Parliamentary questions
Lewis Macdonald
2,224 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
7 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many trains were delayed on the Aberdeen-Glasgow route on 2 December 2018, which was the day of the League Cup final; whether ScotRail's performance target for the service that day was met, and what discussions it has had with the operator regarding the delays.
Answer · Michael Matheson: On 2 Dec, there were 20 services scheduled between Glasgow & Aberdeen, 5 of the 20 planned trains were delayed by more than 5 minutes. However, no services were cancelled. Transport Scotland routinely meets and discusses aspects of ScotRail’s performance on …
7 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with ScotRail to ensure that staff training exercises do not coincide with major sporting events.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has had no recent discussions with ScotRail on this subject. The timing of staff training is an operational matter for ScotRail I can however confirm that on 2 December 2018, no trains on the Aberdeen/Glasgow route were cancelled as a…
7 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many times trains on the Aberdeen-Glasgow route have been delayed in each month since January 2018, broken down by reason.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) Bib number: 60390
7 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with ScotRail to improve its service preparations for major sporting events.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The ScotRail franchise contains a number of obligations and commitments to plan for special events including staffing requirements and rolling stock to operate adequate passenger services to or from any special events. In the case of the Betfred Cup final on…
5 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) total and (b) final monthly unitary charge payment will be to Aberdeen Roads Ltd for the final phase of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), including the new Don Bridge, after it has been handed over to Transport Scotland.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Payments for phases of this project are subject to a number of factors and therefore payment amounts can vary. Once a payment has been certified, as part of the governance arrangement for the AWPR/B-T contract, Aberdeen City Council administers payments to Ab…
5 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much unitary charge has been paid each month to Aberdeen Roads Ltd for (a) phase 1, (b) phase 2 and (c) phase 2a of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), since the phase was handed over to Transport Scotland.
Answer · Michael Matheson: As part of the governance arrangement for the AWPR/B-T contract, Aberdeen City Council administers payments to Aberdeen Roads Limited (ARL) each month. The payments Transport Scotland makes to Aberdeen City Council are published in monthly expenditure reports…
5 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) was the first and (b) will be the final date of payments of monthly unitary charge for (i) phase 1, (ii) phase 2 and (iii) phase 2a of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR).
Answer · Michael Matheson: The contractor, Aberdeen Roads Limited, gets paid when sections of road become available for use. Therefore the contractor has been receiving payments for Phase 1 since 22 September 2016, Phase 2 since 22 June 2018 and Phase 2a since 10 August 2018. The final…
5 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much unitary charge will be paid each month to Aberdeen Roads Ltd for phase 2b of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), following the contract variation that was reported to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee on 5 December 2018.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Future payments for phases of this project are subject to a number of factors and therefore payment amounts can vary. Aberdeen City Council administers payments to Aberdeen Roads Limited (ARL) each month. The payments Transport Scotland makes to Aberdeen City…
5 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) total and (b) final monthly unitary charge payment will be to Aberdeen Roads Ltd for the entire length of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) after it has been handed over in its entirety to Transport Scotland.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Payments for phases of this project are subject to a number of factors and therefore payment amounts can vary. Once a payment has been certified, as part of the governance arrangement for the AWPR/B-T contract, Aberdeen City Council administers payments to Ab…
27 Nov 2018 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Education and Skills Committee report, Young People's Pathways: a progress report on Developing the Young Workforce.
22 Nov 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-02586 by Michael Matheson on 21 November 2018, in what month it (a) was originally estimated that the Haudagain improvement project would be open to traffic and (b) is now expected to open to traffic.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Prior to one of the bidders withdrawing from the competition, it was estimated that the A90/A96 Haudagain Improvement Project would be open to traffic in December 2020. Due to the requirement for a revised procurement process, and difficulties encountered dur…
20 Nov 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on amending the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 to allow NHS boards to agree contracts with community pharmacies to provide vaccinations.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: We are in the process of transforming the delivery of vaccination in Scotland, as part of the wider transformation of Primary Care. This work includes consideration of how we might make vaccines available in different ways in the future. As part of this work …
14 Nov 2018 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that sufficient supplies of pneumococcal vaccine have been made available for all people aged 65 or over.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: GPs have been provided with guidance on the management of eligible patients. Practices have been asked to deliver the programme across the year, rather than linking it to the flu programme as in previous years. This will help ensure stock is available to cove…
30 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many GP practices have announced plans to cease to provide general medical services in each NHS board area, in each month since January 2016.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. However, my officials are currently carrying out a survey with all NHS Health Boards. It is our intention to provide the information you request in written form in the near future.
30 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Grampian following the announcement that Deveron Medical Practice is to cease to provide general medical services in April 2019.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Scottish Government officials continue to be in regular contact with NHS Grampian and Aberdeenshire HSCP regarding the Deveron Medical Practice to ensure that primary care services continue to be provided to all patients in their area with the safety of patie…
4 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any issues with the disposal of dangerous hospital waste from NHS boards in Scotland, in light of reports that Healthcare Environment Services Ltd has been stockpiling waste from a number of hospitals in England.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Clinical waste collection continues as normal for NHS Scotland and we are not aware of any issues regarding the disposal of this waste in Scotland. The Scottish Government is monitoring the situation and receiving regular updates from Health Boards. In the …
4 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Ministerial Statement (Health and Care Update) by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport on 4 October 2018, how much outstanding brokerage will be cancelled, broken down by NHS board in each of the last five years.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: In 2018-19, it is anticipated that four Boards will require additional funding and that this will amount to £68 million. This will take the overall cumulative balance for Territorial Boards to approx. £150 million, which is broken down as follows: Opening b…
27 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage more women to attend breast screening appointments.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Detect Cancer Early (DCE) Programme aims to increase the proportion of bowel, breast and lung cancers detected at an early stage. The Programme specifically targets those from areas of deprivation who are less likely to take part in screening and more lik…
27 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the uptake rates for breast screening have been at each NHS board in each of the last five years.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Two reports on breast screening uptake have been produced by the Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland and are available on the ISD website, http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Breast-Screening/
27 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the 2016 review by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, which found that nearly 4,000 women had not been sent screening invitations, how many of the women affected attended their follow-up screening appointments when invited.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: 62% of women affected arranged an appointment for breast screening with 49% of women attending for their appointment.
27 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the reasons for any differences between NHS boards in the uptake rates for breast screening.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: There are two reports on breast screening uptake available on the ISD website, the most recent being up to 2012 data that was published in 2013 - see http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Breast-Screening/ . The main identified reason for differe…
27 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a review of the recently reported issues that affected the breast screening programme in order to identify the (a) full extent and scale of any problems and (b) impact that delays have had on the women affected, and what assurances it can provide that such issue…
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: We have already taken three types of action to review the cause of the incident and put in place remedial measures. Firstly, the Scottish Clinical Taskforce, established in June 2018, undertook additional rigorous checks on how the programme was operating, w…
20 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many paramedics were working for the Scottish Ambulance Service at the start of each financial year since 2015-16, and, in each of these years, how many (a) have resigned or retired and (b) newly trained paramedics have entered the service.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Information regarding numbers of paramedics per financial year basis is not centrally held. ISD collect and publish NHSScotland workforce data on a quarterly basis. Information regarding paramedics, including joiners, leavers and age profiles can be found by …
19 Sep 2018 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the potential for developing steam train tourism on the east coast.
12 Sep 2018 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports the use of rock armour to prevent erosion of beaches, and when and for what reason it took this position.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government supports the use of rock armour in appropriate locations as one of a range of techniques to manage coastal erosion. This is a longstanding position, which accepts that in certain circumstances the protection of coastal assets is neces…
11 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the £118 million announced by November 2001 for the Scottish Bus Group pension fund, whether any further payments have been made to former bus workers; how much remains in the fund, and how any funds not paid to workers have been spent.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-04592 on 5 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness…
11 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that all curlew breeding sites of international importance are classified as special protection areas.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Criteria for the selection of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) are set out in the UK SPA Selection Guidelines which are published by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and available via the following web link http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-1405 . Followi…
11 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it takes to ensure that new afforestation proposals do not adversely affect curlews.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) is the Scottish Government’s forestry advisor and regulator and as such provides advice and guidance to land managers seeking to establish new forestry. FCS recognises the importance of protecting the nesting habitat of cur…
6 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the application round for the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) will be opened in 2019 and 2020 in order to secure funding that will benefit vulnerable farmland species, such as the curlew.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: No decision has yet been taken, partly due to a lack of complete clarity from the UK Government in terms of longer term funding guarantees following Brexit. However, I fully recognise that land managers want to know as soon as possible whether a further AECS …
6 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to provide appropriate agri-environment measures to support farmers and land managers carrying out conservation action for the curlew.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is working hard to meet the targets set out in the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy through a range of actions including through the Biodiversity Challenge Fund and Scottish Natural Heritage. Specific support for agri-environment is ava…