Parliamentary questions

Elaine Smith

1,153 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

16 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will offer teenagers immunisation against meningococcal W disease and, if so, within what timeframe and what age groups.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government, like the other UK health departments, receives advice on vaccination from the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). At its meeting on 4 February 2015 the JCVI considered the most recent epidemiological evidence and…

3 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that NHS Lanarkshire took account of the area's levels of ill-health, chronic conditions and poverty statistics in deciding to close the Centre for Integrative Care's clinics at Coatbridge and Carluke.

Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-24721 on 11 March 2015. 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/Apps2/Busines…

3 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review public consultations on health issues, in light of the proposed closure by NHS Lanarkshire of the clinics at Coatbridge and Carluke run by the Centre for Integrative Care at Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital (CIC) and to cease access to the CIC despite a reported 80.6% …

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government keeps all national policies, guidelines and frameworks under regular review to ensure they are fit for purpose.

3 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed closure by NHS Lanarkshire of the clinics at Coatbridge and Carluke run by the Centre for Integrative Care at Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital (CIC) and to cease access to the CIC, what its position is on democratic intervention and whether it considers that this ac…

Answer · Maureen Watt: Under the NHS Reform (Scotland) Act 2004, health boards are required to involve local stakeholders in designing, developing and delivering the health care services they provide for them. National guidance on informing, engaging and consulting people in develo…

30 Jan 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the full contract details of the franchise agreement with Abellio will be published.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The full suite of franchise agreement documents with commercially sensitive information redacted will be available on the Transport Scotland website by 20 February 2015.

16 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the police officers who make up the Joint Central Committee of the Scottish Police Federation are subject to rule 13.1.1 of the Police Federation (Scotland) Rules 2013 and, if so, whether this takes precedence over section 20 of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The making of rules under the Police Federation (Scotland) Regulations 2013, and the governance and implementation of those rules, is a matter for the Scottish Police Federation. The members of the Joint Central Committee of the Scottish Police Federation co…

16 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Joint Central Committee of the Scottish Police Federation is governed under section 20 of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The members of the Joint Central Committee of the Scottish Police Federation continue to hold the office of constable under the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 and are therefore governed by the Act, including section 20.

8 Dec 2014 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on NHS Lanarkshire’s out-of-hours service.

19 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of reports that members of the public who rely on making telephone calls to government agencies can experience financial hardship as a result of the cost and what plans it has to tackle the costs of such calls.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government and associated agencies have a varied approach to encourage contact from the people of Scotland. This includes email and web forums as well as telephone contact. The Scottish Government does not use cost generating phone numbers and it…

19 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what policies it has in place or could introduce to reduce the cost of telephone calls to its agencies.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government uses a non-geographic 0300 as its published central contact number for the Scottish Government and its directorates. Use of this number ensures that calls are charged at no more than the national rate. The Scottish Government and its a…

19 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much income is generated by calls from members of the public to its agencies using cost-generating telephone numbers.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-23270 on 11 December 2014. 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/parliamenta…

19 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what agencies in Scotland use cost-generating telephone numbers such as 0845 numbers for public services.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not use cost generating phone numbers and its agencies are informed in their use of 0300 and 0845 numbers, which are also non-cost-generating, by best practice as recommended by the industry regulator OFCOM. Disclosure Scotland u…

6 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the benefits to rail freight (a) volumes and (b) services of the next franchised ScotRail contract, broken down by (i) route and (ii) region.

Answer · Keith Brown: We have a very clear expectation as part of our overall strategy that Abellio ScotRail will work closely with the rail freight sector, Network Rail and other stakeholders to maximise the economic and social impact of Scotland’s railways. For example, in the e…

6 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the benefits to passengers of the next franchised ScotRail contract, broken down by (a) passenger service route and (b) region.

Answer · Keith Brown: The evaluation criteria for franchise award was 65% price, 35% quality. The winning bidder’s quality submission contained a variety of benefits to passengers. Details of these benefits by route and by region may be found here: http://www.transportscotland.gov…

6 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) service level, (b) station and (c) infrastructure improvements it has achieved on each franchised ScotRail passenger route in each year since 2012 and how each was funded.

Answer · Keith Brown: Since 2012 the Scottish Government has worked with ScotRail to achieve many improvements to service level, stations and infrastructure. The improvements and funding is set out in the following table by Regional Transport Partnership (RTP) area. RTP Improvem…

6 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce the successful bidder for the ScotRail franchise and on what date it will publish the franchise agreement.

Answer · Keith Brown: On 8 October 2014, Scottish Ministers announced the intention to award the new ScotRail franchise to Abellio ScotRail Limited. The ScotRail franchise agreement will be published in due course.

3 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance on passenger toilet facilities it issued to the operator of ScotRail services prior to the Commonwealth Games 2014.

Answer · Keith Brown: Transport Scotland engage regularly with ScotRail on rolling stock and station improvements to passenger facilities. The current ScotRail franchise requires that ScotRail passenger toilet facilities are fully functional including all lights, locks and seats. …

3 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether ScotRail rolling stock used during the Commonwealth Games 2014 was fitted with effluent retention tanks and what discussions it had with the operator regarding the discharge of effluent on the tracks on ScotRail routes prior to the start of the Games.

Answer · Keith Brown: All ScotRail rolling stock used during the Commonwealth Games were fitted with effluent retention tanks with the exception of class 156 trains and class 314 trains. The class 314 trains are not fitted with toilets. No discussions were held regarding the disch…

3 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions with rolling stock companies it had regarding the design of the invitation to tender for ScotRail services published in January 2014 and whether it discussed the deadline for connecting rolling stock toilets to effluent retention tanks.

Answer · Keith Brown: During early 2013, Transport Scotland held a series of market briefings with the rail industry about the franchise procurement exercise and the franchise objectives. The draft invitation to tender (ITT) was issued to pre-qualified bidders in November 2013 wit…

3 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many bidders for the ScotRail franchise have explained in the Rolling Stock Improvement Delivery Plan how they will fit effluent retention tanks on all rolling stock and how many have committed to complete this improvement before 1 January 2020.

Answer · Keith Brown: This was an issue that was recognised in preparation of the specification for the next Scotrail franchise that commences on 1 April 2015. An obligation is included in the new franchise contract for all rolling stock, with on-train toilets, to be fitted with c…

3 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will take steps to require all ScotRail rolling stock to be fitted with effluent retention tanks before 1 January 2020.

Answer · Keith Brown: From December 2017 there will be no ScotRail or Caledonian Sleeper franchise-operated rolling stock that discharges toilet effluent on to the track. The invitation to tender issued by Transport Scotland for the ScotRail franchise competition specified that t…

3 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on which ScotRail routes the rolling stock is not fitted with effluent retention tanks.

Answer · Keith Brown: The routes on which rolling stock which is not fitted with effluent retention tanks operate, according to the December 2013 rolling stock unit diagrams, are: Glasgow Queen Street to Alloa, Oban, Fort William, Mallaig and Anniesland; Glasgow Central to Kilma…

3 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many carriages fitted with passenger toilet facilities licensed to operate on the ScotRail franchise are fitted with controlled emission toilets that are (a) connected and (b) not connected to effluent retention tanks and what proportion of the ScotRail rolling stock this represents.…

Answer · Keith Brown: The number of carriages fitted with passenger toilet facilities operated by the ScotRail franchisee is 527. The number of carriages with passenger toilet facilities connected to effluent retention tanks is 479. The number of carriages with passenger toilet …

3 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons rolling stock operated under contract with Transport Scotland will be allowed to discharge effluent on the tracks until 1 January 2020.

Answer · Keith Brown: From December 2017 there will be no ScotRail or Caledonian Sleeper franchise-operated rolling stock that discharges toilet effluent on to the track. The original deadline of 1 January 2020 was chosen to provide a practically sufficient period to allow the Sc…

3 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding effluent discharge on the tracks in Scotland from rolling stock operated on cross-border passenger rail services since May 2011 and what remedies have been discussed.

Answer · Keith Brown: The specification of rolling stock for cross-border services is a reserved matter for the UK Government. I have written to the UK Secretary of State for Transport to confirm that from December 2017 there will be no ScotRail or Caledonian Sleeper franchise-ope…

3 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) trade unions and (b) Network Rail regarding effluent discharge on the tracks from (i) ScotRail and (ii) cross-border rolling stock since May 2011 and what remedies have been discussed.

Answer · Keith Brown: This matter was first raised in a letter from the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) to Transport Scotland on 25 September 2014 and discussions with Network Rail and the RMT are ongoing. Network Rail continues to work with their main…

3 Oct 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave to the health of track workers when setting the deadline of 1 January 2020 for effluent retention tanks to be fitted to all rolling stock in the invitation to tender for the ScotRail franchise.

Answer · Keith Brown: From December 2017 there will be no ScotRail or Caledonian Sleeper franchise-operated rolling stock that discharges toilet effluent on to the track. The issue of discharging toilet effluent was recognised in preparation of the specification for the next Scot…

25 Sep 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints have been made to the police in relation to the Breastfeeding etc. (Scotland) Act 2005, broken down by year.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. This is a matter for Police Scotland.

25 Sep 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many warning letters have been issued to (a) employers, (b) individuals and (c) bodies corporate and partnerships in relation to the Breastfeeding etc. (Scotland) Act 2005, broken down by year.

Answer · Lesley Thomson: Section 1 of the Breastfeeding etc. (Scotland) Act 2005 makes it an offence to prevent or stop a person in charge of a child who is otherwise permitted to be in a public place or licensed premises from feeding milk to that child in that place or on those prem…

25 Sep 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many alternatives to prosecution have been pursued each year in relation to the Breastfeeding etc. (Scotland) Act 2005, broken down by (a) employers, (b) individuals and (c) bodies corporate and partnerships.