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: S6W-06467

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what data was used to inform the decisions by the Scottish Ambulance Service on its demand and capacity review, and whether this will be published.

Internationally renowned modelling company Operational Research in Health (ORH) were commissioned by the Scottish Ambulance Service to carry out an analysis on 7 years’ worth of data to help inform the review of demand and capacity.

ORH used a population growth data to predict future demand and resources required to meet performance standards. This included patient demand, types of clinical presentation, on scene times, at hospital times, travel times, vehicle tracking data, resourcing levels, receiving hospitals, station locations, rest periods and standard operating procedures.

In addition, Working Time Solutions were also commissioned to assist with the design and implementation of rosters that better match demand profiles.

Following approval, SAS will publish the third phase of the business case.

Question reference: S6W-06466

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Scottish Ambulance Service has had with trade unions regarding its demand and capacity review.

The Demand and Capacity programme and core principals have been designed and delivered in partnership with unions - with representatives of GMB, Unite the Union and Unison all being members of the steering group which meets monthly.

A staff engagement and consultation process, also agreed in partnership with Unions at the outset, is being conducted in all regions.

SAS continue to hold regular discussions with staff side representatives, including weekly meetings with the Project Team on this review.

Question reference: S6W-06469

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Ambulance Service's demand and capacity review was (a) started and (b) completed.

Question reference: S6W-06468

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic have been taken into account in the Scottish Ambulance Service's demand and capacity review.

Question reference: S6W-06327

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the assumption was for Scottish Water's capital spending for new capital works required in the 2021-22 period and funded as part of the 2021-27 regulatory period.

Question reference: S6W-06328

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05606 by Michael Matheson on 17 January 2022, what commitment it will make to review the Water Charges Reduction Scheme, in light of the potential erosion of its value to the least affluent customers with each year that Scottish Water increases charges above the rate of inflation.

The expansion of the water charges reduction scheme (WCRS) from April 2021 is worth £86m across the 2021-27 period and it will provide support for over 470,000 households. The increase in discount from 25% to 35%, again from 2021, means that customers in receipt of the WCRS will be protected from price increases over the regulatory period. There are therefore no plans to review the scheme at this time but it will be part of the strategic review of charges ahead of the next regulatory period.

Question reference: S6W-06331

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is possible for Scottish Water Business Stream Holdings Ltd or Scottish Water Horizons Holdings Ltd to pay a dividend or make any other transfer of money to Scottish Water, and, if so, whether such a dividend or money transfer has ever been paid to Scottish Water.

It is possible for Scottish Water Business Stream Holdings Ltd to pay dividends to Scottish Water Horizons Holdings Ltd and this has been done in the past. It is not possible for Scottish Water Business Stream Holdings Ltd to pay a dividend to Scottish Water as Scottish Water is not a direct shareholder and this has not happened in the past.

It is possible for Scottish Water Horizons Holdings Ltd to pay dividends to Scottish Water but this has not happened to date.

Question reference: S6W-06326

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05611 by Michael Matheson on 17 January 2022, whether Scottish Water expects to have undertaken all the residual work from the 2015-21 regulatory period by the end of the 2022-23 financial year, as indicated in its 2020-21 annual report.

Question reference: S6W-06330

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05610 by Michael Matheson on 17 January 2022, whether Scottish Water is the only shareholder in Scottish Water Business Stream Holdings Ltd; whether Scottish Water Business Stream Holdings Ltd is the only shareholder in Scottish Water Business Stream, and whether the £10 million equity obtained in Scottish Water Business Stream by Scottish Water Business Stream Holdings Ltd was in effect a grant to strengthen the balance sheet of Scottish Water Business Stream.

Scottish Water is the only shareholder in Scottish Water Horizons Holdings Ltd, Scottish Water Horizons Holdings Ltd is the only shareholder in Scottish Water Business Stream Holdings Ltd and Scottish Water Business Stream Holdings Ltd is the only shareholder in Scottish Water Business Stream Ltd.

The £10m of equity invested by Scottish Water Business Stream Holdings Ltd in Scottish Water Business Stream Ltd (SWBS) was part of the precautionary funding facilities which were put in place for SWBS during 2020-2021 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and will be eligible to receive future dividends from Scottish Water Business Stream Ltd.

Question reference: S6W-06324

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05612 by Michael Matheson on 17 January 2022, how much Scottish Water Horizons Holdings Ltd paid for the PFI company referred to; how much external bank debt funding remains, and whether Scottish Water is the only shareholder in Scottish Water Horizons Holdings Ltd.