Parliamentary questions
Elaine Smith
1,153 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
29 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed closure of trauma and orthopaedic services at Monklands Hospital, what discussions it has had with NHS Lanarkshire regarding visitor transport services for patients who are admitted to (a) Hairmyres Hospital and (b) Wishaw General Hospital.
Answer · Shona Robison: It is important to remember that outpatient appointments account for greater than 85% of all orthopaedic patient contacts and orthopaedic outpatient services will remain at all three of the main acute hospitals in Lanarkshire, including Monklands Hospital, fo…
29 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, if the proposed closure of trauma and orthopaedic services at Monklands Hospital takes place, how many additional ambulances would be required for the NHS Lanarkshire area.
Answer · Shona Robison: The number and deployment of ambulances are operational matters for the Scottish Ambulance Service, in liaison with its planning partners such as NHS boards. NHS Lanarkshire has provided assurances that they have engaged directly with the Ambulance Service as…
27 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the implications for oil and gas industry workers in Scotland of the European Aviation Safety Agency’s decision to ground Super Puma model helicopters from commercial operations.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01042 on 19 July 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28…
27 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible impact on employment in the oil and gas industry, what discussions it has had with commercial operators of offshore helicopters following the UK Government’s grounding of Super Puma model helicopters from commercial operation in the North Sea.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01042 on 19 July 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28…
27 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the implications for workers in Scotland in the offshore oil and gas industry of the fatal incident off the coast of Bergen, Norway, on 29 April 2016 involving a Super Puma Airbus 225 helicopter.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01042 on 19 July 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28…
27 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on employment in the oil and gas industry, what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the grounding of Super Puma model helicopters from commercial operation in the North Sea.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The safety of offshore oil and gas workers in the North Sea remains of paramount importance to the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government continue to have observer status on the governance body overseeing implementation of the recommendations in the Ci…
17 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of how the NHS Pre-Registration Pharmacist Scheme compares with similar schemes in the rest of the UK, and whether it will publish the findings.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00855 on 30 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/2…
17 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many pharmacy graduates have received NHS Pre-Registration Pharmacist Scheme funding in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00855 on 30 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28…
17 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many places are available on the NHS Pre-Registration Pharmacist Scheme for 2016-17.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00855 on 30 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28…
17 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it measures whether students who have enrolled in the NHS Pre-Registration Pharmacist Scheme are satisfied (a) with the experience and (b) that the scheme is fit for purpose.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00855 on 30 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/2…
17 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the purpose is of the NHS Pre-Registration Pharmacist Scheme.
Answer · Shona Robison: The NHS Pre-Registration Pharmacist Scheme (PRPS) was launched in 2006 to address identified variations in the quality of pre-registration training provision and assessment during the pre-registration training year, and to meet the needs of the Scottish Gover…
1 Jun 2016 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Lanarkshire and what matters were discussed.
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, how many (a) public and (b) private sector bids it is hoping to receive when the next contracts to operate (i) Gourock-Dunoon and (ii) Northern Isles ferry services are put out to tender.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: It is not possible to anticipate how many public and private sector bids will be received for the next Gourock-Dunoon or Northern Isles ferry service contracts.
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to publish the invitations to tender for the (a) Gourock-Dunoon and (b) Northern Isles ferry services contracts.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: We anticipate issuing invitations to tender for the Gourock-Dunoon ferry service contract around late summer 2016. Our working assumptions for the next Northern Isles ferry service contract suggest that invitations to tender will issue in early summer 2017.
9 Mar 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on NHS boards paying for service-level agreements under which patients are not offered referrals to the other board.
Answer · Shona Robison: The role of the Scottish Government is to provide policies, frameworks and resources to NHS boards in order that they can deliver services that meet the needs of their local population. Within this context, it is a matter for individual health boards to plan …
9 Mar 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much NHS Lanarkshire has paid each year toward its service-level agreement with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde with regard to the NHS Centre for Integrative Care.
Answer · Shona Robison: It is for local NHS boards to plan and provide services to meet the needs of its local population. Boards will often work together and agree to provide specialist and complementary services under a formal service level agreement. Information in relation to sp…
9 Mar 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the board paying toward a service-level agreement to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde for such referrals, what its position is on NHS Lanarkshire's reported decision not to support applications to refer some patients to the NHS Centre for Integrative Care or its outreach clinic…
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government recognises that complementary and alternative medicines/therapies (CAMs), like those provided by the Centre for Integrative Care and elsewhere, may offer relief to some people suffering from a wide variety of conditions. It is, however…
8 Mar 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the proposal to build a wing on the NHS Centre for Integrative Care in Glasgow to accommodate the new Scottish residential chronic pain facility.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government continues to work with NHS National Services Scotland’s National Services Division and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde on the design of the permanent facility of the Scottish National Chronic Pain Management Programme (SNCPMP). It shoul…
8 Mar 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will impose a moratorium on NHS boards not referring patients to the NHS Centre for Integrative Care (CIC), ensure that NHS Lanarkshire does not close the CIC clinic in Coatbridge and undertake a national review of the service.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government recognises that complementary and alternative therapies, such as those provided by the Centre for Integrative Care (CIC) and elsewhere, may offer relief to some people living with a variety of conditions, including chronic pain. It is,…
8 Mar 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that there is no further depletion of staffing and resources at the NHS Centre for Integrative Care in Glasgow, which the Minister for Public Health described as "a national resource" on 4 March 2015 (Official Report, c. 12).
Answer · Maureen Watt: The provision of healthcare services is the responsibility of local NHS boards, taking into account national guidance, local service needs and priorities for investment. It is therefore the responsibility of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to ensure that the Ce…
8 Mar 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it and the Ministerial Steering Group on Chronic Pain plan to ensure delivery of equality in chronic pain services, in light of Information Services Division figures published on 8 March 2016 showing some NHS boards breaching the 18-week referral to treatment guarantee and two boards…
Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-30490 on 21 March 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybus…
8 Mar 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what sanctions it will place on NHS boards that have not met the 18 weeks referral to treatment guarantee on first treatments at chronic pain clinics.
Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-30490 on 21 March 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybus…
29 Feb 2016 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the named person scheme in light of recent reports that the Scottish Public Sector Ombudsman has raised concerns.
18 Dec 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Centurion system for numbering criminal allegations against police officers compared with how criminal allegations against ordinary members of the public are dealt with.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-29082 on 12 January 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentaryb…
18 Dec 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether numbering criminal allegations against police officers in the Centurion system is a contravention of Part (b) of section 34(3) of the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006, and of Part (a) and (b) if the allegation were to be made by a serving police offic…
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-29082 on 12 January 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentaryb…
18 Dec 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether and, if so, for what reason only police officers are subject to the Centurion system for numbering criminal allegations and when the Scottish Government became aware of this process.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-29082 on 12 January 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentaryb…
18 Dec 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the Centurion system of numbering criminal allegations against police officers is used for.
Answer · Michael Matheson: This is an operational matter for Police Scotland.
16 Dec 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is indemnified against losses incurred by delays to the schedule for introducing new rolling stock on Caledonian Sleeper services in 2018.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Delivery of new rolling stock is a committed obligation, detailed at schedule 1.6 of the Caledonian Sleeper Franchise Agreement. In the event of delay, payment adjustments will be levied against Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited.
16 Dec 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited regarding the (a) condition of rolling stock, (b) safety of (i) passengers and (ii) workers and (c) reliability of (i) toilet facilities, (ii) the power supply and (iii) smoke alarms on these services.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The franchise agreement specifies the schedule of meetings between officials and representatives of Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited. There is a per-period (four weekly) franchise performance meeting where safety and maintenance issues are discussed. The pur…
16 Dec 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when ministers last met representatives of the RMT to discuss the industrial dispute with Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Ministers last met with RMT on 24 November 2015 and the industrial dispute with Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited was discussed.