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-13147

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the finding of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary's review into undercover policing in Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-01581

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 14 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take following the debate on 5 December 2017 on polypropylene mesh medical devices.

Following the debate in the chamber last week, and in light of the BBC’s Panorama programme earlier this week, both the Chief Medical Officer and I have written to the MHRA to express concerns about the role of the MHRA in relation to transvaginal mesh. Furthermore, given the concerns, I have also written to the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt given his overall responsibility for the MHRA asking for a meeting to discuss these concerns.

In her letter, the Chief Medical Officer also raised the recent decision about the future use of mesh in Australia and is seeking some clarification on what evidence informed the Australian decision and confirmation that it is being considered by the Regulator.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland continue to progress plans for the first two meetings of the mesh Oversight Group and, in addition, Scottish Government officials continue to liaise with other UK nations about the options for a mesh registry.

Members will be aware that NICE undertook a public consultation on revised mesh guidance, and we expect that guidance to be published tomorrow. NICE IPP guidance applies across the UK, including in Scotland, and the Chief Medical Officer has therefore written to all Health Boards, alerting them to the fact that new guidance will shortly be published, and stressing that it must be implemented.

As ever, the Scottish Government's overriding concern is quality of care and, until the Chief Medical Officer is satisfied that the Review's recommendations have been implemented, and all necessary procedures, approvals and restrictions are in place, the request that routine use of mesh be suspended will continue.

Question reference: S5W-13335

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-13008

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 12 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government who the board members are of each city deal, broken down by remuneration.

Each city region has developed bespoke regional governance for its deal, geared to its unique need and drawing in collaborative partners as appropriate. Details of the structures of agreed deals were published as an appendix to the Regional Partnerships report in June 2017 (part of the Enterprise and Skills Review: Phase 2 and available at https://beta.gov.scot/publications/enterprise-skills-review-report-phase-2-regional-partnerships/pages/4/ ).

The Scottish Government has not appointed any board members to these regional governance structures. Details of any remunerated posts is a matter for each Local Authority partnership.

Question reference: S5W-13003

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 6 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances would ministers meet with others in their official capacity with no officials present, and whether it will list any such meetings that have taken place since May 2016.

Ministers meet many people and organisations and consider a wide range of views as part of the formulation of Government policy. Private Offices should arrange for the basic facts of formal meetings between Ministers and outside interest groups to be recorded, setting out the reasons for the meeting, the names of those attending and the interests represented. A monthly list of engagements carried out by all Ministers is published three months in arrears.

Where discussions take place with external organisations which raise substantive issues relating to Government decisions or contracts, and where an official is not present, Ministers should inform their Private Offices, who should arrange for the basic facts of such meetings to be recorded in accordance with paragraph 4.22 above.

See also paragraphs 9.27 to 9.31, 10.18 and 10.19, which provide guidance on contacts with commercial companies and meetings with external groups and the media, respectively.

See Scottish Ministerial Code 2016 (4.22, 4.23, 4.24):

https://beta.gov.scot/publications/scottish-ministerial-code-2016-edition/pages/5/

All Ministerial engagements are proactively published on the Scottish Government website at the following address. The breakdown of information you have requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

https://beta.gov.scot/publications/?term=Ministerial engagements&publicationTypes=transparency_data

Question reference: S5W-12869

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the findings of the internal review by NHS Lothian into waiting times at St John's Hospital, which was referred to in the board's news release of 17 November 2017, Review of performance reporting of emergency access waiting times.

Question reference: S5W-12870

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the “staff pressures” at St John's Hospital,, which were referred to in NHS Lothian's news release of 17 November 2017, Review of performance reporting of emergency access waiting times.

Question reference: S5W-12866

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when (a) it and (b) NHS Lothian was alerted to the recently reported problems regarding A&E waiting times figures at St John's Hospital, and what action was taken.

The Scottish Government was first alerted to the allegations relating to the misreporting of A&E waiting times at St Johns Hospital, NHS Lothian, on 11 October 2017. NHS Lothian was alerted on the same date. The allegations included emergency department staff feeling pressure to achieve the four hour A&E target.

I immediately instructed NHS Lothian to investigate the concerns under the Board’s Whistleblowing Policy. This was underway within 48 hours of the emailed allegations being received. Findings from NHS Lothian's interim report conclude that there are areas of concern in relation to waiting times practices at St John’s hospital - these concerns remain following receipt of NHS Lothian's final report on Saturday 2 December.

On receipt of the interim report on 14 November, I asked the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Chair, Professor Derek Bell, to lead an independent review of these allegations and Lothian Health Board's internal review findings – this will report early in the New Year. NHS Lothian and the Scottish Government released a press statement on Friday 17 November regarding the allegations and findings; NHs Lothian issued another statement on 4 December.

It is now important to await the outcome of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Review to fully understand the implications of what the Board review means for four hour performance targets. The Scottish Government will publish its findings of the independent review in due course.

Question reference: S5W-13004

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 5 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-12992 by Keith Brown on 27 November 2017, how much the members of the strategic boards will be paid.

Question reference: S5W-12786

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what level of profits were made by Abellio ScotRail in each year since it took over the franchise.