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: S5F-02329

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 May 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2018

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will provide an update on progress towards tackling excessive parcel delivery surcharges affecting parts of Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-16117

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 4 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what specific funding is available to support the work of patient and community groups set up to offer advice and support for people with Huntington’s disease.

The Scottish Huntington’s Association (SHA) received £120,000 in funding to develop a National Care Framework for Huntington’s Disease, plus a further £60,000 to deliver localised frameworks by 2019. The framework aims to help ensure families affected by the condition are given the best possible care, information and support - regardless of where they live in Scotland. Further information about the frameworks is available at: http://care.hdscotland.org/ . On
‎ 23 April 2018, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport launched the first phase of the localised frameworks at an event in NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

In addition, SHA has received core funding of £146,000 split equally over two years (2016-17 and 2017-18) and will receive a further £73,000 in 2018-19. This funding contributes to SHA’s network of specialist support and initiatives to raise awareness of Huntington’s Disease.

Question reference: S5W-16116

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 4 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many people are diagnosed with Huntington’s disease in each (a) NHS board and (b) local authority area, also expressed as a figure per 10,000 of the population.

This information is not collected or held centrally.

The National Advisory Committee on Neurological Conditions is developing Scotland's first National Action Plan on Neurological Conditions. As part of this project we are working closely with NHS National Services Scotland Information Services Division to understand the prevalence of neurological conditions and will share our findings during consultation events later this year.

Question reference: S5W-16115

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 4 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) funding and (b) support is available for people with Huntington’s disease in Moray, and what plans it has to enhance this.

NHS Boards are responsible for planning and delivering healthcare services, including specialist services, to meet the assessed needs of their resident populations, taking into account strategic frameworks and guidance, within the allocations provided. Specialist care for Huntington’s is usually delivered as part of a multi-disciplinary team, comprising a range of professional input across the clinical, nursing and allied health professions. Staff working within these specialities are likely to cover more than one area.

With regard to the support available for people with Huntington's Disease in Scotland, I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-16117 on 4 May 2018. 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

Question reference: S5W-16034

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 2 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can legally enforce community benefit agreements between communities and wind farm operators.

The Scottish Government has no direct powers to oblige developers to pay community benefits or determine how funds are spent. In 2014, in partnership with industry and communities the Scottish Government produced Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments which set out national standards on community benefits, which we encourage all developers and communities to use.

In Scotland's Energy Strategy (published December 2017) the Scottish Government gave a commitment to review its Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits and Shared Ownership. As part of the review process we have set up a Steering Group comprised of representatives from communities and industry, and are gathering evidence more widely through stakeholder workshops prior to undertaking a formal consultation later this year.

Question reference: S5W-15383

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress it is making with the UK Government regarding growth deals, including that being discussed with The Moray Council.

The Scottish Government has already agreed deals for the Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness City Regions, identifying over £1bn of investment over the next 10 to 20 years. A deal for the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region will be concluded soon. In addition, we are committed to agreeing deals for the Tay Cities Region, Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region, the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal and every remaining area of Scotland, including Moray.

In line with a recommendation made by the Local Government and Communities Committee, we want the UK Government to confirm that they will join us in agreeing a timetable to deliver a growth deal covering every part of Scotland. Scottish Government officials are engaged in on-going dialogue towards this goal with local colleagues in Ayrshire, Argyll and Bute and Falkirk, as well as on-going discussions with Western Isles Council, Shetland Council and Orkney Council on their Island Deal proposals.

The Moray Growth Deal is progressing with a first tranche of strategic outline business cases submitted to the Scottish Government by Moray Council on 9 March. These drafts are currently being examined by my officials who last discussed them with Moray Council colleagues on 28 March as part of an on-going process to help the Council to refine and develop its plans.

Question reference: S5W-15472

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with its discussions with the UK Government regarding the Moray Growth Deal, and what its position is on the UK Government’s approach to the deal.

Question reference: S5W-15473

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many paediatrician vacancies there are (a) nationally and (b) in each (i) NHS board and (ii) hospital, and what percentage of vacancies this represents.

NHSScotland staff numbers have increased by over 10% under this Government to a record high of than 127,000 WTE, which includes an increase of over 90% in Paediatric Consultants.

Information relating to paediatrician vacancies levels at NHS hospital is not centrally held. Information on how many (a) consultant vacancies for Paediatrics nationally and at board level is published by ISD Scotland and is available at the following web link - https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2018-03-06/Consultant_Vacancies_D2017.xls .

Question reference: S5W-15469

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is considering to attract trainee and junior doctors to Dr Gray’s hospital in Elgin.

The Scottish Government continues to encourage NHS Grampian to work collaboratively with its partners to ensure delivery of safe, patient-centred, sustainable Paediatric services, and the workforce required to deliver such services. NHS Education for Scotland is firmly committed to medical training in Dr Gray’s Hospital and in Moray in general, and is working with the Board to develop the training environment as a centre of excellence with a focus on general and community-focussed care.

We have ensured that those GP specialty training posts that rotate through paediatrics in Elgin qualify for the £20K financial bursary to aid recruitment, and that the annual International Medical Training Fellowships scheme encompasses paediatric posts, which NHS Grampian can use to recruit to the gaps in training posts.

Question reference: S5W-15470

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the impact on the safety of patients of emergency transfers to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary as opposed to treatment at Dr Gray’s hospital in Elgin.

It is a matter for NHS Boards, working with their partners, to plan and provide safe care to patients in line with national policies, frameworks and best practice. It is therefore a matter for NHS Grampian and Scottish Ambulance Service to ensure the safety of emergency patient transfers.

In terms of the safety of patients affected by the temporary change to the paediatric service at Dr Gray's, NHS Grampian has assured Scottish Government that they are engaging with the Scottish Ambulance Service and ScotSTAR (Scottish Specialist Transport and Retrieval) to ensure the overall safety of patients who need emergency transfer.