Parliamentary questions
Murdo Fraser
2,062 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
24 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is to access a paediatrician appointment in the NHS Fife area.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Table 1: Median waiting time in days and the number of patients seen for a New Outpatient appointment, in Medical Paediatrics for NHS Fife. (Completed Waits) Quarter Ending Number Seen Median Wait (Days) 31 December 2019 760 43.0 30 September 2019 …
24 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many paediatric clinics are run in NHS Fife each month.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: This information is not held centrally by either the Scottish Government or Information Services Division (ISD). In these circumstances the member may wish to contact NHS Fife to obtain this information.
24 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what pathways are in place for children diagnosed with autism to access specialist support.
Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government is committed to improving the lives of autistic people through the Scottish Strategy for Autism. All NHS Boards in Scotland are expected to deliver the clinical standard set out in clinical guidance document SIGN 145: Assessment, diag…
21 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26549 by Jeane Freeman on 6 January 2020, in light of reports that NICE has stated that there is clinical evidence to support their use, whether it will review its position regarding the use of trans-labial ultrasound scans.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: NICE confirms that, as stated in response to S5W-26549, there is presently no evidence to support the use of translabial scanning, and that further research would be welcomed. However, as also stated in response to that question, the Scottish Government reco…
20 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the anticipated cost will be of the production of an alternative set of figures to GERS, as proposed by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work.
Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-27024 on 29 January 2020. 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/parliamentarybusines…
20 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it proposes to publish its alternative set of figures to GERS, as proposed by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work, at the same time as the GERS figures are published.
Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-27024 on 29 January 2020. 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/parliamentarybusines…
20 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what resources will be allocated to the production of an alternative set of figures to GERS, as proposed by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The GERS publication explicitly states that it shows Scotland’s position within the UK and not as an independent nation. As the decisions of the UK Government increasingly go against the interests and democratic wishes of the people of Scotland, it is more im…
20 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) the Chief Economist and (b) its statisticians will work on the production of an alternative set of figures to GERS, as proposed by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work.
Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-27024 on 29 January 2020. 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/parliamentarybusines…
13 Jan 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to increase the number of young people taking SQA qualifications in modern languages.
8 Jan 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with potential buyers for the ScotRail franchise.
10 Dec 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that, since 2009, the number of GP practices in NHS Tayside has fallen from 69 to 63, while the average practice list size has increased.
4 Dec 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any preparations for working with a Labour-led UK administration.
27 Nov 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to use trans-labial ultrasound scans to locate implanted mesh in a woman’s body.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Translabial scanning is not presently offered routinely in Scotland or England, a position supported by NICE and NIHR who indicate there is no clinical evidence to support its use and that more research would be welcomed. Nor is it performed in two centres in…
27 Nov 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers.
19 Nov 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the establishment of a Scottish stock exchange.
18 Nov 2019 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government is supporting shipbuilding in Fife and across Scotland.
14 Nov 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to using the mutual investment model (MIM) for funding infrastructure projects and, if so, what its response is to the comment by the Finance Committee of the National Assembly for Wales in its report, Inquiry into the Welsh Government’s capital funding sourc…
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government has committed to a significant, ongoing boost in annual investment in vital infrastructure in the National Infrastructure Mission. This enables Scotland to reach the level of international competitors. The Mission will be funded and f…
22 Oct 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what targets it has set local authorities to deliver accessible housing.
11 Oct 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether sensors have been fitted to the Queensferry Crossing to alert engineers to the hazard of ice building up on its cables, with risk of it falling on to the carriageways.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The issues with ice are thought to be a result of a very specific set of weather conditions arriving in March 2019. Since then, processes have been developed to ensure that any ice formation is monitored and managed to minimise the impact on traffic over the …
2 Oct 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what studies it has conducted of the impact on the freshwater salmon fishing industry of the open cage salmon farming industry in Scotland.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Research funded by Scottish Government has identified 12 high level pressures impacting on salmon in our waters and further afield, and aquaculture is recognised as one component of these pressures. https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Salmon-Trout-Coarse/fis…
2 Oct 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted an economic analysis of the salmon farming industry in Scotland and, if so, whether it will publish this.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government regularly monitors the economic contributions of Scotland’s aquaculture industry. In the past five years, Scottish Ministers have published two reports providing economic analysis of Scotland’s aquaculture industry. For more informatio…
2 Oct 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the economic and environmental costs on the salmon fishing industry when considering its support for the open cage salmon farming industry in Scotland.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government supports sustainable salmon farming and sustainable wild Atlantic salmon fishing; both sectors are dependent on the environment and contribute to the Scottish rural economy. Our National Marine Plan seeks to balance the needs of all s…
25 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what commitment it will give to protecting the health budget and to passing on any Barnet consequentials it receives as a consequence of any increased health expenditure by the UK Government.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government continues to protect the health budget and deliver its commitment to pass on all health resource consequentials until the end of this parliamentary term. The Scottish Government is investing more than £14 billion of funding in health …
25 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will bring forward the next Comprehensive Spending Review, and what period this will cover.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Spending Review Framework, published in the Scottish Government’s second Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) on 30 May 2019, sets out the Scottish Government’s approach for the resource and capital spending reviews. On resource, the Scottish Government…
23 Sep 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in completing the snagging work on the Queensferry Crossing, which is due to be completed by the end of the year, and whether this will lead to roadworks.
17 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many commercial properties in the (a) whisky, (b) banking and insurance, (c) oil and gas, (d) construction, (e) energy and (f) legal sector are liable for the large business rates supplement in 2019-20; how much it expects to raise, and how this compares with each of the last two yea…
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government does not hold Non-Domestic (business) rates data by business sector. Data on the number of properties liable for the supplement, and the estimated net amount raised in 2019-20 and in each of the previous two years are shown in the foll…
12 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason older people living in some parts of the country, including in the NHS Fife area, are reportedly only being offered the 3-virus flu vaccine, and whether it plans to make the 4-virus vaccine available to them later in the year.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The vaccines that have been procured for Scotland for the forthcoming season are in line with the recommendations of the independent expert ‘Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’ (JCVI). Individuals aged 65 years and over will receive adjuvanted T…
9 Sep 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Tayside regarding the delivery of primary care services across the area.
19 Aug 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on the Scottish Household Recycling Charter, including on a common colour system for collection of household waste across all 32 local authorities.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Household Recycling Charter does not currently require a specific colour coding for waste collection. As announced in the Programme for Government, the Scottish Government has made a commitment to review the Charter and its supporting Code of Pr…
19 Jun 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making with preparing to commence the delivery of Disability Assistance for Children and Young People.