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-12952

Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-12057 by Shona Robison on 31 October 2017, whether the National Contingency Planning Group has met since 19 October and, if so, whether it will provide an update on what was discussed.

The National Contingency Planning Group met on 19 October to discuss Bield Housing and Care’s decision to close 12 care homes in Scotland. At this meeting , it was considered how local and national partners would manage the impact of this decision, particularly for residents, their families and the workforce. The Scottish Government continues to be in regular contact with Bield and key stakeholders to ensure that plans are put in place at a local level for residents and that their needs continue to be met in an appropriate setting. This engagement is continuing.

Question reference: S5O-01418

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5O-01380

Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported decline in the number of part-time college students.

Question reference: S5W-11563

Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report in the Mail on Sunday of 24 September 2017 of claims of lawlessness, drug-taking and staff shortages at HMP Addiewell, and whether it will hold an inquiry.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

SPS has a Contract in place with Addiewell Prison Limited (APL) for the design, construction, management and financing of HMP Addiewell. APL has a sub-contract in place with Sodexo Justice Services for the operation of the Prison. The Contract is in Performance Year 9 of the 25 year Contract.

SPS takes its obligations within the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 seriously and we ensure that appropriate resources and robust processes are in place to monitor the contracted service provided at HMP Addiewell. A SPS Contract Management Team is responsible for the monitoring and management of the Contract at HMP Addiewell. Quarterly Business Review meetings, with the Contractor and Sub-Contractor are held in order to review performance.

A SPS Contract Management Team undertakes regular audits and reviews of Operational Procedures at HMP Addiewell and this team have unrestricted access to the establishment at all times. The Contract requires the Contractor to report all incidents that may give rise to Performance Measure penalties, no later than 9am on the day proceeding any incident.

All reportable incidents are fully reviewed and if any failure to meet a Performance Measure is identified, then performance penalties are applied. The Contract includes a number of Performance Measures, which include violence reduction and the detection of prohibited items.

I can advise that whilst the management team at HMP Addiewell increased the complement of Prisoner Custody Officers over the past year, 23 vacancies remain to be filled. HMP Addiewell are training new staff and undertaking further recruitment to fill these vacancies. Progression towards this target will be closely monitored by SPS.

HMP Addiewell has recently introduced additional security measures to prevent the introduction of illicit substances and they continue to work with partners to support those in their care to address any existing substance misuse problems.

Question reference: S5O-01271

Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the Scottish Tourism Alliance's Big Five Questions campaign is having on the sector.

We consider that the Scottish Tourism Alliance's Big Five Questions campaign, supported as it is by Scottish Government, VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Business Gateway and Zero Waste Scotland, is having a positive impact for the sustainable tourism sector.

The latest statistics from Scottish Tourism Alliance show encouraging figures for use from the launch in September 2016. However, given the demands of the tourism season we would not expect much uptake for advice/R&D from the sector until the season slows down towards the end of September.

Question reference: S5W-10018

Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the upgrade of the A801 between Grangemouth and the M8, including the carriageway improvements and new viaduct at the Avon Gorge.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the upgrade of the A801, including the carriageway improvements and new viaduct at Avon Gorge.

These improvements are planned to be delivered during the second cluster of investment under Falkirk Council's Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) scheme. This will follow the M9 improvements project and is currently scheduled for delivery around 2021.

Question reference: S5W-09630

Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 20 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when NHS boards will be provided with funding to support the implementation of continuous glucose monitoring, and how the funding will be distributed.

The Scottish Government is investing £2m during 2017-18 financial year to increase the provision of adult insulin pumps and Continuous Glucose Monitoring devices (CGMs).

The allocation of funding has taken into account a number of factors including the number of individuals with type 1 diabetes in each NHS Board area, equity of access and current levels of provision of adult insulin pumps and CGMs.

On the 12 June 2017, the Scottish Government wrote to NHS Boards to highlight this ministerial priority and inform them of their individual funding provision. A copy of the letter has been published on Scotland’s Health on the Web (SHOW) website, this can be accessed via: http://www.scot.nhs.uk/publications/.

It is expected that NHS Boards will receive their respective funding by the end of June 2017 through the established allocations process.

Question reference: S5O-01088

Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether the chairperson of the Scottish Police Authority has its full support.

Question reference: S5O-01015

Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 24 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the implementation of the UK industrial strategy.

I met the Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and David Mundell MP, Secretary of State for Scotland, on 11 April 2017 to discuss how best we could work with the UK Government to ensure that the planned UK Industrial Strategy and associated funding delivers maximum benefit for Scotland. The Industrial Strategy was also discussed at a meeting that I and Lord Dunlop, Minister of State for Scotland held with the STUC and Scotland's business representative organisations on 20 April 2017. Scottish Government officials have also been liaising with their counterparts in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regarding the consultation paper on the UK Industrial Strategy.

Many of the areas set out in the Industrial Strategy consultation paper, such as skills, business support and trade and investment support, are devolved to the Scottish Government and it is important that this is considered in how the Industrial Strategy is taken forward. We will continue to work closely with the UK Government to achieve this.

Question reference: S5O-00980

Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the guidance on what constitutes a dangerous building.