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-23952

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprenticeships have been created in each year since 2007, broken down by (a) sector and (b) occupation.

Question reference: S4W-23954

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the employer contribution is to the modern apprenticeship scheme.

Funding from government for modern apprenticeships represents a contribution towards the cost of training the apprentice, with the employer retaining liability for the apprentice’s wage as well as any balance of training costs.

The contribution rates vary, dependent upon the age of the apprentice, the framework followed and the level of the qualification. Contribution rates can be found on Skills Development Scotland website, here:

http://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/our-services/provider-central/national-training-programmes/modern-apprenticeships/

The balance of training costs is determined by the price charged to employers by training providers, which is a commercial matter between them and in which the Scottish Government has no role.

Question reference: S4W-23955

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what rates of pay apply for modern apprentices and whether it considers them sufficient to live on.

Employment law, including National Minimum Wage (NMW) legislation, remains a matter reserved to the UK Government.

In 2010 the UK Government introduced the apprentice rate of the NMW. The Low Pay Commission (LPC) consult each year on NMW levels, including the apprentice rate. In response to these consultations, the Scottish Government has consistently held the position that, while we recognise employers’ expectation that apprentices ought not to be paid the same rate as qualified employees, the apprentice rate of NMW should be higher.

Question reference: S4W-23953

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost to it is of each modern apprenticeship placement, broken down by sector.

Funding from the Scottish Government for modern apprenticeships (MAs) represents a contribution towards the cost of training the apprentice.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) publish a table of contributions which indicates the cost of MAs, broken down by the framework followed rather than sector, here:

http://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/our-services/provider-central/national-training-programmes/modern-apprenticeships/

Question reference: S4O-03927

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 January 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its staff work in the culture and heritage and external affairs directorates.

Question reference: S4O-03878

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 8 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of payments to consultants for recruiting patients for medical trials.

The Scottish Government supports the position of the General Medical Council that clinicians should not let their judgement about a research project be influenced, or be seen to be influenced, at any stage, by financial, personal political or other external interests. Any actual or potential conflicts of interest must be identified and declared as soon as possible to the research ethics committee, other appropriate bodies, and the trial participants.

Question reference: S4W-23580

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS Lothian regarding the closure of hospitals.

NHS Lothian has not discussed the closure of hospitals with the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government met with NHS Lothian on 2 October 2014 to carry out the board’s mid-year review. This included discussion on the NHS Lothian Draft Strategic Plan 2014-2024. Part of the strategic planning process is a review of the Board’s estate so that it can best meet the needs of the people of Lothian over the next 10 years. Any concrete proposals regarding major changes to patient services would be subject to full public engagement in line with CEL(4) 2010.

Question reference: S4W-23578

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what recent requests it has received from NHS Lothian for additional funding and what its position is on granting this.

Question reference: S4W-23579

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS Lothian regarding PFI contracts.

Scottish Government officials liaise regularly with NHS Lothian on a range of financial and performance issues and any issues relating to PFI contracts can be raised and discussed through this route.

Officials also attend the NHS Scotland PPP Joint Board and PPP Practitioners Group, on which NHS Lothian are represented, and which provide a forum for the discussion of PFI and other PPP arrangements.

Question reference: S4W-23581

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the financial position is of each NHS board.

For the current financial year, 2014-15; the latest figures submitted by all NHS boards is to the end of October 2014. Of the 22 health boards, 21 are currently projecting financial balance for 2014-15, with NHS Orkney currently forecasting a year end deficit of under 1% of its total resource budget.

The Scottish Government is working with NHS Orkney to determine options for recovering this forecast and to enable the board to achieve financial balance.

The Scottish Government remains constantly engaged with all boards via a well-established process of performance management to consider options and support as appropriate.