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: S5W-09755

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what guidelines are in place for (a) undercover police officers that investigate and (b) police dealing with informers, from campaign groups, and which authority drafts these.

Question reference: S5W-09662

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09324 by Humza Yousaf on 31 May 2017, how many times it has escalated with the rail regulator concerns regarding ScotRail meeting its accessibility obligations in each year since 2004, and what the outcome was in each case.

Question reference: S5W-09658

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09324 by Humza Yousaf on 31 May 2017, how it ensures that people who have not booked in advance can (a) board and (b) alight timetabled services that have no second member of train crew.

ScotRail endeavours to have a second member of staff on all services. ScotRail has a commitment to provide assistance to any passenger who has booked help in advance of travel and will reduce the notice required to one hour within the current franchise.

ScotRail has robust contingency plans in place to ensure booked assistance is provided in the event of there being no second member of staff on a train. Staff will assist with boarding/alighting the train or will arrange alternative transport (normally a taxi at no additional cost (when appropriate).

ScotRail also aims to provide assistance to passengers who do not pre-book assistance. Staff will assist when available and passengers can contact ScotRail customer service direct via platform help points at unstaffed stations.

During the summer of 2016 there was a peak of approximately 2.9% of all services operating without a second member of staff on board. ScotRail has since employed an additional 20 members of staff and The most recent figures recorded in the last 4 rail periods have seen the percentage drop to under 0.5%.

Question reference: S5W-09636

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 15 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on attempts to develop (a) business, (b) cultural and (c) other links with Qatar in each of the last 10 years.

Scottish Ministers have visited Qatar on four occasions as part of wider visits to the Gulf region to promote business, cultural and other connections: The former First Minister, Alex Salmond, in October 2011; and the former Minister for Europe and International Development, Humza Yousaf, in May 2013, November 2013 and April 2015. The Scottish Government routinely publishes details of Ministerial visits overseas. Details can be found at: http://www.gov.scot/About/People/14944/travel/visitsoverseas.

As other types of international activity are not monitored centrally, it is not possible to provide a comprehensive breakdown of costs of the Scottish Government's engagement with any particular country except at disproportionate cost.

The Scottish Government's engagement with Qatar aims to promote long-term, sustainable economic growth for both countries, and to promote Scotland's values of democracy, the rule of law and human rights.

Question reference: S5W-09618

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 15 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review its relationship with the Qatari Government, in light of the decision by several countries to break diplomatic ties with Qatar because of alleged links with terrorist and sectarian organisations.

Scotland's International Framework sets the direction for Scotland's international activity, recognising that the world is increasingly global, and Scotland must remain internationally relevant in order to build a stronger, fairer and more prosperous society. Our international engagement supports Scotland's Economic Strategy, while recognising our commitment to, and advocacy of, human rights.

The Scottish Government's engagement with Qatar therefore aims to promote long-term, sustainable economic growth for both countries, and to promote Scotland's values of democracy, the rule of law and human rights.

The Scottish Government keeps its relationship with other countries under constant review, responding to changing circumstances as required. We have committed to keeping Scotland's International Policy Statement relevant and in line with Scotland's international ambitions by periodically updating the Policy Statement as our priorities and the environment in which we operate evolve.

Question reference: S5O-01103

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what funding will be made available to local authorities to increase the availability of childcare.

Question reference: S5W-09426

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 2 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have a dementia diagnosis, also broken down by NHS board.

A first report into estimated and projected dementia diagnosis rates in Scotland 2014-20, based upon data from Health Boards in Scotland was published in December 2016. The report was commissioned from NHS National Services Scotland by The Scottish Government in order to gain a better understanding of the number of new dementia diagnoses every year and so inform better service planning, and the full results broken down by NHS board can be found in the following publication: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/12/9363

Question reference: S5W-09429

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 2 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether the new dementia strategy has been delayed and, if so, (a) for what reason and (b) when it will be published.

Question reference: S5W-09428

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 2 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the target is for the provison of post-diagnosis dementia support, and (a) how many and (b) what percentage of people diagnosed received this in each of the last five years, also broken down by NHS board.

In 2013 the Scottish Government designed a national target (now standard) to give effect to a guarantee that everyone newly diagnosed with dementia between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2016 will have received at least a year’s worth of post-diagnostic support, coordinated by a named Link Worker and this remains a commitment. The first round of national performance data, reporting on the dementia post-diagnostic LDP Standard, was published in January 2017 and the full publication can be found at: https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Mental-Health/Publications/2017-01-24/2017-01-24-DementiaPDS-Report.pdf

This report sets out the estimated number of people diagnosed with dementia by NHS board, and reports the numbers receiving this service in 2014-15. This is the first publication to report on performance against the LDP Standard, and will do so for patients who have a recorded diagnosis of dementia within the 2014-15 financial year. This is the only complete year of data available.

Question reference: S5W-09258

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 1 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) Charlotte Street Partners and (b) Graylings was awarded its contract to supply PR and advice to Colleges Scotland following a competitive tendering exercise and, if so, (i) who the unsuccessful bidders were and (ii) what action it took to ensure that the exercise followed (A) its and (B) EU procurement guidance.