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-17429

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 16 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Fiscal Commission's view that the government spending component of aggregate demand will be reduced significantly when the capital borrowing limit of £3 billion is reached and it can no longer borrow at its current levels.

Question reference: S5W-16606

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 24 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many places have been made available in each college in the North East Scotland parliamentary region in each year since 2005, also broken down by (a) head count of students and (b) local authority area.

The student headcount numbers requested have been provided below. Headcount figures at colleges are not a reliable indicator of college activity. Full-time equivalent (FTE) numbers are a better reflection of college activity and provide a more accurate picture over the time-series requested.

North East Scotland college and Dundee and Angus college are found within the North East Scotland parliamentary region.

Headcount at North East Scotland College by Local Authority of residence

Local Authority	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Aberdeen City	13,217	14,571	13,390	12,167	10,571	8,427
Aberdeenshire	17,163	15,661	22,497	21,101	16,088	11,961
Angus	468	501	551	397	398	282
Dundee City	205	196	346	290	278	123
Other	5,001	5,916	5,447	5,776	6,009	5,058
Total	36,054	36,845	42,231	39,731	33,344	25,851

Local Authority	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17
Aberdeen City	6,999	6,323	6,697	5,905	6,434	6,277
Aberdeenshire	9,818	9,131	9,376	7,445	7,740	7,506
Angus	291	310	360	462	376	303
Dundee City	124	107	199	180	190	193
Other	4,021	3,146	3,574	2,863	4,116	3,160
Total	21,253	19,017	20,206	16,855	18,856	17,439

Source: Scottish Funding Council Infact database

Local Authority is based on students postcode prior to study

Other includes rest of Scotland, UK and international students

Headcount at Dundee and Angus College by Local Authority of residence

Local Authority	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Aberdeen City	105	85	111	135	129	153
Aberdeenshire	270	354	374	573	580	490
Angus	8,647	9,518	9,497	10,080	9,806	8,548
Dundee City	13,016	10,690	10,226	11,348	11,193	10,771
Other	3,191	3,187	2,887	3,214	4,482	3,674
Total	25,229	23,834	23,095	25,350	26,190	23,636

Local Authority	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17
Aberdeen City	150	123	201	176	197	73
Aberdeenshire	467	365	383	351	432	332
Angus	6,824	6,824	6,415	4,280	5,511	5,522
Dundee City	7,136	7,130	6,849	5,745	6,991	7,827
Other	2,523	2,146	2,062	1,615	1,850	1,790
Total	17,100	16,588	15,910	12,167	14,981	15,544

Source: Scottish Funding Council Infact database

Local Authority is based on students postcode prior to study

Other includes rest of Scotland, UK and international students

Question reference: S5W-16151

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 4 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-15712 by Derek Mackay on 17 April 2018, how much underspend from 2017-18 (a) is able to be and (b) was carried forward into 2018-19, and how much can be carried forward into subsequent financial years.

The new Scotland Reserve, effective from 1 April 2017, has an upper limit of £700 million. The opening balance on the Scotland Reserve at 1 April 2017 is £74.2 million and this amount has been held in each month throughout 2017-18. Full details of the 2017-18 provisional outturn and associated cash underspend, which will accrue to the Scotland Reserve, will be reported to the Scottish Parliament and to HM Treasury in June in line with established practice.

Question reference: S5W-16092

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 4 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to questions S5W-13337 and S5W-15569 by Shona Robison on 20 February and 18 April 2018 respectively, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding whether all NHS boards undertake priority surgery for one sixth of the year.

The Scottish Government 'Preparing for Winter' guidance advises NHS Boards to take a balanced approach to the effective planning and scheduling of elective and unscheduled care and to consider the impact that this is likely to have across the wider healthcare system. Emphasis is placed on predicted emergency activity over the festive period, when any surge in respiratory and circulatory admissions over the winter can increase pressures, particularly towards the end of December and into January and February. It is for individual Boards to decide the likely reduction in elective activity during that period whilst ensuring they maintain sufficient activity to continue to treat priority patient such as those undergoing cancer treatment. The current winter planning guidance can be found at http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/dl/DL(2017)19.pdf

NHS Board publish their winter plans on the respective websites.

Question reference: S5W-16156

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 4 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it spent the £450 million of capital borrowing in 2017-18.

Question reference: S5W-16157

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 4 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what interest payments (a) there have been and (b) are due in (i) 2018-19 and (ii) each of the next five years in relation to capital borrowing policy in (A) 2015-16 and (B) 2016-17.

No interest is payable on borrowing undertaken in 2015-16 or 2016-17. This was a notional borrowing arrangement agreed with HM Treasury to meet the budget implications of the classification decision relation to the introduction of ESA 10, which required the capital value of a small number of NPD projects to be budgeted for in the years of asset construction. Whilst the notional amounts borrowed are recorded against the Scottish Government borrowing cap in each of these years, no interest payments are required.

Question reference: S5W-16091

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 4 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-15569 by Shona Robison on 18 April 2018, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding for what reason, in her response to question S5W-13337 on 20 February 2018, the cabinet secretary provided a month-long holding response and then responded by referring to an answer that had been published a month earlier, which did not provide the information requested, and what the cabinet secretary's position is on whether her approach on this matter is consistent with paragraph 1.3(d) of the Scottish Ministerial Code, which states that "Ministers should be as open as possible with the Parliament and the public, reflecting the aspirations set out in the Report of the Consultative Steering Group on the Scottish Parliament".

I always endeavour to be open and transparent in answering parliamentary question however I do receive an exceptionally high volume of questions and on occasion these get delayed. The original question you raised was fully answered in my response of 18 April to question S5W-15569. I can only offer my apology for the delay in answering question S5W-13337 and that a full response was not provided at that time.

Question reference: S5W-16155

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 4 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it expects to publish its consolidated account of the public sector, and what date range this will cover.

The Scottish Government will publish The Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts for 2017-18 in September 2018. These accounts report the position of the Scottish Government and public bodies within its consolidation boundary, including Health Boards, Executive Agencies and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal.

While the Scottish Government already publishes a range of financial and economic information, it continues to develop its financial reporting as part of a commitment to enhanced financial transparency. Working with financial year 2016-17 as a shadow year, the Scottish Government has collected the necessary information to support further reporting outputs. This brings together the financial information of all sectors of the devolved public sector in Scotland, including public bodies and local government, and has established a process for the 2017-18 financial year.

The Scottish Government is currently considering options for the presentation and publication of this information with the focus to minimise the burden on Scottish public bodies and ensure that what is produced is useful and adds value. As part of this process the Scottish Government will be engaging with Audit Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-16145

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 4 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to questions S5W-13337 and S5W-15569 by Shona Robison on 20 February and 18 April 2018 respectively, what discussions it has had with (a) NHS Grampian and (b) other NHS boards regarding the organising and scheduling of hospital admissions during the winter months; what targets it has set, and what standard of patient care it expects.

The Scottish Government has detailed discussions with Boards to help strengthen their winter plans throughout the year. However, the organising and scheduling of admissions is a matter for Boards and many Boards increase capacity prior to winter to compensate for a planned reduction in activity over the festive period and into January.

Boards plans need to provide an effective level of capacity and funding to the meet expected demand on their service whilst ensuring safe and effective care for patients.

Question reference: S5W-16146

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 4 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-13337 and S5W-15569 by Shona Robison on 20 February and 18 April 2018 respectively, what its response is to reports of some NHS boards carrying out priority surgery for one sixth of the year, and what analysis it has made of the impact that this might have on patients.