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-28485

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 26 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13413 by Paul Wheelhouse on 14 March 2013, what progress there has been on improving the information held on contaminated land.

The Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 provides for the removal of areas from the contaminated land register once the relevant local authorities (or in the case of special sites, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency) are satisfied that appropriate remediation has been completed. Statutory guidance is required to support this and the Scottish Government intends to consult on this in 2016. As part of this consultation stakeholder views will be sought on the way contaminated land information is held.

Question reference: S4W-28443

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 26 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28020 by Margaret Burgess on 10 November 2015, how many properties it expects the Local Affordable Rented Housing Trust to make available for rent in 2015-16.

Question reference: S4W-28444

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 26 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28020 by Margaret Burgess on 10 November 2015, whether it has an agreement with the Local Affordable Rented Housing Trust on the number of properties that it should make available for rent in 2015-16.

Question reference: S4W-28442

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 26 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28020 by Margaret Burgess on 10 November 2015, whether it has set a limit to the amount that the Local Affordable Rented Housing Trust can draw down in 2015-16 from the financial transactions consequentials.

Question reference: S4O-04862

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 25 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to Reston and East Linton railway stations being operational by December 2016.

The Scottish Government is committed to providing services that can call at Reston and East Linton subject to the completion of the stations by the promoters and the granting of necessary track access rights, however, the date of December 2016 was not given as a confirmed date for the stations and the services commencing. Rather this was the earliest possible date based on the programme information available at that time.

Question reference: S4W-28597

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 25 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK National Screening Committee regarding the absence of an antenatal screening programme for group B streptococcus.

Question reference: S4W-28598

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 25 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review its decision not to establish a systematic antenatal screening programme for group B streptococcus.

On screening issues we are advised by the UK National Screening Committee (NSC), an independent expert advisory group which advises ministers and the NHS in the four UK countries about all aspects of screening.

The NSC reviewed the policy for group B streptococcus (GBS) in November 2012 considering all the available medical evidence regarding the risks and benefits of screening pregnant women. The committee recommended that a national screening programme for GBS should not be introduced.

The NSC is due to review the recommendation on antenatal screening for GBS in 2016 and we will give careful consideration to any recommendation the NSC makes at that point.

Question reference: S4W-28599

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 25 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates a test for group B streptococcus would cost and whether it has carried out a cost-benefit analysis of introducing routine antenatal screening.

Question reference: S4W-28449

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 13 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27298 by Shona Robison on 15 September 2015, how the £100,000 to fund the returner scheme will be used.

Question reference: S4W-28451

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28225 by Shona Robison on 13 November 2015, whether it will provide details on when it expects such guidance to be implemented by NHS boards and whether data on crowding will be publicly available.

The Emergency Department Guidance was launched on 30 September 2015. On 6 November 2015 the Scottish Government held an event, with all health boards represented, to further develop the implementation plan. While all health boards have escalation measures in place they must now be aligned to the new guidance. Work is underway across Scotland to extend and align current escalation plans across the emergency department and assessment units. This work will take a number of weeks to complete. The National Unscheduled Care team will continue to monitor progress.