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-30685

Asked by: Cara Hilton, MSP for Dunfermline, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 21 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing speed awareness courses for drivers who are convicted of speeding.

The Scottish Government supports the general principle of driver education as an alternative to prosecution, where appropriate. At present, prosecutors may offer diversion from prosecution courses in relation to careless driving, but there is no equivalent diversion scheme in relation to speeding.

We are therefore working with key partners from our Road Safety Strategic Partnership Board – including Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service – to assess whether speed awareness courses would make an effective additional contribution to road safety in Scotland. The introduction of any such speed awareness courses in Scotland would require a robust evidence base and the approval of the Lord Advocate, who would also decide how they would be used in practice.

Question reference: S4O-05661

Asked by: Cara Hilton, MSP for Dunfermline, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Fife Council regarding the future provision of high schools in Dunfermline.

Question reference: S4W-29939

Asked by: Cara Hilton, MSP for Dunfermline, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that cleft palate has on children's attainment; what support it provides to children with the condition, and what information is held on their (a) educational and (b) speech outcomes.

NHS Scotland provides a wide range of highly specialised services for cleft palate patients from birth to late teens, and occasionally into young adulthood. This care starts with neonatal nursing and primary surgery, followed by further surgery as appropriate, speech and language therapy, orthodontics, preventative and restorative dental care, otolaryngology for hearing problems and genetic and psychological counselling.

Cleft Care Scotland collects and reports data on a national basis and uses this data to provide a comparison with services in England as part of the Norcleft audit. The data includes speech outcomes, but not educational outcomes.

While the links between poor speaking skills and attainment in literacy are well known, educational attainment is influenced by a range of factors, not exclusively cleft palate.

Question reference: S4W-29937

Asked by: Cara Hilton, MSP for Dunfermline, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of its review of cleft surgical services, and whether the review is examining the impact of reducing the number of cleft palate clinics with a consultant in attendance.

National Services Division has commenced a public consultation process on its review of specialist surgical services for cleft lip and palate. The consultation will run until May 2016.

Whatever the outcome of the consultation, out-patient services will remain unaffected. Existing outpatient and other activity carried out by specialist nurses, speech and language therapists, paediatric dentists, orthodontists and changing faces practitioners will continue to be provided locally by each NHS board as they are now.

As previously explained, the purpose of this review is to provide a more sustainable and resilient surgical service that continues to improve on outcomes for all patients in Scotland wherever they reside.

Question reference: S4W-30006

Asked by: Cara Hilton, MSP for Dunfermline, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 29 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government which schools in the Dunfermline constituency have been allocated support from the Attainment Scotland Fund, broken down by amount provided.

Question reference: S4W-29936

Asked by: Cara Hilton, MSP for Dunfermline, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 29 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact is of prolonged absence from school in order to receive medical treatment in a different NHS board area on the attainment levels of (a) children and (b) siblings.

This is a matter for education authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.

Where illness leads to prolonged absence from school, the Section 40 of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Act 2000 places duties on education authorities to educate children to their fullest potential and to make special arrangements for the pupil to receive education elsewhere than at school. This may include the provision of education in a home or hospital setting. In June 2015, the Scottish Government published revised guidance to education authorities to support them in implementation of their duties. The guidance is available from:

http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0047/00479700.pdf

Question reference: S4O-05569

Asked by: Cara Hilton, MSP for Dunfermline, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 February 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle air pollution in Fife.

Question reference: S4W-29517

Asked by: Cara Hilton, MSP for Dunfermline, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 5 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it has received regarding the safety implications of reopening the Forth Road Bridge to heavy goods vehicles in February 2016 and how their reintroduction will impact on the bridge's lifespan.

Bridge experts have confirmed the reintroduction of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) should not impact on the bridge’s lifespan.

We have been working with Amey to investigate opportunities to return HGVs to the Forth Road Bridge earlier than planned in an attempt to support the haulage industry. Ongoing structural monitoring shows the bridge is operating within acceptable stress ranges with no adverse effects and that we can accommodate the return of some HGVs providing their access is controlled and weather conditions permit. Therefore, we are launching a trial to allow HGVs back onto northbound carriageway nightly during the hours of 11pm and 4am.

Relaxing the current HGV restrictions during the night, when traffic volumes are lighter, will help to mitigate the impact of the closure without causing over stressing of the structure. A dedicated HGV lane and stacking area will be in operation to manage the traffic flow across the bridge. Traffic signals will release HGVs at a rate of one every 30 seconds. This has been calculated as the optimum rate to maximise the number of vehicles able to cross whilst minimising the impact on the structure. The trial requires a partnership approach from haulage sector to work and the behaviour of the structure will be monitored throughout the process, the outcome will determine whether the number of HGVs being allowed to cross the bridge can be increased.

Repair work to reopen the bridge fully to HGVs is well underway and is programmed for completion by mid-March, subject to favourable weather conditions. Recent storms have cost five days. Once completed bridge experts are confident the structure will be able to return to normal operation. Following this we will continue to closely monitor the behaviour of the bridge using our recently installed structurally monitoring systems and we will operate an enhanced inspection regime as a precaution on the lead up to the opening of the Queensferry Crossing. Thereafter, all HGV traffic will cross the River Forth on the new bridge.

Question reference: S4O-05539

Asked by: Cara Hilton, MSP for Dunfermline, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy has had with Fife Council regarding its budget for 2016-17.

Question reference: S4F-03193

Asked by: Cara Hilton, MSP for Dunfermline, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 January 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 January 2016

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that every foster carer receives a minimum allowance.