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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 2295 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-02759

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to end the use of zero- and minimal-hours contracts for public sector social care staff; how it monitors and ensures that all travel time is paid; what its position it is on staff having to purchase their own uniforms or equipment, and what support it can provide to social care staff in the voluntary and private sectors regarding these matters.

Scottish Government condemn the inappropriate use of zero hour contracts.

The Scottish Government expects all employers to adopt fair working practices. The Fair Work Framework states that zero hours contracts can be a barrier to providing employees an appropriate level of security. We believe that the operational flexibility offered to employers by zero hours contracts can be gained by offering flexible guaranteed hours contracts that meet the needs of the employer without burdening workers with uncertainty of income.

The Scottish Government has taken action in a number of ways to discourage the inappropriate use of Zero Hours Contracts and address fair work practices through the measures in the statutory guidance and by encouraging fair work more generally through promotion of the Scottish Business Pledge.

Question reference: S5W-02757

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 28 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the median (a) annual wage and (b) hourly pay rate is for public sector social care staff, and what information it has regarding social care staff in the private sector.

Question reference: S5W-02754

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many GPs have undergone palliative care training and to what level.

All GPs are expected to demonstrate through both work based learning and self-directed learning, the knowledge and skills in end of life care to satisfy the core competencies of a GP.

The requirements and content of the GP training curricula is a matter for the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and is approved by the General Medical Council as regulator of the medical profession.

All Healthcare professionals including GP’s at all levels are expected to assess and address their learning needs to deliver the high quality services required by patients in primary and secondary care and also third party settings; this includes end of life/palliative considerations.

Question reference: S5W-02755

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to improve palliative training for (a) public sector social care staff, (b) GPs and (c) other NHS staff.

In December 2015 Scottish Government published the Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End of Life Care (SFA) which sets out a range of commitments to help achieve our vision that by 2021 everyone who needs palliative and end of life care will have access to it.

One of the commitments set out in the SFA is to support the workforce by commissioning NHS Education for Scotland and the Scottish Social Services Council to develop a new palliative and end of life care Educational Framework.

The scope of the framework will include all workers in health and social care across public, third and independent sectors, including GPs, who may be involved or come in contact with people with palliative care needs, their families and carers.

Question reference: S5W-02605

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 28 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether the drilling of boreholes solely for the purpose of core sampling to assess shale and coal bed methane resource requires planning permission at all times.

In line with the Scottish Government’s evidence-led approach to unconventional oil and gas, only boreholes to extract core samples are not included in the moratorium. Boreholes for test fracking or hydrocarbon flow testing are prohibited under the terms of the moratorium. Core sampling allows analysis of data including stratigraphy and rock properties.

Any proposal for a borehole would also need to demonstrate that it will be undertaken in collaboration with an independent research body (such as the British Geological Survey) or academic institution.

A company seeking to drill a borehole to acquire a core sample would also need to obtain all the necessary regulatory consents. These would include planning permission from the relevant planning authority and an environmental permit from SEPA. It would then be for regulators to determine whether or not the site is acceptable and whether drilling should be allowed.

Question reference: S5W-02614

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the (a) number and (b) types of exemption it has used in each year under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 to justify not providing the information that was requested.

Breakdowns of the number and types of exemption applied by the Scottish Government before 2013 is available from the FOI Annual Reports which are published on our website at: http://www.gov.scot/About/Information/FOI/Reporting. For 2013 onwards, this information is available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website at: http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/ScottishPublicAuthorities/StatisticsCollection.aspx

Question reference: S5W-02615

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that its system of (a) recording and (b) filing records ensures that it meets its obligations under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Question reference: S5W-02608

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has commissioned to assess its performance in adhering to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Question reference: S5W-02607

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the effectiveness of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and what action it takes to ensure that it is adhered to and applied by all public authorities in a consistent manner and in the spirit of the law.

Question reference: S5W-02616

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to raise the £600 exemption threshold set out in the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.