Parliamentary questions
Richard Lochhead
2,448 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Aug 2018 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its proposals for Scotland’s role in the development of future UK trade arrangements.
Answer · Michael Russell: We will publish Scotland's Role in the Development of Future UK Trade Arrangements: A Discussion Paper (Bib Number 59979) on 30 August 2018 The paper makes the case for a guaranteed role for the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament in all stages o…
28 Aug 2018 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it takes to help small businesses bid for public procurement contracts.
8 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what powers local authorities have to tackle seagull populations on the grounds of health and safety or other factors that affect the quality of life for residents and communities, and what its position is on increasing these powers.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Local authorities are eligible to use Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) General Licences granted under Section 16(1)(i)&(j) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. General Licence No. 3/2018 authorises the killing and taking of certain wild birds, including s…
8 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government to what extent the impact of pylons or other infrastructure required to connect onshore renewables to the national grid infrastructure is taken into account when determining planning applications for wind farms.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The responsibility for dealing with planning applications generally rests with the relevant planning authority, which identifies the factors to be dealt with in determining a planning application. Scottish Planning Policy paragraph 157 states that Local Deve…
8 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the review of community benefit from onshore renewable energy developments, and what its position is on the case for community benefit to apply to communities affected by pylons or other infrastructure required to connect onshore renewables to the nat…
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: In the Scottish Energy Strategy (published December 2017), the Scottish Government gave a commitment to review its Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits (and Shared Ownership) from Renewable Energy Developments. Work is underway supported by a Steer…
6 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the outcome was of the visit by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport to Dr Gray’s Hospital regarding the future of women's and children’s services.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: This was a productive visit, meeting with staff from Dr Gray’s Hospital, NHS Grampian, Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) and the Keep MUM group on 3 August to discuss the changes to maternity and paediatric services. Following those meetings I have written to…
31 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it undertook a risk assessment regarding the impact on the Scottish Ambulance Service and its staff of the decision to temporarily downgrade women and children’s services at Dr Gray’s Hospital and the anticipated increase in hospital transfers and, if so, whether it will publish …
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The decision to temporarily downgrade maternity and paediatric services at Dr Gray's Hospital was taken by NHS Grampian in the interests of patient safety. A risk assesment on the impact of these changes on the Scottish Ambulance Service is not something whic…
31 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the new ambulance staff to be located in Moray will take up their posts.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Ambulance Service is actively recruiting to 8 new ambulance posts which will be based at Elgin Ambulance Station. A number of new students are due to attend ambulance training courses over the next 6 months and will commence operational duties in…
31 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce new measures to tackle littering from vehicles.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: It is an offence to litter from a vehicle, being punishable by an £80 fixed penalty notice. We are also considering whether there are measures that can be taken to remove barriers to enforcement.
31 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase fines for littering.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: There are no plans to change the level of Fixed Penalty Notices served for littering offences, which are currently £80 for littering and £200 for flytipping. The recently published Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse (Scotland) 2018 aligns with the Scottis…
31 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to ensure that Scottish Ambulance Service emergency vehicles based in Moray are able to return to Moray following hospital transfers without being diverted to non-life-threatening calls when out of the area.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Ambulance Service recently carried out a trial in Skye whereby ambulances carrying out transfers to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness were only tasked with calls in the City after transferring the patient if these calls were immediately life threate…
31 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the commitment to working in the NHS in Scotland for medical students studying in Scotland.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Scotland’s first Graduate Entry Medical programme (ScotGEM) will commence in autumn 2018. ScotGEM includes a ‘return of service’ bursary of £4,000 per year. The optional grant, worth £16,000 over the 4 year course, will be payable to all students who agree to…
31 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making regarding proposals to designate Dr Gray’s Hospital a centre of excellence for innovation.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Grampian and the local Health & Social Care Partnership are committed to the continued provision of high quality, sustainable healthcare services in Moray, including those provided at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin. The Scottish Government will continue to s…
31 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in response to the impact of the dry summer on the agricultural sector.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: There is no doubt that the prolonged dry period has compounded problems for farmers and crofters already coping with the wet weather of 2017 and subsequent late spring. Amongst other problems, the dry weather has limited the growth in grass used for making si…
31 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its ministerial roundtable event on 27 June 2018, what steps it will take to tackle the impact of parcel delivery surcharges.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government recognises the longstanding concerns about parcel deliveries to rural and remote areas of Scotland. These concerns include surcharges for delivery to the Highlands and Islands and north-east postcodes along with refusal to deliver to c…
31 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that land being used for growing crops to feed anaerobic digesters is having a detrimental effect on Scottish agriculture and feed supplies.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: In recent years we have seen an increase in the amount of Rye (which can be used in anaerobic digestion plants) being grown in Scotland. Between 2014 - 2017 there has been a 14-fold increase in the area of land given to its production with some 5,500 hectares…
17 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many newly-qualified doctors domiciled in Scotland there have been in each of the last five years, also broken down by destination.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Table 1 provides the domicile of ‘newly-qualified’ doctors in Scotland and Table 2 provides the destinations of medical graduates 6 months after qualifying, based on a sample survey. Newly-qualified doctors are defined as those doctors graduating from a Scot…
17 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage applicants to medical school from areas where there are deemed to be shortages of doctors.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: A number of specific actions are being taken that will contribute towards a more secure and sustainable medical workforce more representative of the communities it serves. These measures have been developed not only to address the more immediate recruitment a…
17 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government to what extent there is any evidence that newly-qualified doctors prefer to work at locations nearer to parts of the country from where they originate.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: There is a range of evidence that indicates that location is a significant factor in the training choices made by newly qualified doctors. NHS Education for Scotland has recently published its first education research and innovation report which outlines rese…
17 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to community initiatives aimed at reducing plastics waste.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: We are committed to tackling plastic waste, both by encouraging initiatives aimed at reducing its use and increasing recycling. Examples of this support which is delivered through Zero Waste Scotland are:The Action on Plastic Fund for Zero Waste Towns is an …
17 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many women have been transferred from Dr Gray’s Hospital to (a) Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, (b) Raigmore Hospital and (c) elsewhere to give birth in each of the last five years.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government does not routinely hold information on the number of transfers between hospitals for women to give birth. However we have asked NHS Grampian to provide this information for Dr Gray’s and it has supplied the following. Data in some year…
17 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for the supply of key worker accommodation in Moray to help attract key medical staff and teachers to the region.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government has provided Moray Council with long term Resource Planning Assumptions of £25.459 million for the period 2018-19 to 2020-21 to deliver its Affordable Housing Programme. Moray Council’s housing allocations policy offers key workers poi…
17 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) paediatrician and (b) obstetrics consultant vacancies there are at each hospital, expressed as a percentage of established relevant posts in each case.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: ISD Workforce does not collect Consultant Vacancy data at hospital level. However they do collect vacancy data for Consultants at National and Board level. The number of consultant vacancies as well as the vacancy rate (number of vacancies over establishment…
17 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government to what extent Scottish-domiciled doctors educated at Scottish medical schools are required to work in NHS Scotland following graduation, and whether it plans any additional measures to support such an outcome.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Scotland’s first Graduate Entry Medical programme (ScotGEM) will commence in autumn 2018. ScotGEM includes a ‘return of service’ (bonding) bursary of £4,000 per year. The optional grant, worth £16,000 over the 4 year course, will be payable to all students wh…
12 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the decision to suspend vaginal mesh surgery in England, as recommended by the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, and what impact this will have on such procedures in Scotland.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: In 2014 the Scottish Government requested that Health Boards suspend the use of transvaginal mesh. At the time no such action was taken in England. The recent decision to pause trans-vaginal mesh procedures in England is therefore seen as bringing clinical pr…
28 Jun 2018 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government when details of the successor to Eric Fraser, Scottish Veterans Commissioner, will be announced.
Answer · Graeme Dey: I want to express my thanks to Eric Fraser for his outstanding work over the past four years. He has achieved a great deal and his work has informed future priorities for this government. I have very much appreciated his great dedication to promoting veterans…
26 Jun 2018 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I am pleased to announce that we have today published our consultation paper, A Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland . As stated in A Nation With Ambition , our 2017-18 Programme for Government, we want to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers…
25 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made addressing reported concerns regarding the impact of the new GP contract on rural practices.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Rural General Practice Short Life Working Group, which is chaired by Professor Sir Lewis Ritchie and includes representation from rural GPs, had its first meeting on 12 June. The group will work with clinicians and healthcare providers from a range of rem…
25 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government to what extent the funding that it allocates to local authorities for the expansion of childcare takes account of additional delivery costs in rural areas.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government and COSLA Leaders agreed on a multi-year revenue and capital funding package to deliver the expansion in funded Early Learning and Childcare entitlement to 1140 hours by 2020. As set out in the funding allocation letter that issued to…
25 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government to what extent the funding that it allocates to local authorities for the expansion of childcare takes account of the costs associated with additional support needs.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government and COSLA Leaders agreed on a multi-year revenue and capital funding package to deliver the expansion in funded Early Learning and Childcare entitlement to 1140 hours by 2020. As set out in the funding allocation letter that issued to…