on draft statutory guidance for section 96 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) 2014, it has had with those who will act as named persons as under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.

Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) is already being implemented in many areas across Scotland, with many practitioners already fulfilling the role of the named person. The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 (the Act) will help to ensure consistency and sustainability in the delivery of these services for children and families.

The Scottish Government has engaged extensively with partners in health and local authorities on the implementation of the named person provisions of the Act and regularly provides input and support at conferences, local events and planning groups involving head teachers and other local authority officers who will have responsibility for implementing the named person service. These sessions provide an opportunity to engage directly with managers and practitioners to exchange information, answer questions and identify implementation issues. This is a crucial aspect of our approach to developing the guidance and practice support materials, which has been well received by stakeholders.

The Scottish Government has established a Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) Local Authorities Lead Officer Group, comprised of one representative from each local authority which meets on a bi-monthly basis to discuss implementation of the GIRFEC duties of the Act.

There has also been extensive direct engagement with front line health visitors and family nurses by Scottish Government officials attending local and national meetings to discuss the Bill and now the implementation of the Act. Local engagement has taken place in a number of health boards across Scotland: Ayrshire and Arran; Dumfries and Galloway; Fife; Greater Glasgow and Clyde; Highland; Lothian; Tayside; and Western Isles. Officials have also supported local professional representatives and managers to engage with health visitors and family nurses by providing materials to support engagement. Feedback to Scottish Government has been through the Health GIRFEC Managers group.

Other organisations that the Scottish Government has discussed the implementation of the named person service with include The Royal College of Nursing and Midwifery, NHS Education for Scotland, The Educational Institute of Scotland, The Scottish Secondary Teachers Association, Education Scotland, The Association of Directors of Education in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-26556

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 July 2015

Question reference: S4W-26550

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona McLeod on 28 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the implementation of the named persons provisions of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 will not contravene the Data Protection Act 1998.

The named person provisions in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 do not contravene the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). The draft statutory guidance makes clear that information sharing via these provisions should always be appropriate and proportionate, and must adhere to the provisions of the DPA, as well as any other applicable legal requirements such as the European Convention on Human Rights. In addition to the draft statutory guidance, practice support material is being developed in partnership with health, local authority and third sector organisations to support the implementation of the information sharing provisions of the Act

The Scottish Government has liaised with the Information Commissioner’s Office, who clarified their position on information sharing in relation to wellbeing concerns in a letter to stakeholders on 28 March 2013. The letter can be viewed here: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0041/00418080.pdf

Question reference: S4W-26551

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona McLeod on 28 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions, other than the public consultation on draft statutory guidance for section 96 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) 2014, it has had with parents' groups about the implementation of the named persons policy.

The Scottish Government engaged extensively with parents’ groups during the committee stages of the Children and Young People Bill and since its passage. When the Scottish Government consulted on the Bill, 72 per cent of the respondents agreed with the proposal to provide a named person for every child and young person in Scotland. The Scottish Government also held a co-production event for parents, children and young people which gave them the opportunity to contribute to the design of materials that will inform people about the implementation of the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) provisions of the Act to ensure materials best meet their needs. The National Parent Forum Scotland is a member of the GIRFEC National Implementation Support Group which meets on a bi-monthly basis to support implementation of the GIRFEC provisions of the Act, including the named person.

	£000
2010-11	17,378
2011-12	20,084
2012-13	17,408
2013-14	22,043
2014-15	19,687