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-19789

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 28 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in providing specific support to grant-aided special schools.

The seven grant-aided special schools in Scotland share total grant funding of £10.5 million in 2014-15.

A workstream was established in September 2013 to provide support to grant-aided special schools to enable them to prepare for the implementation of a national strategic commissioning model, a key recommendation of the Doran Review. This workstream will continue to provide support until the model is implemented in 2017.

Question reference: S4O-02902

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning last met representatives of Universities Scotland.

Question reference: S4O-02847

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Lanarkshire and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S4W-18669

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 5 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to close the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Delivery Headquarters in Hamilton.

Question reference: S4O-02686

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 5 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in rolling out the International Development Fund Small Grants Funding Round.

The Scottish Government’s International Development Small Grants Programme was launched on Wednesday, 7 October 2013. The programme is being managed on behalf of the Scottish Government by the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland. The deadline for applications was 12pm on Friday 29 November 2013, with awards being announced in early March 2014. At the closing date, 27 applications had been received.

Question reference: S4W-18213

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 29 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether any Football Co-ordination Unit Scotland officers travelled to Amsterdam for the recent Ajax v Celtic football match and, if so, whether these officers were (a) uniformed or (b) plain clothed; whether they made any arrests, and what discussions it has had with the Dutch authorities regarding allegations of excessive policing.

The Scottish Government has had no discussions with the Dutch authorities following the game in Amsterdam.

For any international football fixture, the standard protocol is for the police force hosting the fixture to make a request via the UK Football Policing Unit for any assistance they may require from another force. In Scotland these requests are administered through the Football Coordination Unit for Scotland (FoCUS).

For the Ajax v Celtic fixture played on Wednesday 6 November 2013, the request from the Dutch authorities was for six officers to assist with their policing operation. The officers who travelled to Amsterdam were not members of FoCUS but were supplied by Greater Glasgow Division (“G” Division) of Police Scotland, which is responsible for day to day liaison with Celtic FC and the policing of fixtures at Celtic Park.

There was close liaison between “G” Division and Celtic FC in the build-up to this fixture. This involved information sharing and the provision of guidance to visiting supporters, including providing details of offences in the Netherlands and public safety advice. The information was also shared with Ajax and the police in Amsterdam.

Question reference: S4W-18215

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 29 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it held prior to the recent Ajax v Celtic football match in Amsterdam to ensure the safety of travelling fans.

Question reference: S4W-18423

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that people with a neurological condition do not experience discrimination.

The Scottish Government believes that everyone deserves to be treated fairly, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender identity/reassignment, race, religion or sexual orientation. Human rights and equality are at the heart of Government in Scotland and those principles permeate through all of our work. The Government expects NHS Boards to apply these principles to all the people they serve, including those with a neurological condition.

We are currently supporting the National Neurological Advisory Group (NNAG) in raising the profile of all neurological conditions within the NHS, the third sector and public awareness. The NNAG’s aim is to drive forward the neurological standards. The standards aim to improve the patient journey from the point of referral into the service and ensure that every patient with a disorder of the nervous system experiences a quality of care that gives confidence to the patient, clinician and carer. We have also funded the Neurological Alliance of Scotland’s ‘Voices’ programme which enables people with neurological conditions to influence and shape the re-design of neurological services.

The neurological standards can be found at:

http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/his/idoc.ashx?docid=662878bd-0d51-439a-9db3-caae1d206afd&version=-1

Question reference: S4W-18422

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that (a) public authorities and (b) private companies that carry out public functions meet their obligations under the public sector equality duty.

Public authorities and organisations carrying out public functions are individually responsible for complying with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) which is contained in reserved legislation.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has the statutory remit to promote equality and certain powers in connection with the enforcement of the PSED.

The Scottish Government is committed to helping Scottish public authorities improve performance against the PSED. Under The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012. Scottish Ministers will publish proposals for activity to improve performance by the end of December 2013.

Question reference: S4W-18421

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives are in place to assist adults with cerebral palsy.

We are currently supporting the National Neurological Advisory Group (NNAG) in raising the profile of all neurological conditions within the NHS, the third sector and public awareness.

The NNAGs aim is to drive forward the neurological standards. The standards aim to improve the patient journey from the point of referral into the service and ensure that every patient with a disorder of the nervous system experiences a quality of care that gives confidence to the patient, clinician and carer.

It is for NHS boards to determine their workforce requirements, including training, based on the clinical needs and service developments in their area. This includes cerebral palsy services.