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-01254

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive which minister has lead responsibility for the living wage.

Question reference: S4W-01248

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a living wage unit.

Question reference: S4W-01258

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many free eye tests have been carried out in each year since the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 was introduced.

Free NHS eye examinations for all were introduced in Scotland on 1 April 2006. The number of free NHS eye examinations which have been carried out in each year from 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2010, latest published information, is provided in the following table.

Financial Year

2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
1,544,702	1,626,640	1,728,079	1,775,456

Note: Based on the number of NHS eye examination claim forms (GOS(S)1) processed for examinations undertaken on or after 1 April 2006.

Source: ISD Scotland’s OPTIX.

Question reference: S4W-01270

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 18 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the recognition of trades unions in the Scottish Government and what percentage of its workforce is union members, broken down by recognised union.

A Partnership Agreement exists within the Scottish Government (SG) Main and SG Marine bargaining units involving five recognised trade unions (the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS), Prospect, FDA, Unite the Union and Nautilus).

The following tables set out the numbers and percentages of staff with union membership as at 31 May 2011, who work in either SG Main or SG Marine, identified through payroll. 7178 staff work in Scottish Government business areas covered by the Scottish Government Main Bargaining unit and 147 staff work in the Scottish Government Marine Scotland Directorate, covered by the SG Marine Bargaining unit.

SG Main Bargaining unit

Union	*No of members	Percentage of total staff employed
PCS	3010	41.9%
Prospect	99	1.4%
FDA	10	0.1%
Total	3119	43.4%

SG Marine Bargaining unit

Union	*No of members	Percentage of total staff employed
Unite the Union	22	15.0%
Nautilus	0	0%
Total	22	15.0%

*The numbers shown do not include members who pay subscriptions by direct debit or by other means as this information is not available.

Question reference: S4W-01266

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is measuring anti-poverty outcomes in terms of (a) employability, (b) targeted intervention in the early years, (c) community capacity and (d) financial inclusion.

The Scottish Government does not measure specific anti-poverty outcomes in these areas. The National Performance Framework sets out the Scottish Government Purpose, Strategic Objectives, National Outcomes, Indicators and Targets. Progress against these outcomes, objectives, indicators and targets is available on the Scotland Performs website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/scotPerforms.

Question reference: S4W-01265

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many and (b) which local authorities have developed a local strategy for tackling poverty.

Question reference: S4W-01267

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place between its ministers since 5 May 2011 to discuss its collective approach to tackling poverty.

Question reference: S4W-01259

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 14 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making on the development of a community empowerment bill.

We are at the early stages of considering the scope of the community empowerment and renewal bill, taking into account the contribution contained in the recent report of the Christie Commission into the future of public services in Scotland.

We will develop the Bill through a wide ranging dialogue with communities from across rural and urban Scotland and the public, private and voluntary sectors. We will publish initial policy proposals relating to the bill later in the year.

Question reference: S4W-01261

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 14 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive which minister is leading the planning for a community empowerment bill.

Question reference: S4W-01255

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 14 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the Scotland Performs initiative.