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-25407

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what recourse the public has to challenge ScotRail should people consider it has misled them regarding investment plans at railway stations.

Question reference: S5W-25444

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the last 10 bus journeys that the First Minister travelled on official business, broken down by the (a) date, (b) length and (c) cost of the journey.

Question reference: S5W-25362

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 30 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many people are employed by NHS Lothian at the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh.

Numbers are not available exclusively for the new facility. It is important to note that the staff for the RHCYP & DCN building are planned as part of the NHS workforce including the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. While the new building remains closed many of these staff, with their agreement, are still working in the current RHSC or on other sites; this has all been done with staff partnership and will be kept under review.

Domestics - current staffing numbers are 45.26 wte; headcount 73 – working in RIE and RHCYP & DCN

Catering - current staffing numbers are 24.14 wte; headcount 33 – working in existing RHSC, SJH, WGH, REH RIE and RHCYP & DCN

Logistics - current staffing numbers are 30.93 wte; headcount 31 – working in RIE and RHCYP & DCN (where they provide 24/7 security, plus portering & traffic management)

Question reference: S5W-25257

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 30 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what emergency, short-term non-hospital mental health crisis accommodation is available in Scotland.

Scottish Government does not collect information on all the provision described. These projects are mainly provided by third sector organisations. We are aware of useful work of projects like Chris’s House, and of their collaborative work with other agencies and also Edinburgh Crisis Centre

Edinburgh Crisis Centre services are provided by Penumbra and is currently jointly funded by City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian.

The Crisis Centre is open 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year and provides community based emotional and practical support at times of crisis.

It is a service for people who are aged 16 or over who are using or have used mental health services and are resident in the City of Edinburgh when they are facing a crisis. This includes people who have seen their GP, used voluntary services and people who identify themselves as having a mental health issue.

Face to face support is arranged via a helpline. Staff will offer emotional support and practical help. There is facilities for overnight stay for up to four service users for a maximum of seven days.

Question reference: S5W-25364

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 30 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been paid in charges to Integrated Health Solutions Lothian since the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh was handed over to NHS Lothian.

Question reference: S5W-25259

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 25 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on it funding the roll out of crisis provision, such as that provided at the Edinburgh Crisis Centre, across Scotland.

Action 5 of the Suicide Prevention Action Plan (Every Life Matters) refers - “the NSPLG will use evidence on the effectiveness of different models of crisis support to make recommendations to service providers and share best practice.” The July minutes of the NSPLG show that a workshop will be set up to describe what effective service provision would look like.

Scottish Government will take into account these recommendations for any future provision.

Question reference: S5W-25258

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 25 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on crisis provision at the Edinburgh Crisis Centre.

The Scottish Government recognises the good work of the Edinburgh Crisis Centre. Nigel Henderson, Chief Executive of Penumbra is a member of the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group and sponsors Action 5 of the Suicide Prevention Action Plan: The NSPLG will use evidence on the effectiveness of differing models of crisis support to make recommendations to service providers and share best practice.

Question reference: S5W-24498

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 26 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the Scottish Prison Service budget for each of the last 10 years.

The information requested is as follows:

Year	Resource (m)	Capital (m)	Total (m)
2019-20	346.2	47.5	393.7
2018-19	345.2	16.2	361.4
2017-18	345.2	15.8	361
2016-17	345.7	10	355.7
2015-16	356.2	40	396.2
2014-15	368.9	13.4	382.3
2013-14	342	22.5	364.5
2012-13	325.1	75.5	400.6
2011-12	318	47.5	365.5
2010-11	333.1	136.8	469.9

The capital budget between 2010 and 2013 supported ongoing development and modernisation of the Scottish Prison Service including the opening of 2 new prisons - HMP Grampian and HMP Low Moss. The capital budget for 2015-16 and 2019-20 included provision for developments in relation to the Women’s Estate and HMP Highland.

Question reference: S5W-25175

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Scottish Prison Service is changing the way that it records incidents involving new psychoactive substances to those involving "unknown" substances.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

SPS is not changing the way it records incidents involving psychoactive substances.

Incidents can only be attributed to a particular substance if, following any recovery, testing confirms that a particular substance was involved. Where any recovered substance cannot be identified then it is classified as “unknown”.

SPS are currently trialling technology across a number of sites to support the identification of illicit substances on paper and clothing.

Question reference: S5W-24951

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many deaths there were in 2018 in which benzodiazepines contributed to, or were implicated in, the cause of death.