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-11953

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met COSLA to discuss the National Care Home Contract and what the outcome was.

Question reference: S5W-11955

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the National Care Home Contract.

Question reference: S5W-11956

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the clinical care needs of people in care homes.

Comprehensive assessments are undertaken prior to people being admitted to care homes and placed there by the relevant local authority/ integration authority. This incorporates a full needs assessment, including clinical needs, particularly for nursing care, as well as a financial assessment. For strategic planning and commissioning purposes, this information is aggregated at a local level to determine the overall number of placements which a local authority/integration authority may need in order to inform capacity planning in the care home sector.

Question reference: S5W-11961

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the National Care Home Contract for 2018 to be finalised.

Question reference: S5W-11968

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 31 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11582 by Derek Mackay on 5 October 2017, what plans it has to phase-out fossil fuel vehicles used in (a) the ministerial car pool, (b) Transport Scotland, and (c) other areas of the Government Car Service.

Our Programme for Government sets out that we will take the lead in promoting the use of ultralow emission vehicles (ULEVs) and phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032, well ahead of the 2040 target recently announced by the UK Government.

The Scottish Government’s fleet replacement policy is to consider a replacement when a vehicle has reached 80,000 miles or six years. The final decision will also depend on the condition and history of the vehicle.

When considering vehicles for the fleet, the replacement will be fit for purpose, be ultra-low emission (where practicable) or offer significantly lower emissions (where practicable) than the vehicle being replaced, whilst ensuring best value for money.

This current strategy will allow us to phase out fossil fuelled vehicles as and when vehicles come to the end of their operational life and suitable replacements are available.

Question reference: S5O-01401

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update of the progress being made by the Scottish Growth Scheme.

Question reference: S5W-11580

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the recruitment process will be for the appointment of a new chief executive for NHS Orkney after the current postholder takes up a position with NHS Forth Valley; by what date the new chief executive will be in post, and whether it can confirm that the person appointed will carry out their role exclusively for NHS Orkney and not work jointly with another NHS board.

Question reference: S5W-11555

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its investment has been in dermatology services in each of the last 10 years, broken down by NHS board.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The allocation of spend is determined by territorial Health Boards. The Scottish Government’s role is to provide policies, frameworks and resources to NHS Boards to allow them to deliver services that meet the needs of their local populations.

The Scottish Government Modern Outpatient Programme recently invested £80,500 to update and improve nineteen national dermatological pathways in collaboration with Dermatology and Primary Care practitioners. Education events were held across Scotland to promote the pathways amongst clinicians. As a part of this funding, an app has been developed which allows clinicians to access the pathways easily and quickly from their smartphones or surgery computers.

Question reference: S5W-11582

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 5 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many vehicles (a) there are in the ministerial car pool and (b) are allocated to (i) its and (ii) Transport Scotland's officials, also broken down by how many are electric.

The Government Car Service (GCS) operates 24 vehicles of which 6 are hybrid vehicles (3 are plug-in).

The Government Car Service in Scotland (GCS) provides transport for: members of the Scottish Cabinet and Ministers; Ministers of other UK Administrations when in Scotland; the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General; the Permanent Secretary; dignitaries and advisers, with the approval of Ministers.

Question reference: S5W-11341

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards work in partnership to deliver dermatology care, and how this care is delivered.

The Scottish Government is committed to making sure that everyone living in Scotland is able to access the best possible care and support. The provision of healthcare services is the responsibility of local NHS Boards.

It is for NHS Boards and Integration Authorities to work together to ensure that the best possible dermatology care is provided to individuals in their local areas.

We expect health care professionals to follow agreed local and national guidelines. In relation to dermatology, clinicians should deliver care in line with the dermatological conditions management pathways. As part of The Modern Outpatient Programme, the 19 pathways have recently been refined and revised by dermatology consultants and GPs from across Scotland. The pathways are available via Web based smart technology and are aimed at supporting GPs in the on-going management of these conditions.