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: S4W-07060

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 22 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason no enterprise zone was allocated for the West Dunbartonshire area.

When determining enterprise area locations the Scottish Government, working closely with the enterprise agencies, identified and assessed a number of strategic sites across Scotland. These possible sites were not intended to include all potentially developable locations in Scotland, rather the key strategic sites across our growth sectors with a manufacturing focus and which offered clear, realisable opportunities in the short to medium term. Our aim in focusing on our most dynamic industries was to ensure we maximised the scope to create new sustainable employment opportunities, encourage private investment and boost economic growth.

The assessment did not identify any locations in West Dunbartonshire which demonstrated sufficiently clear growth sector opportunities which were well aligned with the enterprise area timeframe and in which the levers available could help deliver or accelerate those employment opportunities.

However, enterprise areas are only one element in the range of initiatives the Scottish Government has in place to create a supportive business environment, boost economic growth and stimulate job creation across Scotland. Existing measures like Regional Selective Assistance, as well as the business support and development services provided through Scottish Enterprise and Business Gateway, will continue to be available in West Dunbartonshire.

Question reference: S4W-07061

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people in each local authority area are unemployed and how many had been unemployed for longer than (a) six and (b) 12 months as at the last claimant count, and how this compares with the same period in 2011.

Information on the number of people unemployed is not available by local authority. Information from the claimant count is provided in the following table.

Table 1 shows the claimant count for claimants aged 16-24 years in each local authority in Scotland. Total claimants, claimants for over 6 months and claimants for over 12 months for April 2011 and April 2012 are shown.

Table 1 Claimant Count aged 16-24 years

Apr-11

Apr-12

Total claimants

Over 6 months

Over 12 months

Total claimants

Over 6 months

Over 12 months

Aberdeen City	970	140	15	890	255	70
Aberdeenshire	780	130	10	735	205	85
Angus	725	115	5	680	255	75
Argyll and Bute	495	120	20	470	190	70
Clackmannanshire	535	145	20	620	295	110
Dumfries and Galloway	1,040	200	45	1,085	380	160
Dundee City	1,620	355	35	1,705	745	260
East Ayrshire	1,310	320	30	1,360	590	210
East Dunbartonshire	540	110	5	550	210	50
East Lothian	660	135	15	650	225	85
East Renfrewshire	420	75	10	410	140	35
Edinburgh, City of	2,920	495	75	3,015	1,010	330
Eilean Siar	100	10	0	105	35	10
Falkirk	1,440	395	75	1,250	510	210
Fife	3,220	665	85	3,260	1,275	450
Glasgow City	6,575	1,705	485	6,710	2,520	900
Highland	1,110	175	15	1,065	300	100
Inverclyde	775	95	15	895	260	95
Midlothian	720	200	45	745	295	110
Moray	550	65	10	490	115	40
North Ayrshire	1,515	330	55	1,655	705	260
North Lanarkshire	3,515	720	105	3,555	1,505	565
Orkney Islands	45	5	0	65	25	5
Perth and Kinross	680	90	5	635	200	55
Renfrewshire	1,535	280	30	1,640	620	190
Scottish Borders	715	200	55	735	285	110
Shetland Islands	60	10	0	60	15	0
South Ayrshire	880	195	25	875	320	95
South Lanarkshire	2,745	645	135	2,885	1,165	435
Stirling	590	130	15	625	240	95
West Dunbartonshire	1,095	265	25	1,165	475	195
West Lothian	1,465	230	55	1,480	500	175

Source: nomis.

Question reference: S4W-07058

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason West Dunbartonshire Council did not receive an allocation of money from the Youth Employment Strategy fund.

Question reference: S4W-07063

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how much would be saved annually by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde by halving the number of medical secretaries per consultant surgeon.

The information requested is not centrally held. While the Scottish Government provides the policies, frameworks and resources for high quality health care in Scotland, it is for each NHS board to decide how best to deliver those services to meet the needs of the population. This includes how best to utilise funding and staff, taking account of national and local priorities to meet local health needs.

Question reference: S4W-07065

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what reviews have been carried out to assess the impact on patient care if the number of medical secretaries per consultant surgeon is halved in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde hospitals.

Question reference: S4W-07064

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact halving the number of medical secretaries per consultant surgeon in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde hospitals would have on patient care.

Question reference: S4W-07066

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when it was first consulted by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde on the proposal to halve the number of medical secretaries per consultant surgeon and what its response was.

The planning of services is a matter for the individual NHS board. While the Government provides the policies, frameworks and resources for high quality health care in Scotland, it is for each NHS board to decide how best to deliver those services to meet the needs of the population. This includes how best to utilise funding and staff, taking account of national and local priorities to meet local health needs.

Question reference: S4W-06994

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive who is on the approved list of contractors for the survey and analysis of patient experience under the Better Together programme.

The following consortia and individual organisations are on the national framework contract of approved contractors. Some organisations are approved for only one type of work e.g. only quantitative surveys, whilst others are approved for more than one type of work.

OPM (with GFK NOP and Edinburgh University)

Ipsos-Mori

MRUK Research Ltd

Patient Dynamics Ltd

Patient Perspective

Picker Institute Europe

Quality Health Ltd

Queen Margaret University (with Dundee University).

Question reference: S4W-06995

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how much each NHS board spends on the survey of patient experience under the Better Together programme and with what contractor.

Question reference: S4W-06780

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support is provided for patients accessing transcatheter aortic valve implantation treatment outwith Scotland.

NHS boards have discretion to reimburse reasonable travelling expenses incurred by patients who are referred to hospitals outwith their own area, because the treatment is not available within their area. Where medically beneficial, this may include reimbursement of an escort's reasonable travel expenses.

In cases where a patient is being transferred from one hospital to another as part of their treatment, the costs are met directly by the local health board.