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-18382

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 28 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients whose appointments were postponed as a result of the IT failure at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde subsequently had their appointments within (a) seven, (b) 14, (c) 21, (d) 28, (e) more than 28 days and how many are yet to be treated.

Question reference: S4W-18448

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 28 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much crofting has contributed to the economy in each of the last five years.

This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

However, a number of issues relating to the economics of crofting were covered in the independent Committee of Inquiry on Crofting’s Final Report, published on 12 May 2008. This can be viewed at:

http://www.croftinginquiry.org/Resource/Doc/0/0000405.pdf

The contribution of crofting to Scotland’s economy will also be considered for the next Scottish Government report to the Scottish Parliament on the economic condition of crofting, etc, under section 51 of the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.

Section 51 requires the Scottish Ministers to report once every four years. The first such report, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib. Number 52273), was laid in Parliament on 23 December 2010 and the next report is due to be laid by 1 January 2015, covering the period 2011 to 2014.

Question reference: S4O-02634

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria VisitScotland uses to determine whether a town is a suitable location for a visitor information centre.

Question reference: S4O-02601

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there was a decrease in funding for the disabled students allowance in 2012-13.

Question reference: S4W-18005

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 12 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the introduction of minimum unit pricing of alcohol, what its position is on introducing other price controls in order to protect public health.

Pricing controls can play a part in contributing to protect public health, and consideration will be given where there is evidence that a pricing control policy is likely to be effective.

As regards alcohol, there is strong evidence that pricing controls are effective in reducing alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm. The Scottish Government firmly believes minimum unit pricing is the most effective price control mechanism to tackle alcohol misuse, and we will continue to press for its introduction at the earliest opportunity.

The Scottish Government introduced the alcohol quantity discount ban in October 2011 which is aimed at protecting public health. The quantity discount ban is designed to not encourage consumers to buy more alcohol than they had originally intended.

Question reference: S4W-17952

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 12 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-02492 by Alex Neil on 10 October 2013 (Official Report, c. 23561), whether its media office subsequently briefed reporters that there were more consultants in addition to the number given in the answer and, if so, (a) for what reason, (b) what the additional number in the briefing was and (c) whether the figure provided in the briefing for consultant doctors incorporated nurse recruitment numbers.

The Scottish Government media office subsequently released information in relation to more consultants in addition to the number given in answer to question S4O-02492 by Alex Neil on 10 October. The media release clarified the number of consultants recruited across Scotland at the time of answering the initial question was 13. The three consultants referred to in Alex Neil’s answer related specifically to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and not Scotland wide. This figure did not include nurses. The original answer did not specify the number of consultants or nurses recruited Scotland wide; it did state that recruitment within health boards was fully underway.

Question reference: S4W-17953

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 12 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-02492 by Alex Neil on 10 October 2013 (Official Report, c. 23561), whether it will provide a breakdown of the (a) date each consultant (i) was appointed and (ii) started employment and (b) hospital at which each consultant is based.

The following table provides a breakdown of the date each consultant was appointed, started employment and hospital where each consultant is based.

NHS Board	Date of Appointment	Employment Start Date	Hospital Base
Borders	28 October 2013	1 April 2014	Borders General Hospital
Dumfries and Galloway	19 August 2013	16 September 2013	Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary
Forth Valley	30 July 2013	4 November 2013 2 December 2013	Forth Valley Royal Hospital
Grampian	5 September 2013	9 September 2013 and February 2014	Both will be based at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	July 2013 (x3)	August 2013 (x2) September 2013 (x1)	Royal Alexandra Hospital RHSC Victoria Infirmary
Highland	22 August 2013	25 November 2013	Raigmore Hospital
Lanarkshire	tbc	January 2014	Hairmyres
Lothian	22 October 2013	Between January – March 2014	St John’s Hospital (x3) Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (x2)
Tayside	31 July 2013 (x2) 24 October 2013 (x1)	1 November 2013 (x2) To be confirmed (x1)	Ninewells

Question reference: S4W-18008

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 12 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing and (b) Minister for Public Health has had with other cabinet secretaries and ministers regarding price controls in order to protect public health.

Scottish Government policies are formulated and developed using evidence-based information, and this includes policies relating to public health. Where a policy raises major issues or involves primary legislation, which was the case for minimum unit pricing of alcohol, the policy will be discussed by the Scottish Cabinet. Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries regularly discuss current or new policies where there are shared portfolio interests.

Question reference: S4W-18006

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 12 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with other governments that have introduced price controls for (a) alcohol and (b) other products in order to protect public health.

Scottish Government policies are formulated and developed using evidence-based information, and this includes policies relating to public health. Part of the process of understanding evidence-based information involves discussions with all relevant parties and this may well include other governments.

The Scottish Government is at the forefront of trying to introduce a pricing control such as minimum unit pricing in order to protect public health. Other European countries are becoming increasingly interested in our policy and we have had discussions with various countries.

We are well aware of the strong empirical evidence coming out of Canada that shows that minimum pricing of alcohol will reduce consumption and alcohol-related harm.

Question reference: S4W-18007

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 12 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) the food and drink sector, (b) health organisations and (c) other stakeholders regarding price controls in order to protect public health.

The Scottish Government has regular dialogue regarding a whole range of public health issues with stakeholders, including health organisations, the food and drink sector, alcohol industry and retailers. As policies are formulated and developed using evidence-based information, part of the process is to consult relevant stakeholders.

In May 2013, NHS Health Scotland published a report The impact of the Alcohol Act on off-trade alcohol sales in Scotland which provides information on the impact of the quantity discount ban on alcohol, a price control mechanism. This report shows that alcohol sales dropped by 2.6% following the introduction of the ban in October 2011. The report is available at:

http://www.healthscotland.com/documents/21101.aspx.

NHS Health Scotland are also leading the evaluation of the Scottish Government’s alcohol strategy through the Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland’s Alcohol Strategy (MESAS) work programme, and this includes monitoring and evaluating minimum unit pricing.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

Chamber and committees

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