Parliamentary questions
Ken Macintosh
1,334 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
7 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that Police Scotland's use of the operational method, kettling, to control some football supporters in Glasgow on 16 March 2013 was appropriate and necessary, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-23889 on 21 January 2015. 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…
7 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding the use of the operational method, kettling, and whether it considers this an appropriate way to maintain public order.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Ministers meet with Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority regularly to discuss a range of issues, although there have been no specific discussions with Police Scotland the regarding the use of tactical options in public order situations. The depl…
24 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-22893 by Alex Neil on 11 November 2014, what guidance it issues on the discharge of patients from maternity units.
Answer · Maureen Watt: All women who are admitted to maternity units are discharged in line with the needs of mother and baby. The length of a mother’s stay in hospital following the birth of their child is influenced by a number of factors, including the type of delivery, the cond…
24 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-22893 by Alex Neil on 11 November 2014, how it monitors the discharge of patients from maternity units.
Answer · Maureen Watt: There is no formal routine monitoring of discharges from maternity unit. Maternity units manage their own capacity as they have a defined cohort of patients which is not impacted upon by other hospital pressures. They do not take patients from other specialit…
21 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-22893 by Alex Neil on 11 November 2014, what the average length of stay for patients was, and how many were discharged after (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four, (e) five, (f) six, (g) seven and (h) more than seven days.
Answer · Shona Robison: The average length of stay (days) for patients in maternity units in Scotland for all discharges for each of the last five years 2008-09 to 2012-13 are as follows: Number of women discharged from hospital for all discharges, including discharges after delive…
17 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the prevalence of autism in Scotland; whether it is increasing, and whether it considers that the Scottish Strategy for Autism will have an impact on it.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government focus is on support for people with autism and autism service delivery. We are ensuring the visibility of the population with autism in routinely collected data is a priority and we have commissioned the newly established Scottish Lear…
17 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the findings of the research paper, Scottish adolescents’ sun-related behaviours, tanning attitudes and associations with skin cancer awareness: a cross-sectional study, that (a) "urgent action is required to promote positive sun-related behaviour and increase ski…
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government welcomes the research which was supported though the Scottish Government funded Detect Cancer Early programme partnership with the Teenage Cancer Trust and we applaud the work that the charity does in raising awareness of the importanc…
10 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it collects on the uptake of the three routes for contractual arrangements outlined in the Guidance on Free Personal and Nursing Care in Scotland 2003.
Answer · Shona Robison: 32% of care home clients aged 56 or over are self-funders. Data on this is published in the Free Personal and Nursing Care statistics at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health/Data/FPNC. The Scottish Government does not collect data on t…
10 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the Guidance on Free Personal and Nursing Care in Scotland 2003 pertaining to local authorities on contractual routes for care is fully implemented.
Answer · Shona Robison: Circular CCD5/2003 provides guidance on the operation of free personal and nursing care to local authorities. The Scottish Government does not collect data on the uptake of the separate contractual routes for residential care.
10 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities are obliged to follow the recommendations outlined in the Guidance on Free Personal and Nursing Care in Scotland 2003.
Answer · Shona Robison: Circular CCD5/2003 provides guidance on the operation of free personal and nursing care to local authorities. Local authorities are required by Section 5 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to act under the general guidance of Scottish Ministers. We are a…
10 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Guidance on Free Personal and Nursing Care in Scotland 2003 remains valid.
Answer · Shona Robison: Circular CCD5/2003 provides guidance on the operation of free personal and nursing care and remains in operation. We are aware of an inconsistency between this guidance and the Charging for Residential Accommodation Guidance, around the availability of the i…
3 Nov 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve transport links for patients and their families between East Renfrewshire and the Southern General Hospital.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government is investing £40 million in the new Fastlink scheme which will see, for the first time, direct transport from three main sites in the city centre (Buchanan Bus Station, Queen Street and Central Station) to the South Glasgow University …
31 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much public money has been used to fund the services of a QC to resolve a wages dispute on behalf of the Scottish Police Authority.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: It is for the Scottish Police Authority to decide on how the funding it receives from the Scottish Government is to be used within the terms set out in the agreed strategic plan, the Governance and Accountability Framework, the Scottish Public Finance Manual,…
31 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is an appropriate use of public funds for the Scottish Police Authority to employ the services of a QC in a staff wages dispute and what its reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Police Authority receives funding from the Scottish Government to enable the effective delivery of the statutory policing principles and functions set out in the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012. In doing so, it is for the Scottish Pol…
31 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether legal staff with expertise in employment law are employed in the Scottish Police Authority.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Police Authority has a permanent corporate structure in place which covers a number of areas including provision of legal services. The employment of staff is a matter for the Scottish Police Authority.
30 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to implement the recommendations in the final report of the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce.
Answer · Angela Constance: We share the ambitions of the report from the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce. That is why we responded quickly to the final report of the commission in June 2014, and have allocated £5 million of a £12 million budget in 2014-15 for early…
30 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking that will help address the recommendations in The Employment Journey: A Fresh Perspective to Employment in Scotland.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government has just recently received a copy of The Employment Journey: A Fresh Perspective to Employment in Scotland. The report and the recommendations within it will be considered as part of our refresh of our youth employment strategy.
30 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered the policy advice in The Employment Journey: A Fresh Perspective to Employment in Scotland.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government has just recently received a copy of The Employment Journey: A Fresh Perspective to Employment in Scotland. The report and the recommendations within it will be considered as part of our refresh of our youth employment strategy.
20 Oct 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that young people have access not only to employment, but to "decent work" as promoted by the STUC.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government will publish and implement a refreshed youth employment strategy later this year. It is committed to providing opportunities that allows all of Scotland’s young people to realise their full potential. It is clear that our policies are…
20 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support is provided to families affected by a delay in processing an application for power of attorney or guardianship.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.
20 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made to the Office of the Public Guardian for (a) power of attorney and (b) guardianship and intervention orders in each of the last five years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.
20 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the Office of the Public Guardian in reducing the processing time for power of attorney applications.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.
20 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the current processing time for power of attorney applications to be acceptable.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.
20 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in the implementation of the Everyone Matters: 2020 Workforce Vision.
Answer · Alex Neil: Good progress is being made in the implementation of the Everyone Matters: 2020 Workforce Vision. NHS boards have developed local plans to address the actions in the implementation plan 2014-15 and as an early priority are embedding shared NHSScotland value…
20 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on recruitment and training of the closure of the Glasgow Caledonian, Dundee and Stirling midwifery schools.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government works closely with stakeholders to ensure an appropriate supply of registered midwives to meet future workforce requirements and to ensure a sustainable model of pre-registration and post-registration midwifery education provision. Th…
20 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what training opportunities there are for midwives to gain specialist experience in bereavement care.
Answer · Alex Neil: There are a number of ways in which midwives gain knowledge and training in bereavement care. There is considerable input on this topic in the pre-registration midwifery programmes at all three higher education institutions in Scotland. Post-registration, th…
20 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many women have given birth in wards other than maternity units in each of the last five years.
Answer · Alex Neil: This information is not held centrally.
20 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the discharge rates for maternity units have been in each of the last five years.
Answer · Alex Neil: The total number of maternity discharges from hospitals, including women discharged after delivery, and all antenatal and postnatal discharges. 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13p All discharges 128,492 124,604 121,303 123,025 118,607 Notes…
29 Sep 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many further education college staff have had pay reductions or an increase in working hours following the recent merger process.
22 Sep 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what conclusions it has drawn from the funding for the Help to Buy scheme being fully allocated within three months.