Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,397 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to publish data on its spending over £25,000 on a monthly basis, for what reason its last publication of such information, which covered August, September and October 2018, was on 10 May 2019, and what its response is to concerns that not publishing such infor…
Answer · Kate Forbes: The latest reports, to February 2019 were published on 30 September 2019 The Government is committed to transparency and officials are working hard to publish information as promptly as practicable Reports for the months of March 2019 and April 2019 will be…
19 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to publish data on its spending over £25,000 on a monthly basis, and in the interests of transparency and accountability and the Parliament's ability to scrutinise its work, whether, as a matter of urgency, it will publish the data for each month since Novembe…
Answer · Kate Forbes: This response is the same as the response to S5W–25414 on 4 October 2019 The latest reports, to February 2019 were published on 30 September 2019 The Government is committed to transparency and officials are working hard to publish information as promptly a…
19 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not published any monthly spending data for the last four months and, in the interests of transparency and accountability and the Parliament's ability to scrutinise its work, whether, as a matter of urgency, it will now do so.
Answer · Kate Forbes: This response is the same as the response to S5W–25414 on 4 October 2019 The latest reports, to February 2019 were published on 30 September 2019 The Government is committed to transparency and officials are working hard to publish information as promptly a…
18 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that there is sufficient capacity and specialist health professional support available for hospice provision and respite breaks for young adults with complex and rare conditions.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-25397 on 4 October 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/parliamentarybusines…
18 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) hospices, (b) charities and (c) health and social care partnerships on the availability of hospice provision and respite breaks for young adults with complex and rare conditions.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-25397 on 4 October 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/parliamentarybusines…
18 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what NHS funding and commissioning mechanisms are in place for hospice provision and respite breaks for young adults with complex and rare conditions.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 makes clear that it is the responsibility of Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) to plan and commission services for their area, using the integrated budget under their control, to meet the specific needs of t…
10 Sep 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde about the closure of the out of hours service at the Vale of Leven Hospital.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Officials have been in regular contact with NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde regarding plans for the future sustainability of the services from the Vale of Leven - in particular the activity around the engagement with key partner organisations including local clin…
4 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-24399 by Jamie Hepburn on 7 August 2019, whether there will be a formal evaluation of the Workplace Equality Fund and, if so, when.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: A procurement specification for an external evaluation of the Workplace Equality Fund 2018/19 is currently being developed. I expect the procurement process to be finalised in the coming months and an evaluation to start shortly after.
4 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-24399 by Jamie Hepburn on 7 August 2019, what systematic change has taken place, and what inequalities have been overcome as a result of the Workplace Equality Fund.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Workplace Equality Fund 2018-19 has three main outcomes: 1) Employment opportunities and progression in the workplace are improved for the priority groups and improvements are embedded into the workplace to ensure lasting change; 2) Knowledge, skills, p…
2 Sep 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Crown Office will release its findings from the investigation into the fatal fire at Cameron House in December 2017.
28 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many places there have been at Scottish universities for (a) Scottish-domiciled and (b) fee paying students to study medicine in each year since 2014, also broken down by institution.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: (a) The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) allocates funded places for eligible Scottish domiciled and EU students. I refer the member to Scottish Parliament information Centre (SPICe) Bib number 60970. In AY 2019-20 the SFC set a minimum core intake target for …
28 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish-domiciled students applied to study medicine at Scottish universities in each academic year since 2014, also broken down by institution.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) does not publish the number of applications at this level.
28 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish-domiciled students were accepted at Scottish universities to study medicine in each academic year since 2014, also broken down by institution.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) does not provide the number of acceptances at this level. However the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) provides the number of medicine students entering university each year. This is broken dow…
28 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage school pupils to study medicine.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Our education system aims to provide young people with experiences and with careers information, advice and guidance to raise awareness of opportunities and support informed choices. Skills Development Scotland, our national skills body, works in partnership …
28 Aug 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the value is of Scotch lamb exports to Europe.
27 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the observation by the Chief Medical Officer in annex 1 to A Summary of the Health of the Nation that "Mortality in Scotland has hardly improved in the last five years – this is almost unprecedented since the Second World War"; what analysis it has carried out of …
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Life expectancy in Scotland has been increasing in recent decades, and premature mortality rates in the most deprived areas are down 11% since 2007, with the overall rate down 17% for the same period. The fact that in 2017 improvements in life expectancy sta…
27 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the information on mortality rates was contained in annex 1 to A Summary of the Health of the Nation and not in the body of the main document, Personalising Realistic Medicine: Chief Medical Officer for Scotland's Annual Report 2017-2018.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: In previous years, the Health of the Nation Summary Report, has been included at the end of the Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report. This year, they were published separately, as they cover two complementary, but distinctly different topics. The Chief Medi…
27 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the observation by the Chief Medical Officer in annex 1 to A Summary of the Health of the Nation that "Mortality inequalities in Scotland started to increase after 2011. Mortality rates have worsened in the most deprived fifth of Scottish areas, and overall inequa…
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-24967 on 19 September 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/parliamentarybusin…
19 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many welfare inspections have been carried out annually since 1 January 2012 on poultry holdings with egg laying hens that contain (a) more and (b) fewer than 1,000 birds.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: APHA conducts inspections for welfare non-compliance issues at poultry holdings on behalf of the Scottish Ministers and maintains the records of such inspections. The Scottish Government understands, from figures provided by APHA, that 144 inspections of poul…
19 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many poultry holdings with egg laying hens failed inspections in each year since 1 January 2012, and how many of these were due to breaches in (a) egg marketing, (b) salmonella testing, (c) hygiene standards and (d) failings in welfare.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24151 on 7 August 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…
19 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it uses eggs from enriched cages in any (a) food or meals that it provides and (b) of the catering services that it provides (a) on and (ii) outwith its own premises.
Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-24149 on 15 July 2019 asked by Alison Johnstone. 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.sc…
19 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who was responsible for negotiating the settlement of costs relating to the judicial review brought by the former First Minister, Alex Salmond, and whether the First Minister was advised.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-24819 on 4 September 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/parliamentarybusine…
19 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the first meeting of the Animal Welfare Commission will be held; what organisations will be represented on it, and what welfare issues it will consider in its first year.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Work is underway to establish the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission and it will have its inaugural meeting after it is established. The membership and programme of work to be taken forward by the Committee in its first year will be determined once the Chair…
19 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any problems with settlement at Brimmond School in Aberdeen; whether Hub North Scotland Ltd or Aberdeen City Council have instructed reports to investigate any such issues, and, if so, from whom reports have been commissioned and when they were instructed.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has taken the allegations about settlement issues at Brimmond School very seriously. Aberdeen City Council, as the owner of the building, categorically assured us that the claims are untrue. over past few years, Aberdeen City Council …
19 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many egg producers have made a commitment to phase out egg production from hens in enriched cages by 2025.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-24148 on 17 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…
19 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time is for paediatric surgery at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The average and longest waiting time for inpatient paediatric surgery is 88 and 529 days respectively. For new outpatients it is 30 and 54 days respectively. The longest waiting times provided in the following tables is the 98 th percentile figure in keeping …
19 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many supermarket retailers have made a commitment to phase out eggs from caged hens by 2025, and how many have committed to phase out (a) whole eggs on the shelf, (b) their own branded products that contain such eggs and (c) any other products that contain …
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-24147 on 17 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…
19 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to prohibiting the use of enriched cages for laying hens on animal welfare grounds.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24146 on 7 August 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…
19 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation by The Cole Inquiry that the use of visual inspection reports of schools should cease, for what reason a visual inspection report is reported to be being relied on in the case of Brimmond School in Aberdeen.
Answer · John Swinney: The visual inspection report on alleged defects at Brimmond School was commissioned by Hub North Scotland and Aberdeen City Council. Under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, it is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage and maintain the s…
19 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it sought an independent audit of the cost of legal fees in the judicial review brought by the former First Minister, Alex Salmond.
Answer · John Swinney: The Court in this case awarded expenses to the former First Minister, Alex Salmond. Established procedures were followed to agree the sums to be paid. The Scottish Government legal team represented the Scottish Government in this process, and they also engage…