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-05512

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether Deloitte has been commissioned to undertake a report on NHS general practice and, if so, (a) when it was commissioned, (b) at what cost and (c) when it will be published.

Deloitte were commissioned to undertake an Analysis of General Practice Systems and Processes, to inform the work carried out under the Primary Care Digital Services Delivery Fund for prioritisation of funding for digital services and infrastructure, both locally and nationally. The work was commissioned on 16 June 2016 and the funds payable to Deloitte for the work they undertook was £148,202 (excluding VAT).

Deloitte were also commissioned to undertake a review of the Scottish Allocation Formula (SAF), which weights general practice funding by various factors that affect workload, including deprivation, rurality and age. The work was commissioned in two parts, the first on 18 December 2015 and the funds payable to Deloitte for the work they undertook was £41,450, and the second on 14 April 2016 and the funds payable to Deloitte for the work they undertook was £36,450 (excluding VAT).

The relevant information will be published at an appropriate time following the successful conclusion of General Medical Services (GMS) contract negotiations.

Question reference: S5W-05510

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many private consultancy reports have been commissioned by NHS Scotland in each year since 2010, broken down by (a) cost per report and (b) NHS board.

Question reference: S5O-00644

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 February 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recently published report, Export Statistics Scotland 2015.

Question reference: S5W-06164

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many reports have been made of an ambulance not being inspected for mechanical safety in each year since 2010.

Question reference: S5W-06156

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the longest recorded time was to discharge a patient from an ambulance on arrival at A&E in each month since May 2011, broken down by Scottish Ambulance Service regional operational division.

Question reference: S5W-06162

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many paramedics have been employed by each Scottish Ambulance Service regional operational division in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S5W-06163

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many ambulance journeys have been made in each year since 2010 where it has been known that the vehicle had not been inspected to ensure that it was (a) mechanically safe and (b) stocked with the full supply of paramedic drugs, material or equipment.

All ambulance vehicles undergo rigorous maintenance checks above the manufacturer's guidance. There are also standard operating procedures in place to ensure the required drugs, consumables and equipment is available for all ambulance staff. In addition, the Scottish Ambulance Service has a process in place in which all ambulance staff are expected to complete a Vehicle and Equipment Check sheet before the start of their shift. This would include ensuring their kit bag is fully equipped. The Service is currently running a pilot in Edinburgh whereby the first 15 minutes of each shift would be used to ensure the Vehicle and Equipment Check sheet is completed fully.

The information requested is not held centrally as this is an operational matter for the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Question reference: S5W-06159

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that ambulances attending emergencies are (a) mechanically safe and (b) stocked with the full supply of paramedic drugs, material or equipment.

The Scottish Ambulance Service has a process in place in which all ambulance staff are expected to complete a Vehicle and Equipment Check sheet before the start of their shift. This would include ensuring their kit bag is fully equipped. The Service is currently running a pilot in Edinburgh whereby the first 15 minutes of each shift would be used to ensure the Vehicle and Equipment Check sheet is completed fully.

Question reference: S5W-06161

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 1,000 new paramedics posts that it announced in October 2015 have been filled.

Question reference: S5W-06157

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the Scottish Ambulance Service maintains and checks its fleet every six weeks.

The Scottish Ambulance Service is required to comply with all relevant road traffic legislation including the need to ensure that its vehicles are mechanically safe.

The Service operates a fleet of over 1,459 vehicles which are maintained through a network of 15 vehicle maintenance facilities across Scotland, as well as a Police Scotland workshop and remote island providers. All vehicles receive an MOT, servicing and safety checks following predetermined schedules reflecting legislative requirements and the most stringent safety inspection regimes as recommended by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Guide to Maintaining Road Worthiness. Safety checks are carried out on A&E and emergency response vehicles every eight weeks as per industry best practice. Other operational vehicles have safety inspection intervals appropriate to their use.