Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,397 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
20 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out an evaluation of the Scottish Welfare Fund and, if so, whether it will be published.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: We have appointed Heriot Watt University to carry out an evaluation of the Scottish Welfare Fund. We expect to publish the report from this evaluation in late spring 2014.
20 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there is an underspend in the Scottish Welfare Fund for 2013-14.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Welfare Fund is a new scheme and an underspend in its early months is not surprising as local authorities adapted to their new welfare responsibilities. Action in recent months, including amending the guidance in October 2013 to give local author…
20 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the first supplementary to question S4O-02918 by Margaret Burgess on 20 February 2014 (Official Report, c. 27950), what the anticipated underspend is in the Scottish Welfare Fund.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: This is contained in the official statistics on the Scottish Welfare Fund that can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Social-Welfare/swf.
20 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people from ethnic minority backgrounds serve on each public body and what percentage of all public appointments this represents.
Answer · John Swinney: We cannot provide figures for individual public bodies as this information is sensitive personal data of a third party and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act 1998 as, due to the small numbers…
20 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who it has consulted regarding the development of its updated race equality statement.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-17577 on 18 October 2013. 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…
20 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list each of the (a) outcomes achieved and (b) action plans developed as a result of the Scottish Government Race Equality Statement.
Answer · Shona Robison: An assessment of progress will be published as part of our work to refresh the race equality statement in spring 2014.
20 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there has been a delay in the publication of its updated race equality statement and what the expected publication date is.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answers to questions S4W-17153 on 26 September 2013 and S4W-17576 on 18 October 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www…
17 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the NHS continues to prescribe Venlafaxine and what is known about side-effects.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Venlafaxine is prescribed by the NHS. Prescribing information for Venlafaxine in Scotland is published on ISD’s website in Medicines for Mental Health 2012-13 Publication found on the page for prescribing issues http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Prescr…
17 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what services are in place to assist people who are experiencing withdrawal from antidepressant medication.
Answer · Michael Matheson: People experiencing withdrawal from antidepressant medication would be expected to be under the care of a general practitioner or psychiatrist and any problems would be discussed and managed.
17 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any antidepressant medication may no longer be prescribed or advice has been given to GPs on limiting its usage.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The licensing, safety and efficacy of medicines is currently a reserved matter and is taken forward by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on a UK-wide basis. Decisions on whether or not to prescribe a specific medicine are for the …
17 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance GPs have been given regarding withdrawal symptoms from antidepressant medication.
Answer · Michael Matheson: General practitioners and other clinicians prescribe according to the British National Formulary and report reactions to prescribed medication (including withdrawal symptoms) through the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Clinicians …
17 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people are (a) prescribed, (b) experiencing withdrawal symptoms from and (c) being treated for withdrawal from antidepressant medication.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Information about the prescription of antidepressant medication can be found in the Medicines for Mental Health publication from September 2013: http://www.isdscotland.org/Publications/index.asp. In Scotland a total of 747,158 patients received treatment with…
15 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much the public inquiry into the Clostridium difficile outbreak at the Vale of Leven Hospital has cost.
Answer · Alex Neil: As the Vale of Leven Hospital is an independent inquiry, it is for the chairman to decide on the procedure and conduct of the inquiry. The chairman has indicated that he will publish full costs at the end of the inquiry. However, the information held on costs…
10 Feb 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been distributed by the Scottish Welfare Fund in its first six months of operation.
7 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-19645 by Alex Neil on 7 February 2014, when it expects the warning letter process to be completed.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry is an independent inquiry. The procedure and conduct of an inquiry is determined by the inquiry’s chairperson in accordance with his or her duties under the Inquiries Act 2005. All warning letters have now been issued and Lo…
30 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what community awareness raising and prevention work is undertaken with women from cultures that practice female genital mutilation.
Answer · Shona Robison: A number of methods are used to raise awareness and encourage the reporting of female genital mutilation (FGM) including engaging with individuals and minority ethnic women’s organisations such as Dignity Alert Research Forum (DARF), Saheliya and Shakti Women…
30 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what specialist services are available for women who have experienced female genital mutilation.
Answer · Alex Neil: Twelve of the fourteen Territorial NHS boards report that they do not offer dedicated specialist services for women who have experienced female genital mutilation (FGM). Of the boards that offer specialist services, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have two clin…
30 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what female genital mutilation clinics are available in each NHS board area.
Answer · Alex Neil: All fourteen Territorial NHS boards report that they do not have dedicated female genital mutilation (FGM) clinics. If women and children are identified as being victims of FGM, the NHS in Scotland will offer all available assistance to ensure positive health…
30 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) prevalence and (b) severity is of female genital mutilation.
Answer · Shona Robison: (a) It has been estimated that 3,000 women and girls are at risk in Scotland. This figure for Scotland is a pro rata projection based on research by FORWARD in England and Wales in 2007. According to the 2001 Census data, there were 2,946 women between the a…
30 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will establish a transition fund for European-funded projects to avoid redundancies or project closures due to any delay in allocating funds for 2014 to 2020.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government expects the 2014-20 structural funds programmes to launch in early summer 2014. The Scottish Government has extended a number of projects into 2014, in particular employability projects where the third sector has a significant delivery…
30 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will allocate European funding for 2014 to 2020.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has been working with partners for more than two years to develop strategic projects, schemes or programmes which could be supported from EU structural funds in 2014-20. The formal allocation of funding to these strategic interventions…
30 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the cause is of any delay in allocating European funding for 2014 to 2020.
Answer · John Swinney: There is no delay in allocating EU funding for 2014-20. The regulations governing how these funds can be allocated and spent were laid in December 2013, and the Scottish Government expects to start structural funds programmes in early summer of 2014, with t…
28 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it achieved the (a) 40% target for female applicants, (b) 15% target for disabled applicants and (c) 8% target for minority ethnic applicants for public appointments prior to May 2013.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-19449 on 20 February 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…
28 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for public appointments there were in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2010-11 and (d) 2011-12 and how many were from (i) women, (ii) disabled people and (iii) people from an ethnic minority background.
Answer · John Swinney: The following table sets out the numbers of applications for public appointments received by the Scottish Government: Applicants 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Women 209 699 566 310 Disabled 126 160 205 140 Ethnic Minority 22 52 64 33 To…
28 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has measured the level of awareness of public bodies and the appointments process and, if so, what the result was and whether the 45% target was reached.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-19438 on 20 February 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…
28 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what reference groups it has set up to support the implementation of Diversity Delivers: A strategy for enhancing equality of opportunity in Scotland's ministerial public appointments process since September 2008 and when they have met.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-19435 on 20 February 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…
28 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has action plans for each recommendation in Diversity Delivers: A strategy for enhancing equality of opportunity in Scotland's ministerial public appointments process.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-19435 on 20 February 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…
28 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who is responsible for implementing Diversity Delivers: A strategy for enhancing equality of opportunity in Scotland's ministerial public appointments process and how this group differs from the original implementation group.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-19435 on 20 February 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…
28 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has piloted the use of training positions on the boards of public bodies and, if so, with what result.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-19438 on 20 February 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…
28 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it provided workshops on how to apply for board positions, as recommended in Diversity Delivers: A strategy for enhancing equality of opportunity in Scotland's ministerial public appointments process.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-19435 on 20 February 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…