Parliamentary questions
Ken Macintosh
1,334 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
7 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has taken to improve the (a) employment and training prospects and (b) health and wellbeing of (i) care leavers and (ii) people with learning difficulties since 2007.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that vulnerable groups of people are given the support they need to overcome barriers, enabling them to reach their full potential. To support young people into work, we have: made a specific commitment to a…
7 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many (a) premature deaths and (b) suicides there have been among (i) people with learning difficulties and (ii) care leavers in each year since 2007.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: This information is not held centrally. With regards to the deaths of care leavers, we are in the early stages of exploring ways to improve data collection for recording and investigating incidences so that findings can be used to make further improvements t…
7 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has taken to standardise the definition of “looked-after children”.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The definition of “looked after children” that the Scottish Government adheres to is as provided in Section 17(6) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995: “Any reference in this chapter of this part to a child who is “looked after” by a local authority, is to a …
28 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether patients have accessed new treatments for metastatic malignant melanoma by means of the individual patient treatment request system.
Answer · Alex Neil: Information on which medicines have been accessed through the Individual Patient Treatment Request process is not collected centrally. This information can be sought from individual NHS boards.
28 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm that the drug, ipilimumab, has been made available to patients with metastatic malignant melanoma in every country that has completed its regulatory review of the new treatment.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government does not hold information about which medicines are made available to patients with a particular condition, including metastatic malignant melanoma, in other countries. National advice from each UK country on ipilimumab is published on…
28 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that patients in Scotland with metastatic malignant melanoma have access to newly developed treatments available elsewhere in the UK.
Answer · Alex Neil: Scotland has its own robust and transparent appraisal process for newly licensed medicines through the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) and Healthcare Improvement Scotland. The processes of these bodies are independent from the Scottish Government. The Ac…
26 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, following publication of First Report - Macroeconomic Framework, what further reports the Fiscal Commission Working Group will publish and when.
Answer · John Swinney: The Fiscal Commission Working Group published its first report on 11th February 2013. The Working Group will continue its work to oversee the development of a robust macroeconomic and fiscal framework. The introduction from the chair of the Working Group sta…
25 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether people in receipt of payment from the Independent Living Fund who are under 60 will continue to receive payments automatically if they are over 60 when the fund is devolved in 2015.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The UK Government has decided to close the ILF in March 2015. After this point, Westminster will devolve resources to the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government will consult on the use and administration of this resource. No decisions on the use or admi…
25 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether its consultation on how the Independent Living Fund will operate when the fund is devolved in 2015 will consider whether it should add to the fund to enable it to be opened up to new claimants.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The UK Government has decided to close the ILF in March 2015. After this point, Westminster will devolve resources to the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government intends to launch a consultation on the future use and administration of this resource, whi…
25 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether everyone in Scotland directly affected by the Independent Living Fund will be invited to take part in its consultation on how the fund will operate when it is devolved in 2015.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The UK Government has decided to close the ILF in March 2015. After this point, Westminster will devolve resources to the Scottish Government. Anybody with a view including those in receipt of an ILF award are invited to take part in the consultation, which …
25 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will increase payments from the Independent Living Fund in line with inflation when the fund is devolved in 2015.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The UK Government has decided to close the ILF in March 2015. The UK Government has not given details of a final financial settlement in which resources will be devolved to the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government will consult on the use and administ…
25 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that people in receipt of payment from the Independent Living Fund will not be disadvantaged when the fund is devolved in 2015.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The UK Government has decided to close the Independent Living Fund (ILF) in March 2015. After this point, Westminster will devolve resources to the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government intend to launch a consultation on the future use and administrat…
25 Feb 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has done of the reasons for the reported rise in economic inactivity in Scotland compared with the rest of the UK.
Answer · John Swinney: We have just seen the third set of monthly unemployment figures in a row to show a fall in unemployment in Scotland. The figures also show the largest annual fall in youth unemployment since 2006. The very recent increases in economic inactivity in Scotland …
19 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to secure investment from the Pension Infrastructure Platform (PIP) for infrastructure projects in Scotland and, if so, how much it expects to secure; for what projects; how much each project will receive, and what contact it has had with (a) HM Treasury or (b) the PIP.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Pension Infrastructure Platform (PIP) will be a UK-wide investment platform for infrastructure, but it is not yet ready to invest. Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) has met the chief executive of the National Association of Pension Funds, which is leading the …
19 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the assertion that the Vienna convention on successor states has a population de minimis that would exclude Shetland from the rights to the oil in the waters surrounding Shetland.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Shetland is an important and valued part of Scotland and that will remain the case in an independent Scotland, which offers the prospect of more autonomy for the islands.
18 Feb 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in terms of headcount, how many college places for learners aged 25 and over have been lost in the last three years.
28 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will allocate any Barnett consequentials arising from the StartUp Loans scheme announced in the 2012 Autumn Statement.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I am able to confirm that the Scottish Government received consequentials from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills in relation to the “StartUp Loans” scheme as part of the funding that flowed to the Scottish Government as part of the Autumn Stat…
24 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to provide school pupils with the opportunity to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12529 on 6 February 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/Apps2/Busines…
24 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to help provide schools with first-hand accounts of the holocaust through survivor stories.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12529 on 6 February 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/Apps2/Busines…
24 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to provide schools with reliable information about the holocaust.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12529 on 6 February 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/Apps2/Busines…
24 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise awareness in schools of holocaust memorial day.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12529 on 6 February 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/Apps2/Business…
24 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to holocaust education programmes.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Holocaust education and Holocaust Memorial Day have a vital role in ensuring that atrocities of the past are never repeated and that racism, bigotry and prejudice are not tolerated. The Scottish Government has provided sustained support to the Holocaust …
18 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether written guidance has been issued to NHS boards following the decision to make Kalydeco available on the NHS.
Answer · Alex Neil: A letter from the Scottish Government was issued to NHS boards on 23 January 2013 to clarify the interim arrangements for immediate requests for ivacaftor (Kalydeco®) for NHS patients suffering from cystic fibrosis who have not had a lung transplant and who h…
17 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether awards have been made under the second round of the Housebuilding Infrastructure Loan Fund and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: I have now considered all of the applications and can confirm that decisions have been made on five schemes, with four going forward to conditional loan offer. In addition I have asked my officials to progress discussions with two schemes to further explore o…
17 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will offer companies support under the Housebuilding Infrastructure Loan Fund by the end of April 2013.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: Our intention is that loan offers will have been issued to the successful applicants of round two by that date.
17 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what companies received support in the first round of the Housebuilding Infrastructure Loan Fund.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: I can confirm that three companies received loan offers from the first round of the Fund. Details of these are as follows: Applicant Project Loan Amount EWP Investments Limited Armadale Station, West Lothian £500,000 Trustees of Richard Tyser Ness C…
17 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it distributed in the first round of the Housebuilding Infrastructure Loan Fund.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: A total of £3 million was awarded to successful projects from the first round of the Fund.
7 Jan 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent reductions in the availability of college courses for students with additional needs.
20 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in the event of Scotland separating from the rest of the United Kingdom, what conditions it expects that the UK Government or the Bank of England would attach to a formal currency pact with Scotland; whether any conditions would be unacceptable to the Scottish Government, and what conti…
Answer · John Swinney: The Fiscal Commission Working Group is continuing its work to oversee the development of a robust macroeconomic and fiscal framework for an independent Scotland, and will be publishing its recommendations shortly. Under the Edinburgh Agreement, the Scottish …
19 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what institution will act as (a) lender of last resort and (b) financial regulator in the event of Scotland separating from the rest of the UK and what agreement has been reached with the institution in this regard.
Answer · John Swinney: As I set out in my speech to the David Hume Institute on 2 February 2012, our proposal is to maintain the Bank of England as the central bank as part of a formal monetary union. The Fiscal Commission Working Group is continuing its work to oversee the develo…