Questions and answers

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 ��˿�� 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-24983

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 13 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage school pupils to study medicine.

Our education system aims to provide young people with experiences and with careers information, advice and guidance to raise awareness of opportunities and support informed choices. Skills Development Scotland, our national skills body, works in partnership with every school and with employers to ensure school pupils can access the support they need to consider their future. Advice is impartial and encourages young people to identify their interests, strengths and aspirations, and in turn identify the career option that is right for them.

In addition, targeted schools programmes have been developed to encourage and support young people into careers in health and medicine in particular.

Question reference: S5W-24968

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 6 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the information on mortality rates was contained in annex 1 to A Summary of the Health of the Nation and not in the body of the main document, Personalising Realistic Medicine: Chief Medical Officer for Scotland's Annual Report 2017-2018.

In previous years, the Health of the Nation Summary Report, has been included at the end of the Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report. This year, they were published separately, as they cover two complementary, but distinctly different topics.

The Chief Medical Officer’s latest Annual Report, Personalising Realistic Medicine was published on 25 April, and is available at:

The Health of the Nation Summary Report was published on 25 April, and is available at:

Question reference: S5W-24810

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 5 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many poultry holdings with egg laying hens failed inspections in each year since 1 January 2012, and how many of these were due to breaches in (a) egg marketing, (b) salmonella testing, (c) hygiene standards and (d) failings in welfare.

Question reference: S5O-03499

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when the Crown Office will release its findings from the investigation into the fatal fire at Cameron House in December 2017.

Question reference: S5W-24813

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time is for paediatric surgery at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow.

The average and longest waiting time for inpatient paediatric surgery is 88 and 529 days respectively. For new outpatients it is 30 and 54 days respectively. The longest waiting times provided in the following tables is the 98 th percentile figure in keeping with ISD accepted practice.

Inpatient/Day Case and Outpatients for the Paediatric Surgery Specialty at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow for quarter ending 30 June 2019.

Table 1: Completed waits for Inpatient or Day Case Admission

Hospital

Specialty

Average (Median) Waiting Time (Days)

98 th Percentile

Royal Hospital for Children

Paediatric Surgery

529

Source: ISD Waiting Times Warehouse

Table 2: Completed waits for New Outpatients

Hospital

Specialty

Average (Median) Waiting Time (Days)

98 th Percentile

Royal Hospital for Children

Paediatric Surgery

Source: ISD Waiting Times Warehouse

Question reference: S5W-24818

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation by The Cole Inquiry that the use of visual inspection reports of schools should cease, for what reason a visual inspection report is reported to be being relied on in the case of Brimmond School in Aberdeen.

The visual inspection report on alleged defects at Brimmond School was commissioned by Hub North Scotland and Aberdeen City Council.

Under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, it is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage and maintain the school estate across Scotland. Accordingly, the question on the relevance of the use of visual inspections as part of those Brimmond School investigations should be directed to the building owner, Aberdeen City Council.

Question reference: S5W-24817

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any problems with settlement at Brimmond School in Aberdeen; whether Hub North Scotland Ltd or Aberdeen City Council have instructed reports to investigate any such issues, and, if so, from whom reports have been commissioned and when they were instructed.

The Scottish Government has taken the allegations about settlement issues at Brimmond School very seriously.

Aberdeen City Council, as the owner of the building, categorically assured us that the claims are untrue. over past few years, Aberdeen City Council and Hub North Scotland has sought independent engineering advice by two separate engineers: Ramsay & Chalmers and Fairhurst; as well as the project Engineer, Buro Happold, and all three categorically refute the claims.

Question reference: S5W-24820

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether the costs relating to the judicial review brought by the former First Minister, Alex Salmond, were reduced as a result of the “extensive negotiation” referred to by the Scottish Government spokesperson in the Sunday Mail article of 18 August 2019 and if so, by how much.

Question reference: S5W-24821

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government who was responsible for negotiating the settlement of costs relating to the judicial review brought by the former First Minister, Alex Salmond, and whether the First Minister was advised.

Question reference: S5W-24819

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it sought an independent audit of the cost of legal fees in the judicial review brought by the former First Minister, Alex Salmond.

The Court in this case awarded expenses to the former First Minister, Alex Salmond. Established procedures were followed to agree the sums to be paid. The Scottish Government legal team represented the Scottish Government in this process, and they also engaged law accountants to provide additional external expert advice. There was no need to have the account taxed by the Auditor of Court, and thereby incur additional expense, given that agreement was reached. As is normal in such cases, the detail of these negotiations is confidential. The First Minister was advised after settlement had been reached.