Jackie Baillie

22 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much the Vale of Leven Hospital has spent on locum doctors in each year since 2007, also broken down by the number of locums employed.

Answer · Shona Robison: Specific local information will be available from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde who are responsible for the planning and provision of local services.

22 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards have indicated that they will be required to make savings in 2016-17, and whether it will provide a breakdown of (a) how much they plan to save and (b) what services the savings will impact on.

Answer · Shona Robison: As has been the case in previous years, all NHS boards will require to achieve efficiency savings in 2016-17. The preparation for this is at the early stages of development, with formal submissions expected as part of the local delivery planning process in ad…

22 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when each NHS board was advised of its budget allocation for 2016-17.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS territorial and special health boards were advised of their initial allocations for 2016-17 on 26 February 2016.

18 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils will sit Higher (a) physics, (c) biology, (c) chemistry and (d) computing in 2016 and how many have sat the exam in each year since 2007, broken down by gender.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). I have asked the chief executive of SQA to write to you.

18 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many probationary teachers in each year since 2007 did not find a permanent teaching post after their first year of employment.

Answer · Angela Constance: The teacher census is conducted in September each year. The table shows the number of teachers identified in each year's census who were probationer teachers in the previous year and have not found a permanent post in a publicly funded school by the time of t…

18 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many school leavers in each year since 2007 did not go into education, employment or training.

Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The number of school leavers not in education (higher education or further education), employment or training are shown in the following table: Year Number of leavers Number not in education, employment or training1 2007-08 58,603 9,539 2008-09 53,324…

18 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it provides to support student teachers.

Answer · Angela Constance: Scottish domiciled student teachers, studying in Scotland, on both undergraduate and postgraduate teacher training courses, are eligible for help with their tuition fees and living-costs. In addition to free tuition, our support package provides a minimum …

18 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school teacher training places there have been in each year since 2007.

Answer · Angela Constance: The information requested is already in the public domain. It is published annually by the Scottish Funding Council and can be viewed at the following links: http://www.sfc.ac.uk/guidance/guidance.aspx?Search=SFC/AN/01/2016&Type=Announcements&Sector=&From=0…

18 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) science, (b) English, (c) maths and (d) PE teacher training places there have been in each year since 2007.

Answer · Angela Constance: Prior to academic year 2014-15, student teacher intake targets for Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) secondary programmes of initial teacher education were not set on a subject specific basis. The table indicates the targets that have been set since 2…

18 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many probationary teachers there have been in each year since 2007. 

Answer · Angela Constance: The following table shows the number of teachers registered by the General Teaching Council for Scotland as being on the teacher induction scheme recorded in post in a publicly funded school at the time of the annual teacher census. 2007 2008 2009 2010 …

11 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the names of the special advisers in post; what their responsibilities are; what their pay bands are; how many special advisers there are in each pay band, and what the total salary cost of employing special advisers will be for 2015-16.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26746 on 17 July 2015 that provided the total costs* of employing special advisers in 2014-15 which is the last complete year for which the information is available. Special advisers are appointed in accordanc…

9 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which ministers are expected to take part in overseas visits before May 2016, broken down by the (a) date, (b) location and (c) purpose of each visit, and how many officials are expected to attend.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government routinely publishes details of ministerial visits overseas. Details can be found at: http://www.gov.scot/About/People/14944/travel/visitsoverseas. Overseas visits during the period to May 2016 will be published three months in arrears…

8 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with (a) NHS boards and (b) other stakeholders about the National Scheduled Care Programme (sustainability).

Answer · Shona Robison: The National Scheduled Care Programme known as “Getting Ahead – sustainable whole systems management for elective services” has been discussed in detail with the NHS Scotland Chief Operating Officers Group and other informal discussions with a number of NHS b…

8 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish details of the National Scheduled Care Programme (sustainability).

Answer · Shona Robison: Details of the National Scheduled Care Programme titled "Getting Ahead – sustainable whole system management for elective services" was issued on 25 January 2016 under a Health Directorate Director letter. This can be accessed at the following link: http://ww…

8 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date NHS boards will be required to publish a final local delivery plan for 2016-17, including the financial annex.

Answer · Shona Robison: We expect to sign-off local delivery plans (LDPs) in June 2016 and NHS boards will publish their final LDPs immediately after sign-off. As in previous years NHS boards will be taking their draft LDPs through appropriate local boards and committees.

8 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the submission of (a) draft and (b) final NHS local delivery plans for 2016-17 has been delayed and, if so, for what reason.

Answer · Shona Robison: The timetable for their production has been set to take account of integration of health and social care going live in 2016. There is a legal duty for health and social care partnerships to produce a strategic plan and a duty for the delegating parties to be …

8 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS boards about local delivery plans for 2016-17.

Answer · Shona Robison: Scottish Government officials are discussing planning for 2016-17 with NHS boards as part of the annual planning and performance cycle.

4 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the statement, "This will drive redesign of services so that patients will travel further for specialist treatment, but will get better outcomes" in the minutes of the Scottish Partnership Forum meeting of 9 June 2015 means for the current provision of hospitals.

Answer · Shona Robison: The quoted statement was made in a meeting with the Scottish Partnership Forum to get their views and input to developing the National Clinical Strategy. As indicated in the paragraph from which this sentence has been lifted, the discussion highlighted eviden…

4 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which ministers serve on the NHS Guiding Coalition; who the other members are; who it reports to; whether it includes staff representatives; what its remit is; when it was established; when it has met; who attended each meeting; what was discussed, and whether the minutes and papers of i…

Answer · Shona Robison: The NHS senior leaders forum are the Director General for Health and Social Care and Chief Executive of NHS Scotland, directors of the Scottish Government’s Health and Social Care Directorate, NHS Scotland chairs and chief executives, and the chairs of the NH…

4 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government who is overseeing the work to develop a national clinical strategy.

Answer · Shona Robison: The National Clinical Strategy was developed by a small team led by Dr Angus Cameron, on loan from NHS Dumfries and Galloway, and overseen by a group chaired by Professor Jason Leitch, National Clinical Director. In developing the strategy, there was engagem…

4 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the role of an integrated joint board’s section 95 officer is in the delivery of the living wage commitment and whether the sanctions in Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy’s letter of 29 January 2016 in relation to the local government settlement for 2016-17 app…

Answer · Shona Robison: The integration joint board Section 95 officer is responsible for the proper administration of its financial affairs. In terms of the living wage commitment, the Section 95 officer must prepare a budget for approval by the integration joint board that include…

4 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that it does not create a two-tier care workforce.

Answer · Shona Robison: The £250 million investment will help to alleviate the issue of a two-tiered workforce. Currently care workers employed by local authorities are already paid the living wage. This additional investment will help enable councils to support the joint aspiration…

4 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects that (a) third and (b) private sector care providers will pay all their employees at least the living wage as a result of the £250 million allocated in the draft budget for 2016-17 whether they are engaged in public or private contracts.

Answer · John Swinney: The allocation of this significant enhancement in resources will help enable councils to allow adult social care workers, including in the independent and third sector, to be paid the living wage of £8.25 an hour. This assumes that private and third sector pr…

4 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) voluntary and (b) third sector care workers there are in each local authority area, and how much it will cost to pay them at least the living wage.

Answer · Shona Robison: The number of (a) private and (b) voluntary/ third sector workers in the care sector in each local authority area is available in the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) annual workforce survey (table 4). This can be found on the SSSC website (http://data…

4 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it used to calculate the £250 million to be distributed to local authorities to ensure that they pay at least the living wage.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government will distribute the £250 million to health boards via their annual allocations, using the same allocation formula as was used for distribution of the Integrated Care Fund. This approach takes account of funding formulae used for the NH…

4 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consequences will arise should resource transfer arrangements not be agreed with NHS boards by 9 February 2016.

Answer · Shona Robison: Resource transfer arrangements have been superseded by the resource delegation arrangements required by the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014. The legislation requires agreement to be reached on budgets for delegation to integration authoritie…

4 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how it will allocate the additional £250 million for health and social care partnerships that was announced in its 2016-17 draft budget.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-30141 on 26 February 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/parliamentary…

4 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what powers it has to instruct integration joint boards.

Answer · Shona Robison: Section 52 of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 provides ministers with powers to direct integration authorities, including integration joint boards, in relation to their carrying out of functions conferred on them by the Act.

4 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role integration joint boards have in decisions about the conditions proposed by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy in relation to the payment of the living wage in adult social care contracts, and the proposed changes to charges for services that they commi…

Answer · Shona Robison: Integration joint boards will be required to set a budget that allocates their share of the integration funding included within the local government settlement, to meet as a minimum the settlements’ commitments in relation to social care, i.e. in relation to …

4 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy advised local authority chief executives that the contribution expected from third and private sector care organisations toward paying at least the living wage to their care workers in 2016-17 is 25%.

Answer · John Swinney: The funding provided last year to improve quality of care through fair work practices, including paying the living wage, used a tripartite model where care providers and local government each provided a 25% contribution of the investment agreed. In correspon…