Elaine Smith

28 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact it considers the suspension of the Scottish Prison Service Throughcare Support Service will have on successful reintegration into society of people leaving prison.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The suspension of the SPS’ Throughcare Support Service was an operational matter for SPS management to decide upon. This decision was driven by the requirement to reassign experienced officers to mainstream duties within prisons, to help ensure safe and effec…

28 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the suspension of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) Throughcare Support Service will have on the SPS Throughcare Strategy.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: Our Throughcare Strategy makes explicit our commitment to working with partners to improve throughcare as part of arrangements for com…

28 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to the Scottish Prison Service to help it cope with a rising prison population without suspending the Throughcare Support Service.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Prison Service continues to respond to the increasing prison population effectively, and we will continue to work closely with the SPS to actively monitor the situation. The SPS has robust contingency measures in place to ensure the safety and s…

28 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many FTE Throughcare Support Officers in the Scottish Prison Service were carrying out the function of throughcare support on 1 May 2019, and how many will be carrying out this function on 1 October 2019.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: On 1 May 2019 there were 39 FTE Throughcare Support Officers posts with 35.92 individuals in post. There will be no officers with this…

28 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the comment by the former HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland, David Strang, in his paper, What next for prisons in Scotland? Reflections on five years as the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland, that "provision of throughcare services before and aft…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: This Government continues to recognise that effective throughcare can make a valuable contribution to the reintegration of individuals on release from prison. We will continue to support third sector throughcare services across Scotland, as demonstrated by t…

17 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will require ScotRail to directly fund any charges from local authorities resulting from the workplace parking levy or whether all or part of the charges will be passed onto ScotRail employees.

Answer · Michael Matheson: It will be a matter for the employer whether they pass on to employees all, or part of, charges arising from the application of the workplace parking levy by a local authority.  

16 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will allow ScotRail to directly pay charges arising as part of the proposed workplace parking levy or pass all or part of the levy on to employees.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Workplace Parking Levy, which was the subject of Green Party amendments to the Transport Bill, is a levy on premises, not employees. It is a matter for employers whether they pass on the levy to employees.  

27 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many grants it has provided to organisations and individuals since 2014 for research involving any long-term health conditions that did not require to be open to tender; who received these grants, and what the (a) purpose, (b) value, (c) stated purpose and (d) period covered was for …

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office (CSO) funds health and social care research in Scotland. Since 2014, CSO has directly issued the following grants (elements of which include research on long-term health conditions) that were not preceded by an…

26 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Audit Scotland report, Transport Scotland’s ferry services, which was published in October 2017, included the rate of operator return from the contract between Transport Scotland and Serco NorthLink Ferries Ltd.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: All financial information, including details of Serco NorthLink Ferries operator return was provided as part of the operators annual outcome statements to Audit Scotland ahead of the publication of their October 2017 report. The same approach applied to the …

26 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it has facilitated public scrutiny of the rate of return for the operator of the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract in each year since 2012.

Answer · Paul Wheelouse: All financial information, including details of Serco NorthLink Ferries operator return was provided as part of the operators annual outcome statements to Audit Scotland ahead of the publication of their October 2017 report.   https://www.audit-scotland.gov…

26 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish Serco NorthLink Ferries’ base case for each year of the contact for Northern Isles Ferry Services.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Serco NorthLink Ferries is a commercial organisation and as such, any financial information in relation to the base case for the current Northern Isles Ferry Services contract is commercially sensitive. The same approach applies to the operator of the Clyde …

26 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) change in yield and (b) operator return has been in each year of the contract with Serco for Northern Isles Ferry Services.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Serco NorthLink Ferries is a commercial organisation and as such, any financial information in relation to (a) change in yield and (b) operator return for each year of the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract is commercially sensitive. The same approach ap…

25 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) salary and (b) remuneration the (i) lead clinician and (ii) national coordinator for chronic pain has been paid in each of the last five years.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to a recently published FOI release (FoI-18/02950) that gave information about funding over the last five years for national posts for chronic pain https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-18-02950/ .

25 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much the National Advisory Committee for Chronic Pain has paid in staff (a) salaries and (b) remuneration in each year since 2017.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The National Advisory Committee for Chronic Pain does not have any salaried employees. Scottish Government officials provide policy support as part of their duties.

25 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) hours and (b) days per week the (i) lead clinician and (ii) national coordinator for chronic pain are employed for.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-14631 on 6 March 2018. 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…

25 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on making the Scottish Police Federation compliant with data protection and freedom of information legislation, in line with the Police Federation of England and Wales.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Freedom of Information (FoI) acts provide for access to information held by public authorities and Trade Unions and Staff Associations are not generally covered by these acts. The decision to add the Police Federation of England and Wales to FoI legislati…

20 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the higher costs, known as a poverty premium, associated with accessing good-quality, affordable food locally.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: We are committed to tackling inequality and improving access to affordable, healthy and sustainable food for all. We are supporting communities to respond in a way that promotes dignity and helps to move away from emergency food aid as a primary response. …

20 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will address the Poverty and Inequality Commission's concerns regarding poverty and transport policy.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government welcomes the work of the Poverty and Inequality Commission and its working group on Transport. An effective and affordable transport system has a key role to play in tackling poverty in Scotland – both in reducing the essential costs t…

18 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish Women's Convention Conference on Women's Health in Scotland, which was held in July 2018, describing the assistance that was available to women with thyroid issues in seeking further testing and treatment as "inadequate", what additional support it has put in pl…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-23873 on 15 July 2019. 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…

18 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in increasing the availability of specialist thyroid nurses across the country.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care policy in Scotland. However, the statutory responsibility for delivering or commissioning services at a local level lies with local authorities, NHS Boards and integrated health and…

18 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it has taken forward each of the recommendations from the Scottish Women's Convention Conference on Women's Health in Scotland, which was held in July 2018.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We have made significant progress in taking forward the recommendations from the Scottish Women’s Convention Conference on Women’s Health in Scotland, as outlined below. Breast & Cervical Through our Detect Cancer Early programme, we aim to increase the pro…

17 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the reasons for Förde Reederei Seetouristik withdrawing from the bidding process for the 2019-27 Northern Isles Ferry Services' contract.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Förde Reederei Seetouristik GmbH & Co. KG chose not to follow up their initial interest and bid for the tender of the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract, following their own internal commercial decision making process.

17 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23068 by Paul Wheelhouse on 22 May 2019, whether it remains Transport Scotland’s plan to announce the 2019-27 Northern Isles Ferry Services' contract in August.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The timeline for the tender and delivery of the new contract is currently on schedule. Subject to the conclusion of the on-going Judicial Review appeal and associated complaint lodged with the European Commission, we anticipate that the outcome of the tender …

17 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment Transport Scotland has made regarding the potential impact of nationalising the 2019-27 Northern Isles Ferry Services' contract.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The 2019-27 Northern Isles Ferry Service Contract is currently subject to an on-going tender, the outcome of which is due to be announced in August 2019. The Ferry services procurement policy review - Interim report - Emerging findings - 20 December 2017 ,…

17 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding the tendering process for the 2019-27 Northern Isles Ferry Services' contract, and what the cost has been of this process.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The procurement process for the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract is progressing on schedule and within budget. Tenders received on 29 April from CalMac Ferries Ltd and Serco Ltd are currently being evaluated. Subject to the conclusion of the on-going Ju…

11 Jun 2019 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure that the most appropriate support and services are in place for women in the prison system.

5 Jun 2019 · SPCB Oral Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how it ensures equality of access for those wishing to hold parliamentary events onsite.

27 May 2019 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Poverty and Inequality Commission’s recent finding that the current level of spending directed at tackling poverty in Scotland is "falling well short of what is needed".

22 May 2019 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the SQA and what was discussed.

15 May 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports Scotland’s colleges.