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: S6W-12558

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been paid in Private Finance Initiative (PFI) or Not for Profit Distribution (NPD) payments in the NHS in each of the last 10 years.

Information on Private Finance Initiative (PFI) or Not for Profit Distribution (NPD) projects in Scotland, including NHS projects is available online from

The following table presents how much has been paid for NHS projects delivered through Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and Not for Profit Distribution (NPD) in each of the last 10 years.

	UNITARY CHARGE PAYMENT
CATEGORY	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	TOTAL
	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m

PFI/PPP	223	228	230	232	228	234	240	246	252	258	2,370

NPD/HUB	1	3	6	15	35	53	76	85	87	87	448

The NPD model unlike PFI ensures the following:

Private sector returns are capped
There is no dividend bearing equity
Enhances stakeholder involvement in the management of projects
Surpluses can be directed in favour of the public sector

Question reference: S6W-12554

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the highest amount paid to private agencies for a (a) nursing, (b) consultant and (c) care assistant shift has been in each of the last 10 years.

The information requested on what the highest amount paid to private agencies for a (a) nursing, (b) consultant and (c) care assistant shift has been in each of the last 10 years is not centrally available.

Information on Medical & Dental and Nursing & midwifery bank and agency spend by NHS Board since March 2014 can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: Bank and Agency) tab.

Question reference: S6W-12559

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been paid to private social care providers by (a) local authorities, (b) the NHS, (c) integration joint boards and (d) any other public sector body in each of the last 10 years.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on how much has been paid to private social care providers by any of the bodies as referenced within the query.

Social Care services are commissioned by Local Authorities and information on their expenditure can be found in the annual publication of the Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics report.

Should the information requested not be available from this resource then a direct enquiry should be made with the relevant local authorities.

Question reference: S6W-12551

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many procedures the private sector has tendered for through the Dynamic Purchasing System within the NHS, and whether it will provide a list of them.

Question reference: S6O-01671

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on addressing the reported care staff retention and recruitment challenge within social care.

Question reference: S6O-01641

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address reported declining numbers of National 5 and Higher pupils taking STEM subjects in schools.

Question reference: S6T-00981

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that a discussion of a "two-tier" health service is recorded in draft minutes of a meeting of NHS board chief executives in September.

Question reference: S6O-01578

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on implementing the recommendations of the Institutionalising Participatory and Deliberative Democracy Working Group published in March.

Question reference: S6O-01540

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to independent theatres in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-11670

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 9 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an impact assessment on the decision to reduce the budget for apprenticeships, which has reportedly resulted in Skills Development Scotland freezing apprentice places and budgets.

Apprenticeships are a key way for employers to invest in their workforce, providing the skills the economy needs now and in the future. As part of our recovery, we are committed to building back up to 30,000 apprenticeship starts.

There is no freeze on Modern Apprenticeships this year. SDS will continue to deliver at least 25,000 new Modern Apprenticeship starts this financial year to ensure we maintain momentum and build on the progress in 2021-22 as we work back towards our target of 30,000 apprenticeship starts annually.

It is standard practice for SDS to review changing demand for Modern Apprenticeship starts in-year, and they adjust the number of starts allocated to respond as appropriate within their budget. SDS will continue to follow this process and keep under review whether any additional starts can be allocated to providers within this financial year.

Ultimately these are operational decisions for SDS and it remains for them to continue to manage programmes within their budget and in line with Ministers’ expectations.