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: S4W-25049

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that Scottish Ambulance Service North Division has had to use retained crews in order to deal with shortages of trained staff and how it will it ensure that the division has sufficient resources.

Question reference: S4W-25054

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 22 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much CalMac Ferries Ltd, or its successor, will pay each year to sub-lease the MV Loch Seaforth, and for how many years.

Question reference: S4W-25047

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 17 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that Scottish Ambulance Service North Division has sufficient resources to meet demand in (a) Shetland and (b) Orkney.

The Scottish Government works in partnership with the Scottish Ambulance Service and has recently agreed its Local Delivery Plan for 2015-16 which sets out how services be delivered in that year including working with NHS boards against the strategic priorities identified in Everyone Matters: 2020 Workforce Vision.

This administration has provided the Scottish Ambulance Service with the highest level of resource funding the service has ever had with a resource budget of £212.1 million and £10.1 million capital funding in 2015-16. Scottish Ambulance staffing is up nearly 10 per cent under this administration.

The Scottish Ambulance Service is implementing a comprehensive action plan in Shetland and Orkney to ensure the islands are resourced and managed efficiently and effectively. Measures include upskilling staff and working in partnership with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in developing a shared facility in Lerwick, and with the health boards in regular liaison meetings to ensure any issues are quickly mitigated.

A second vehicle was introduced onto Shetland in 2010 where the service introduced their ‘retained ambulance staff’ scheme. Retained staff help paramedic staff be best utilised and assist the service during on-call periods.

Shetland received an additional member of staff in 2013 taking the substantive complement up to seven, plus two relief members of staff.

The service is working with partners developing an integrated approach to health and social care whilst jointly monitoring patient demand to mitigate against the recruitment and retention challenges experienced in North Division.

Question reference: S4W-25026

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24780 by Shona Robison on 19 March 2015, what the (a) highest and (b) lowest number of bed occupancies was at Ospadal Uibhist agus Bharraigh [Uist and Barra Hospital] in Benbecula in each week in 2014.��

Information on weekly occupied beds and occupancy rates is not held centrally. Monthly information is available and the following table shows average number of occupied beds for Uist and Barra Hospital, NHS Highland between January and September 2014.

Occupied beds for Uist and Barra Hospital, by month.

��	January 2014	February 2014	March 2014	April 2014	May 2014	June 2014	July 2014	August 2014	September 2014
Average Occupied Beds	16.4	21.6	16.9	13.6	15.6	13.4	12.8	12.4	10.7

Source: Information Services Division Scotland, ISD(S)1

Question reference: S4W-25059

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 2 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation took place between Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd prior to the leasing agreement with Lloyds Banking Group for the the MV Loch Seaforth being entered into.

Question reference: S4W-25058

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 2 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what procedures it adopted to ensure that the procurement methods used to secure the use of the MV Loch Seaforth under a private leasing arrangement offered best value for money.

A full tender process for an operating lease arrangement was undertaken by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) in line with the EU procurement rules.

This resulted in the award of the contract to Lloyds Banking Group as their tender was assessed as the most economically advantageous in terms of lease rentals and lease terms.

CMAL is subject to Procurement Capability Assessments (PCA) as are all public bodies. CMAL participates and prepares documentary evidence for annual Procurement Capability Assessments which are conducted by the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S4W-25056

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 2 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24214 by Derek Mackay on 11 February 2015, whether it will provide a breakdown of what the operational cost will be for the MV Loch Seaforth for its time in service.

Question reference: S4W-25052

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 2 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government who will have responsibility for (a) providing and (b) paying for any substitute vessel for the MV Loch Seaforth.

Question reference: S4W-25050

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 2 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the principal terms are of the (a) leasing contract between Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and Lloyds Banking Group and (b) sub-leasing contract between CalMac Ferries Ltd and Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd in respect of the MV Loch Seaforth.

Question reference: S4W-25057

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 2 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24213 by Derek Mackay on 11 February 2015, whether it will provide an update of the cost of the alterations to the (a) Stornoway and (b) Ullapool harbour facilities in order to the meet the requirements of the MV Loch Seaforth, and from what sources the money was drawn.