Parliamentary questions
Neil Findlay
2,296 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the (a) owner and (b) registered address of each wind farm.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: This information is in the public domain, and can be accessed through the Renewable Planning Database. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewable-energy-planning-database-monthly-extract
7 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it receives a share of the Financial Conduct Authority debt advice levy, and, if so, how much this has been in each of the last five years.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The debt advice levy was devolved on 1 January 2019. The Scottish Government received £1,479,363 in respect of January to March 2019.
7 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government where any funds that it has received from the Financial Conduct Authority debt advice levy will be allocated in 2019-20, broken down by project or organisation.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Allocation of funding for 2019-20 is still under consideration.
7 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much income each Citizens Advice Scotland bureau has generated as a result of the funding for the Scottish Legal Aid Board programme, Making Advice Work.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
7 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much additional income each Citizens Advice Scotland bureau has brought in as a result of the funding for the Scottish Legal Aid Board programme, Making Advice Work.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
7 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation it has made of the Scottish Legal Aid Board’s funding for the programme, Making Advice Work.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Evaluations of the Making Advice Work programme were conducted by the Scottish Legal Aid Board in 2014 and 2017. They are available on the Scottish Legal Aid Board web site.
7 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many families have been supported by the funding for the Scottish Legal Aid Board programme, Making Advice Work.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Making Advice Work programme is not targeted at families. The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
7 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the reduction to its funding for the Scottish Legal Aid Board programme, Making Advice Work, supports its commitment to reducing child poverty.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan was published in March 2018 and sets out cross-government action to contribute towards reductions in child poverty levels. The Plan, covering the period 2018-22, is backed by a multi-million pound package of investment…
7 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it is reducing funding for the Scottish Legal Aid Board programme, Making Advice Work.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government continues to provide £2.7 million to fund 27 advice projects as part of the Scottish Legal Aid Board programme. Nonetheless, in the face of tightening budgets resulting from the UK Government’s continuing austerity programme, we must t…
7 Feb 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding the Scottish Legal Aid Board has received in each of the last five years.
Answer · Ash Denham: This information is in the public domain and can be found on the Scottish Government’s website within the Budget Bill documents covering the last five years. This information can also be found on the Scottish Legal Board’s website in the published Annual Acco…
31 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many medical students have chosen to go into general practice in each year since 2007.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-21361 on 19 February 2019. 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…
31 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many GP practices have closed each year since 2007, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-21356 on 26 February 2019. 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/parliamentarybusi…
31 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many towns and villages that had a GP practice in 2007 no longer have one.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Although it is possible for NHS National Services Scotland to provide information about practices that have an ‘end date’, they would include mergers, takeovers and splits, so the figures would not refle…
31 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many GP vacancies there are in each NHS board area.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Numbers of vacancies for GP posts are not held centrally, as this is a matter for individual independent GP contractors as employers. The latest GP figures published by ISD show that there is a record number of GPs working in NHS Lothian, with a headcount of…
31 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason people in Stoneyburn will no longer have access to a GP at their local health centre.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: My officials are in contact with West Lothian HSCP and they have advised me of the decision to continue to provide consolidated GP services for all patients registered at The Briech Valley Medical Practice, including patients living in Stoneyburn. The HSCP s…
31 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many GP practices have (a) closed and (b) partially closed their list in each year since 2007.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Practices must apply to their Health Boards to close their lists and agree the conditions and timelines for reopening them. Circumstances will arise where a practice experiences capacity issues and is u…
31 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how long it takes to (a) train and (b) recruit a GP.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: (a) The GMC, acting as the regulator of the medical profession, oversees UK medical education and training. Medical training leading to qualification as a GP generally consists of a 5 year degree at medical school or in the case of Scotland’s first graduate e…
31 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what advice and support it offers to people who express concern regarding the removal of GP services at their local health centre.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Boards have a duty, through the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act, to investigate and respond to any concerns raised, to take improvement actions where appropriate and to share learning from the views they receive.
31 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many student GP places there have been in each year since 2007.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Undergraduate medical places are not decided by or allocated for particular specialties. Over their degree, medical students will gain through theory and practical experience the basic skills and competencies required to practice medicine, but deciding on spe…
31 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many GPs have been employed by each NHS board in each year since 2007.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Number (headcount) of GPs in Scotland, by NHS Board, as at 30 September 2007 to 2018: Health Board 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Ayrshire & Arran 308 324 315 326 322 325 329 335 331 332 321 338 Borders …
29 Jan 2019 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to alleviate the reported parking problems at St John's Hospital.
22 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people who are awaiting inpatient appointments to access orthopaedic procedures have been waiting for (a) 100 to 199, (b) 200 to 299, (c) 300 to 364 and (d) at least 365 days.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Procedure level waiting times for inpatients awaiting orthopaedic appointments are not centrally held. However we do collect information on Speciality level Trauma and Orthopaedic surgery waiting times. For a breakdown on waiting times for orthopaedic procedu…
21 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20853 by Clare Haughey on 21 January 2019, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding what the average waiting time is to see a psychologist in NHS Lothian, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its ans…
Answer · Clare Haughey: Data submitted to ISD Scotland for access to Psychologists is included in the aggregate return for measuring waiting times for Psychological Therapies. Therefore, it is not possible to separate waits for individual healthcare professions. The median waiting …
15 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the St Louis-based obstetrician-gynaecologist, Dr Dionysios Veronikis, has offered to come to Scotland to remove surgical mesh from patients and train other surgeons on how to do this.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: In Scotland, removal of mesh implants is presently undertaken by the ‘Mesh Complication Service’ in two specialised centres in NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. https://www.baus.org.uk/patients/glasgow.aspx The two Scottish centres work collab…
11 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on updating its procedures to ensure that all meetings between the First Minister and (a) individuals, (b) groups, (c) businesses or their representatives and (d) other third parties at the First Minister's private residence are published in the ministerial diaries.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government does not record any meetings that the First Minister undertakes at her private residence in a non-ministerial capacity. Details of meetings held by the First Minister in her capacity as First Minister can be found at https://www.gov.s…
11 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings the First Minister has held since May 2016 with (a) individuals, (b) groups, (c) businesses or their representatives and (d) other third parties at the First Minister's private residence that have not been recorded in the published ministerial diaries.
Answer · Graeme Dey: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-20914 on 25 January 2019. 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…
11 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances would meetings between the First Minister and (a) individuals, (b) groups, (c) businesses or their representatives and (d) other third parties at the First Minister's private residence not be recorded in the published ministerial diaries.
Answer · Graeme Dey: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-20914 on 25 January 2019. 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…
9 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many children who would ordinarily have been treated at the children’s ward out-of-hours service at St John’s Hospital, Livingston, have had to be transferred to Edinburgh for treatment in each month since July 2017 when the service was closed.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The information requested is copied in the following table which was provided by NHS Lothian. As I made clear in my statement to Parliament in September, NHS Lothian fully share my commitment to reinstating the inpatient service at St John's as soon as possi…
9 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is to see a psychologist in NHS Lothian.
Answer · Clare Haughey: In NHS Lothian, the average waiting time for people to begin psychological therapy treatment with a mental health professional is three weeks.
9 Jan 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is to access orthopaedic procedures in NHS Lothian.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Latest published data show that the median waiting time in days for elective Orthopaedic inpatients and day cases in NHS Lothian for quarter ending June 2018 was 99 days. I am aware that too many patients across Scotland, including the Orthopaedic service wi…