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-10122

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 8 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates NHS Scotland will spend on diabetes over the next five years.

The Scottish Government does not hold official estimates of current and projected spend on diabetes in NHS Scotland. The allocation of spend is determined by territorial Health Boards. Although individual estimates are available for the economic costs of diabetes in the UK, programme-specific costs for endocrine problems in Scotland, and projected prevalence rates of diabetes in Scotland, there is no unifying analysis that gives projected spend in NHS Scotland over the next five years.

Question reference: S5W-10121

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 28 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital bed days have been used by people with diabetes in each of the last five years.

The total number of bed days occupied in NHS Scotland where Diabetes is recorded as the Principal Diagnosis, for each of the past five financial years, is shown in the following table.

NHS Scotland: 2011-12 - 2015-16: Total Number of days where Diabetes Mellitus is recorded in the Principal diagnosis condition.

Financial Year	Total Number of Days
2011-2012	34,784
2012-2013	35,197
2013-2014	33,258
2014-2015	34,533
2015-2016	37,093

Source : ISD Scotland (SMR01)

Extracted : July 2017

Question reference: S5W-10123

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 26 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an implementation strategy alongside the 2014 Diabetes Improvement Plan.

Question reference: S5W-10019

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 13 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09710 by Kevin Stewart on 27 June 2017, whether it plans to provide new funding streams to community councils.

As set out in my answer to the previous question S5W-09710 on 27 June 2017 the Scottish Government does not provide funding to Community Councils as it is for each local authority to decide the level of funding for Community Councils in their area. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

There may be external funding streams that a community council can access or apply for such as the Community Choices Fund which supports the development of participatory budgeting in Scotland. More information on that fund can be found at:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/engage/CommunityChoicesFund

Question reference: S5W-09665

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to teachers and schools on sex education for primary school children.

All schools under local authority control are expected to teach the experiences and outcomes for relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education in Curriculum for Excellence. The statutory responsibility for delivering the curriculum rests with local authorities and schools.

Curriculum for Excellence is intended for all children and young people in Scotland, aged 3 to 18, according to their stage of development. There is specific guidance for schools on RSHP education which was issued in 2014 and recognises that education on this should be delivered within the wider context of a child’s education and overall wellbeing.

Question reference: S5O-01182

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle poverty.

Alongside these actions to develop a fairer future we continue to mitigate the damning welfare cuts imposed by Westminster. Since 2013-14 we have invested over £350 million to mitigate the worst impacts of the UK Government welfare cuts to protect those on the lowest income. This includes fully mitigating the Bedroom Tax and helping 241,000 individual households, a third of which include children, through the Scottish Welfare Fund.

Question reference: S5W-09710

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 27 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it provides to community councils.

Local authorities have statutory oversight of Community Councils and it is for each local authority to decide the level of funding for Community Councils in their area. In recent years the Scottish Government has worked collaboratively with COSLA, the Improvement Service and Edinburgh Napier University to support the work of community councils. This has included launching a Community Council website (www.communitycouncils.org.uk); funding a series of digital engagement workshops for community councillors; hosting bi-annual networking events for Community Council Liaison Officers (CCLO); and establishing a CCLO Knowledge Hub to support improvement and development.

Question reference: S5F-01451

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 June 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2017

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will meet the 30 June deadline for the processing of 2016 CAP payments.

Question reference: S5W-09653

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-08480 by Shona Robison on 29 March 2017, by what date the (a) Short Life Working Group's review and (b) code of practice will be published.

We continue to work in conjunction with the BMA and NHS Boards to produce a national Code of Practice for NHS Boards when a contractor wishes the Board to acquire property or take on the contractor’s responsibilities under an existing lease. The GP Premises Short Life Working Group's recommendations are currently being used for internal consideration and will be published alongside the Code of Practice later in 2017.

Question reference: S5W-09681

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 26 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on allowing professional celebrants to perform all aspects of marriage ceremonies.