Jackie Baillie

28 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the First Minister’s ex-chief of staff, who left the role in May 2021, received any payment, additional to her monthly salary, when leaving the role.

Answer · George Adam: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02466 on 28 September 2021 which explained that t he First Minister’s former Chief of Staff resigned on the suspension of parliament for the 2021 Scottish Parliament election in line with the Special Advisers C…

23 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that the ministerial code applies to its special advisers.

Answer · George Adam: Special Advisers in the Scottish Government are bound by the Special Adviser Code of Conduct and the standards of integrity and honesty required of all civil servants as set out in the Civil Service Code. The Scottish Government has accepted the Hamilton Repo…

23 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many visitors it anticipates there will be to Glasgow for COP26.

Answer · Michael Matheson: It is expected there will be approximately 40,000 delegates and retinues from international countries in Glasgow for the event. In addition to that, there will be civil society activists who will visit Glasgow during COP-26. Current estimates suggest there ma…

23 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what additional NHS workload, expressed as a percentage, it estimates will result from COP26.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Scottish Government has been working with heath boards most likely to be impacted by COP26 and have put in place measures to support provision of health services to official delegates and others visiting Scotland during the summit period. Hosting this event …

23 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what modelling it has undertaken to measure the potential impact of COP26 on NHS capacity.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: We have worked closely with a range of delivery and partner organisations to prepare, plan and respond to a range of issues and risks which may impact on NHS services. Planners and officials are using a range of modelling and intelligence to minimise potentia…

23 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) the Deputy First Minister and (b) any of its (i) special advisers and (ii) civil servants have breached any codes of conduct by failing to provide to the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints information that has since made it into the public …

Answer · George Adam: I refer the Member to the contents of the letter issued to her by the First Minister on 4 October. A copy will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib number 62800).

15 Sep 2021 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it plans to report on the findings of the consultation on New Year’s Day trading for large shops.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The consultation on New Year's Day trading closed on 24 August and attracted over 1,860 responses. The responses are being analysed and I will inform the Parliament of a decision once the analysis is complete.

14 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many link workers for post-dementia diagnostic support have been recruited in each year since 2019.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The information requested is not collected and held centrally

14 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether a review was carried out of post-diagnosis dementia services in the first four months of 2021, as mentioned in the Dementia and COVID-19 national action plan.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government has been working with partners including Integration Joint Boards, COSLA and Alzheimer Scotland through the first four months of 2021 and subsequently to review the provision of dementia post-diagnostic services. This year’s Programme…

14 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people (a) have and (b) have not received post-dementia diagnostic support from a named link worker in each year since 2019.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The following table shows the number of people diagnosed with dementia and referred for post-diagnostic support from a named Link Worker in financial years 2018/19 and 2019/2020. Information on people diagnosed with dementia who are not referred for PDS is no…

13 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the business and regulatory impact assessment (BRIA) for its short-term lets licensing scheme and planning control area legislation, what cases and evidence there are to support the assertion that short-term let accommodation in Scotland is used “for criminal enterprises (suc…

Answer · Shona Robison: Our proposed licensing scheme will assist in ensuring that short-term lets are safe and used for lawful purposes. Police Scotland is represented on the Short Term Lets Stakeholder Working Group and has expressed concern about some short-term lets being used f…

9 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many overseas offices it plans to establish in each of the next five years, also broken down by location; what the expected annual running cost will be for each office, including (a) accommodation and (b) staffing costs, and how many staff each office will employ.

Answer · Angus Robertson: As was announced in the programme for government, we will open a Scottish Government office in Copenhagen next year to increase Scotland’s economic and cultural visibility in the Nordic region. In this parliamentary session, we will also open an office in War…

7 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government in which court the fatal accident inquiry into the Cameron House fire will be called.

Answer · Dorothy Bain: The location of the court where the Fatal Accident Inquiry will be heard is a matter for the Sheriff Principal and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. The criminal proceedings in relation to the deaths of Mr Dyson and Mr Midgley took place at Dumbarton…

7 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether a sheriff has been identified to preside over the fatal accident inquiry into the Cameron House fire.

Answer · Dorothy Bain: As Lord Advocate, I am head of the system for the investigation of deaths in Scotland, as well as of the system of criminal prosecution. I am, accordingly, constitutionally responsible for the investigation of sudden, unexpected, and unexplained deaths in Sco…

7 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates the preliminary hearings for the fatal accident inquiry into the Cameron House fire will be held.

Answer · Dorothy Bain: The sheriff must make an order (a “first order”) initiating the inquiry within 14 days of receiving the first notice from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. If the sheriff orders that a preliminary hearing is to be held, it must be ordered to ta…

7 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the fatal accident inquiry into the Cameron House fire will commence.

Answer · Dorothy Bain: Crown Counsel issued an instruction on 16 June 2021 that that a Fatal Accident Inquiry take place in relation to the deaths of Richard Dyson and Simon Midgley. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Health and Safety Investigation Unit is investigat…

7 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many overseas offices it has, broken down by location; what the annual running cost is for each office, including (a) accommodation and (b) staffing costs, and how many staff each office employs.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The following table details staff headcount including the current annual budget allocation for the Scottish Government’s overseas offices, including salary costings, upkeep, day-today running and hospitality costs. OFFICE BUDGET FOR (2021-22)   STAFF HEAD…

28 Aug 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many unused doses of COVID-19 vaccine that were allocated to Scotland are (a) out of date and (b) will go out of date by 30 September 2021, broken down by type of vaccine.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Health Boards throughout Scotland are asked to record any wastage on an online waste recording tool. However in providing some context to the Member there are a number of limitations; it is not mandatory for GP Practices to use the recording tool and most GP …

27 Aug 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of the electronic transfer of prescriptions across all NHS boards and care settings.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The NHS Scotland already has in place the electronic transfer of prescriptions between general practice and community pharmacy. Our NHS Recovery Plan and Programme for Government commits to investing in developing new digital solutions such as ePrescribing a…

27 Aug 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the evidence on which it has based its COVID-19 advice for people who are shielding and immunosuppressed.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government obtains information which informs how we identify and advise people at highest risk of becoming severely ill or dying from Covid-19 from a variety of reliable UK and international sources. While that evidence is published and readily a…

25 Aug 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its deadline is for the full delivery of the provision of short-term mobility aids across all NHS boards.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02569 on ? 9 September 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-comm…

25 Aug 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the status of the roll-out, in each NHS board, of guidance on the provision of short-term mobility aids.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02569 on ? 9 September 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-comm…

25 Aug 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which agency is responsible for the provision of short-term mobility aids, in each NHS board area.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02569 on ? 9 September 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-comm…

25 Aug 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to conduct and complete a review of the delivery of the guidance on the provision of short-term mobility aids.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Following the publication of Guidance on the provision of wheelchairs on short term loan in March 2021 ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/guidance-provision-wheelchairs-short-term-loan/ ) Scottish Government officials will shortly commence a 6 month review…

25 Aug 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on whether the death of the nursing assistant, Neil Alexander, was reported to the Health and Safety Executive by NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Scottish Government were advised of Mr Alexander’s death by NHS Ayrshire & Arran on 16 February 2021. At that time, the Board also confirmed that a review was ongoing to determine Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations (RIDDOR) r…

24 Aug 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment by the then Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing on 4 June 2008 that "I have also made it clear to the Scottish Ambulance Service that it must take action to eliminate rostered single manning. The Scottish Government's policy is cle…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Ambulances are not single-crewed other than in exceptional circumstances, such as short notice unplanned staff absences, and every effort is made to double crew ambulances through rostered and relief staff, overtime or ambulance bank staff. Scottish Ambulance…

24 Aug 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made with the commitment in its 2016-17 Programme for Government to "train 1,000 new paramedics over the next five years", and by what date this will be achieved.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: To date 791 paramedics have been recruited. Another 126 will come on stream in 4 months with more than 100 joining in early 2022. Covid-19 has resulted in some delays to recruitment which will push the achievement of this commitment out to 2022 but revised …

24 Aug 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many school age children there are in each local authority area, also broken down by how many have been provided with laptops or tablet computers in the last year.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The following table shows how many school-aged children are in each local authority (as at September 2020) and how many devices have been distributed by councils using the £25m digital inclusion funding made available by Scottish Government in 2020-21. Local …

24 Aug 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) ambulances and (b) patient transport vehicles have been available for deployment in each month since April 2019, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government is not able provide this information; this would require minute by minute analysis of all data held for the specific areas and all surrounding areas as the Scottish Ambulance Service operates a national service. Vehicle cover provide…

24 Aug 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date all school age children will have been provided with laptops or tablet computers.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all school-aged children and young people in Scotland are provided with a digital device by the end of this parliament.