Questions and answers

Question reference: S4W-11697

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 19 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many vacancies for consultant oncologists the NHS has advertised in each year since 2007 and how many posts have been filled.

The information requested on how many of the posts have been filled is not held centrally. Vacancy figures as reported on the ISD Scotland website are given in the following tables. The total number of consultant oncologist vacancies in NHS Scotland whole time equivalent (WTE) and headcount are shown in tables 1 and 2.

Table 1. Total Vacancies in NHS Scotland for Oncologists (WTE)

	Sep-07	Sep-08	Sep-09	Sep-10	Mar-11	Jun-11	Sep-11	Dec-11	Mar-12	Jun-12	Sep-12
Oncology	7.0	2.0	3.0	2.0	1.6	2.2	1.0	1.0	4.0	3.0	5.0

Source: ISD Scotland

Notes:

1. Figures include Medical and Clinical Oncologists

Table 2. Total Vacancies in NHS Scotland for Oncologists (Headcount)

	Sep-07	Sep-08	Sep-09	Sep-10	Mar-11	Jun-11	Sep-11	Dec-11	Mar-12	Jun-12	Sep-12
Oncology	7	2	3	2	2	3	1	1	4	3	5

Source: ISD Scotland

Notes:

1. Figures include Medical and Clinical Oncologists

Question reference: S4W-08618

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 18 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent civil servants, including secondees, have been employed in each ministerial private office in each quarter since 2007.

Prior to the election in May 2007 the civil servants employed in each Ministerial Private Office is outlined below:

Private Office	FTE Staff
First Minister	10
Deputy First Minister	6
Enterprise and Lifelong Learning	3
Parliamentary Business	5
Justice	6
Education and Young People	6
Environment and Rural Development	6
Communities	6
Health and Community Care	6
Finance and Public Service Reform	6
Tourism Sport and Culture	4
Transport	4
Law Officers	4
Total	72

Following the election in 2007 the ministerial posts were reduced and since then Private Office structures have remained more or less consistent, allowing for a certain degree of ebb and flow to reflect changes in Ministerial responsibilities and new Ministerial appointments.

We do not hold the information requested by quarter, therefore the table below provides the number of full-time equivalent posts which existed in each portfolio area in each financial year since 2007. These posts have not at all times been occupied.

The standard structure which has existed throughout this period has been for each Cabinet Secretary to have four members of staff, and each Junior Minister to have
two members of staff. There are some offices where this varies depending on the volume of workload generated by individual portfolios but in the main this structure has been applied across the board. The structure of the First Minister’s office is different given his over-arching role across all portfolios and additional responsibilities as First Minister.

The figures provided for financial year 2012-13 are the number of posts in each office as at the date of the request.

Portfolio	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	1010-11	2011-12	2012-13
First Minister	11	12	12	12	12	13
Parliamentary Business	4	4	4	4	6¹,²	3³
Culture and External Affairs	2	2.7	3	3	4¹	6²
Finance	11	11	11	11	10	10
Education	8.1	8	8	8	8	10²
Health	9	9	9	9	8	8
Rural Affairs	6	6.5	6.5	6.5	6	6.8
Justice	6	6	6	6	6	6
Infrastructure	-	-	-	-	7	9²
Law Officers	4	4	4	4	4	4
Total	61.1	63.2	63.5	63.5	71	75.8

1. Became a Cabinet position

2. Addition of a Junior Minister

3. Became a Junior Minister position

Question reference: S4W-11761

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 18 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many of (a) its and (b) its agencies' employees are offered private health insurance as part of their remuneration package, broken down by (i) directorate and (ii) agency.

Employees of the Scottish Government and senior civil servants are not offered private health insurance as part of their remuneration package.

Scottish Government is defined for these purposes as the core directorates, and the following agencies and associated departments:

Scottish Public Pensions Agency

Student Awards Agency for Scotland

Disclosure Scotland

National Records of Scotland

Education Scotland

Accountant in Bankruptcy

Office of the Scottish Charities Regulator

Transport Scotland

Scottish Housing Regulator.

Question reference: S4W-11752

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) women and (b) couples wait longer than 12 months for fertility treatment, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S4W-08622

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what protocol it follows regarding the display of flags at events hosted by the First Minister.

There are no specific protocols regarding the display of flags at events hosted by the First Minister.

The Scottish Government Flag Flying Guidance 2012 applies to SG buildings (including Agencies & Non Departmental Public Bodies) but is not based on the presence or otherwise of the First Minister at events taking place in these venues. The guidance can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/royal-ceremonial/Flag-Flying-Guidance-2012.

Question reference: S4W-08620

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how much it and its agencies have spent on paper or plastic flags in each year since 2007.

The distribution of plastic flags to audiences has been a common practice during the current and previous administrations at events both at home and abroad. Most recently this has been the case at the Ryder Cup handover ceremony and the Olympics.

Since the budget for this was consolidated in 2010, the Scottish Government has spent: 2010-2011, £4,500 and in 2011-2012, £8,300, with the final amount for 2012-2013 yet to be determined as activity is ongoing. Non Departmental Public Bodies are responsible for managing their own marketing budgets, and are expected to deliver maximum value for the taxpayer

Question reference: S4W-08621

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance or instructions the First Minister's office issues regarding the display of flags at events where the First Minister is expected to speak.

There is no guidance regarding the displaying of flags at events where the First Minister is expected to speak.

The Scottish Government Flag Flying Guidance 2012 applies to SG buildings (including Agencies & Non Departmental Public Bodies) but is not based on the presence or otherwise of the First Minister at events taking place in these venues. The guidance can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/royal-ceremonial/Flag-Flying-Guidance-2012.

Question reference: S4W-10247

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its decision not to support an application from Renfrewshire Council and Glasgow Airport for tax incremental financing.

The Scottish Government is supportive of a limited number of pilot projects to test applicability of TIF to Scottish circumstances and has brought forward regulations to allow Ministers to agree up to six TIF pilot projects.

When Scottish Futures Trust, at the request of Ministers, wrote to local authorities last year, the Scottish Government was looking to identify the remaining TIF pilots (three TIF projects were already under development at that stage). As sixteen applications were received from fifteen local authorities, we were unfortunately unable to take forward every proposal we received.

The three highest ranking local authorities – Falkirk, Fife and Argyll and Bute – were invited to join the TIF pilot process. Ministers also invited Aberdeen City Council to prepare a TIF business case for the City Garden Project, if public support for the project could be demonstrated, to ensure good geographical spread of projects and to lever in £55 million of guaranteed public funding.

As there are currently six pilots in progress, with three TIF business cases now having been approved, the Scottish Government will not at this stage review its decision not to take forward Renfrewshire Council’s application.

Depending on progress with the TIF pilots, the Scottish Government will consider bringing forward primary legislation to roll out TIF more widely across Scotland. Renfrewshire along with other councils will have an opportunity to submit new or revised proposals then. In the mean time, Renfrewshire Council will be kept informed of any future opportunities to take forward a TIF project.

More generally, the Scottish Government recognises that Glasgow Airport is a valuable piece of national infrastructure, as well as a substantial employer, and Scottish Enterprise is working with the team at Glasgow Airport to ensure that they are assisted to reach the company’s full economic potential.

Question reference: S4O-01530

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated for colleges for 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Question reference: S4O-01476

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 14 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what value it places on high-quality, well-supported nursing care.

Chamber and committees