- Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2016
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 23 March 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to engage with survivors on contested issues relating to the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 23 March 2016
- Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 February 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 8 March 2016
To ask the Scottish Government further to the answers to questions S4W-25353, S4W-26131, S4W-27521 and S4W-28458 by John Swinney on 7 May, 7 July, 29 September and 2 December 2015 respectively, whether it will provide the information that was requested and confirm on what date it will publish the responses to the consultation on the proposed amendments to the National Health Service Central Register (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and set out how it plans to proceed with the issue, and what the reason has been for the delay.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-28458 on 2 December 2015.
I will provide to Parliament our analysis of the consultation in due course. Any delay has been caused by our wish to give full and proper consideration to the responses received, options moving forward and our commitment to developing a system that protects user privacy.
All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.
- Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 February 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 March 2016
To ask the Scottish Government how many vulnerable witnesses have been granted special measures while giving evidence, in particular pre-recorded evidence, in each year since the enabling legislative provisions were introduced.
Answer
Information on the use of special measures is not held centrally but has been made available by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS).
While applications for special measures have been recorded since 2005, full figures for special measures granted have only been available since June 2010 and are set out in the following table. SCTS have undertaken to attempt to manually retrieve data on the number of special measures granted for the period prior to June 2010, which will be produced in due course. Pre-recorded evidence is not recorded under a specific option within the special measures application, however, it is likely this will be included within the ‘other' category. It should be noted that SCTS uses a live operational case management system for the processing of court business. The information held on the system is structured for these operational needs, rather than for statistical reporting or research purposes. The information provided is based on the best information available from the case management system as at 17 February 2016.
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Special Measures granted nationally
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2010
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2011
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2012
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2013
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2014
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2015
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2016
(1 Jan-10 Feb)
|
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Screens
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1,348
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2,403
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2,437
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2,835
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3,399
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4,706
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1,389
|
|
Closed court
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0
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0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
|
Other
|
19
|
9
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2
|
17
|
13
|
26
|
2
|
|
Video in court
|
266
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341
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303
|
454
|
596
|
825
|
120
|
|
Supporter
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1,543
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2,829
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2,983
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3,706
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4,573
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6,203
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1,701
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|
Video between courts
|
39
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102
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210
|
227
|
283
|
257
|
36
|
|
No measure
|
71
|
142
|
117
|
82
|
57
|
115
|
58
|
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On commission
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0
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
5
|
6
|
1
|
|
Video remote
|
143
|
244
|
281
|
324
|
449
|
495
|
62
|
|
Totals
|
3,429
|
6,073
|
6,333
|
7,647
|
9,375
|
12,634
|
3,369
|
- Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 February 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 March 2016
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to lay regulations for the introduction of a victim surcharge.
Answer
Regulations to enable the introduction of the victim surcharge, including details as to how it will operate and the circumstances in which a surcharge is to be imposed, will be laid during the next Parliament. The exact timing will be informed by on-going preparatory work. This includes detailed consideration of viable options for delivery and the potential role of third sector or other organisations with experience of administering similar schemes, to determine how the fund can be most effectively managed and delivered to benefit victims of crime.
- Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 February 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 8 March 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether the (a) capital and (b) revenue allocations to local authorities under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 have increased or decreased from 2015-16 to 2016-17.
Answer
Overall, the Scottish Government allocated local authorities £170 million to cover the capital requirements for early learning and childcare under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. As agreed with COSLA, this funding was paid out as follows: £71 million in 2014-15, £69 million in 2015-16 and a final payment of £30 million for 2016-17.
The revenue allocations to local authorities under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 from 2015-16 to 2016-17 have increased from £131 million to £163 million. This includes £119 million in relation to early learning and childcare in 2015-16 and, £141 million in relation to early learning and childcare for 2016-17.
- Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 February 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 3 March 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether there are guidelines for the time at which hospital patients should be woken in the morning and, if so, what these are.
Answer
There is no specific NHS Scotland guidance on waking-up times, this would depend on a range of factors, such as the need to prescribe medication, meal times and observations.
The Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities includes the right that a patient should be treated as an individual, with dignity and respect and in a way that takes their needs, understanding and culture into account. However, health boards must balance individual needs and preferences with the rights of other patients, clinical judgement and the most efficient way to use NHS resources.
We would expect hospitals to take a person-centred approach to waking-up times and what matters to individuals as far as they can within the wider conditions and considerations of a specific hospital or ward.
- Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 February 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 2 March 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what the impact will be of offering additional training places for GPs in light of reports that 20% of such places were unfilled in August 2015.
Answer
The additional 100 GP training places is one of a number of actions we are taking to make GP training and a career in general practice more attractive. It signals our commitment to developing the medical workforce we need to deliver our vision for high quality, community based healthcare.
Work has already started to expand the training capacity across Scotland, and revise the existing training programmes which this 33% increase will require. It will mean additional GPs training in the community and contributing towards improved patient outcomes.
- Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 February 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 1 March 2016
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-05548 by John Swinney on 10 February 2016, for what reason it did not address the issue raised in the question regarding whether the reduction in its 2016-17 draft budget would be offset by setting the Scottish rate of income tax at 11p and whether it will now do so.
Answer
On 11 February 2016, the Scottish Parliament agreed that the Scottish rate of income tax for the tax year 2016-17 will be 10 per cent. This is part of the funding which supports the delivery of the balanced Scottish Budget for 2016-17 which was agreed by the Scottish Parliament on 24 February 2016.
I also refer the member to the answers to questions S4O-05543 and S4O-05552 on 10 February 2016. All answers to parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.
- Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 February 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 29 February 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what the projected outturn on childcare is for (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17.
Answer
A projected outturn is not yet available for either 2015-16 or 2016-17.
Projected outturn figures are provided by local authorities and cover the most recently ended financial year. The latest projected outturn estimates were supplied in May 2015 and cover financial year 2014-15.
At the same time as the projected outturn, local authorities supply a budget estimate for the financial year in progress. This shows what local authorities plan to spend in the current financial year. The budget estimate for childcare provided by local authorities in May 2015 for financial year 2015-16 was £400 million.
Budget estimates for 2016-17 are not yet available.
- Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 11 February 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether the reduction in its 2016-17 draft budget would be offset by setting the Scottish rate of income tax at 11p.
Answer
The Scottish Government has set out a balanced budget for 2016-17 which reflects its proposal to set the Scottish rate of income tax at 10p, and, therefore, not impose a tax increase on the lowest income taxpayers across Scotland.
