Parliamentary questions

Neil Findlay

2,296 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

23 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) its and (b) the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland's position is on the (i) safety and (ii) efficacy of using mesh in procedures to treat conditions other that pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The use of mesh in procedures to treat conditions other that pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence is accepted, not only in Scotland, but throughout the United Kingdom and beyond. This is supported by a substantial body of evidence and reports …

23 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many adverse incidents relating to patients implanted with mesh to treat conditions other than pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence have been recorded by each NHS board in each of the last five years.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: In order to avoid the potential of identifying individual patients when numbers are very low, the exact number cannot be given. However, according to records held by NHS National Services Scotland’s Incident Reporting and Investigation Centre, between 2013 an…

23 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what research it (a) has undertaken and (b) is aware of regarding mesh and its impact on patients receiving treatment for conditions other than pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has not directly carried out research in relation to non-transvaginal use of surgical mesh. However, it is aware of evidence considered by other bodies, as referred to in the answer given to S5W-17813 on 13 August 2018. All answers to…

23 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) men have had a mesh implant for (i) hernia and (ii) other conditions and (b) women have had a mesh implant for conditions other than prolapse or stress urinary incontinence in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area, and how many of these have reported com…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. NHS Information Services Division confirms that routine health data records hernia operations, bladder operations, etc., using prosthetic implants, not those specifically using mesh implants. …

23 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many Freedom of Information requests it has received from MSPs in each of the last five years, broken down by party.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 does not require individuals requesting information to identify their occupation or whether they represent a particular organisation. On that basis the Government, in respect of requests it receives under that st…

23 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17413 by Kate Forbes on 19 July 2018, what guidance it issues to (a) its staff, (b) special advisers and (c) ministers regarding the use of non-corporate encrypted apps on mobile phones for dealing with official business.

Answer · Kate Forbes: For Scottish Government corporate mobile phones, Scottish Government employees, Special Advisors and Ministers are advised to abide by the Scottish Government IT Code of Conduct and Mobile employee agreement. This includes advice that use of any non-corporate…

23 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many Freedom of Information responses it has provided in each of the last five years that included information from encrypted apps on mobile devices.

Answer · Kate Forbes: There is no requirement under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act for public authorities to record the source of data for an FOI request. Scottish Government encrypted corporate apps access data from the Scottish Government’s IT network. Data held on t…

22 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) of its staff, (b) special advisers and (c) ministers use personal mobile phones for official business, and what guidance it issues regarding their use..

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government has no information on how many staff use personal mobile phones for official business. Scottish Government has no corporate advice on the use of personal mobile phones for official business.

22 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it issues to (a) its staff, (b) special advisers and (c) ministers regarding the use of encrypted apps on mobile phones for dealing with official business.

Answer · Kate Forbes: All users of devices that require corporate encrypted apps agree to comply with the Scottish Governments’ IT Code of Conduct and a Mobile Services Employee Agreement when the device is activated. The IT Code of Conduct sets out guidance on the acceptable use…

22 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many mobile phones are currently on issue to (a) its staff, (b) special advisers and (c) ministers, also broken down by how many have encrypted apps for dealing with official business.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The number of mobile phones on issue as at 27 June 2018 is set out in the table below: Number of Mobile Phones Number of Mobile Phones With Corporate Encrypted Apps Staff 3,140 1,110 Special Advisers 14 10 Ministers 2 1 Total 3,156 1,121

22 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the use of (a) personal and (b) officially-issued mobile phones (i) with and (ii) without encrypted apps and private mobile phones by (A) its staff, (B) special advisers and (C) ministers is covered by Freedom of Information requests.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The coverage of any Freedom of Information request concerning officially issued mobile phones will depend on the scope of the information requested and whether any exemptions or exceptions apply.

20 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Lord Pentland agreeing with its lawyers that statements from ministers referring to an "effective ban" were "mistaken and did not accurately reflect the legal position".

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government continues to take a cautious, evidence-led approach to considering unconventional oil and gas in Scotland. On? 19 June 2018, the Court of Session rejected a petition by INEOS Upstream Ltd and Reach Coal Seam Gas Ltd that sought to ch…

20 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has introduced a legal ban on fracking.

19 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government to what extent undercover police officers have carried out surveillance of (a) social justice groups, (b) environmental groups and (c) trade unions in Scotland in each year since 1999, broken down by (i) how many and (ii) which organisations have been subject to this, and what informatio…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The authorisation of surveillance by the police is an operational matter for the relevant police service. The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

18 Jun 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to engage with and empower communities in West Lothian.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Community Empowerment Act and the current local governance review create opportunities for communities in West Lothian to engage in local decision making; and, develop and deliver solutions to meet local need and wider aspirations. This is underpinned by …

11 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it offers to people whose homes are affected by air pollution from distilleries, and what action it is taking to address the issue.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government does not offer specific advice to people whose homes are affected by air pollution from distilleries. General advice to the public regarding air quality is available on the Scottish air quality website: scottishairquality.co.uk All lo…

11 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has commissioned regarding air pollution from distilleries.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has not commissioned any research regarding air pollution from distilleries.

8 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to publish the appointments in ministerial diaries.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government published the latest information about Ministerial engagements, overseas travel, car journeys, domestic travel and gifts received on 20 June 2018 at https://beta.gov.scot/publications/?term=Ministerialtravel&publicationTypes=transpare…

8 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the expansion of municipal ownership of buses.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Local authorities can already run their own services in some limited circumstances, as some do. The Transport Bill, which has just been introduced to parliament, extends these powers.

8 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings the Minister for Transport and the Islands has had with Stagecoach in 2018 and what was discussed.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Minister for Transport and the Islands has attended one meeting with Stagecoach in 2018, to date. On 22 March, the Minister chaired a meeting of the Bus Stakeholder Group, on which the Managing Director, Stagecoach Scotland sits as the current Chair of C…

8 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been convicted of grooming in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Section 1 of the Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2005 provides for an offence of 'meeting a child following certain preliminary contact' for the purpose of unlawful sexual activity. This is commonly referred to as a 'gr…

8 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has undertaken to understand how grooming takes place.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government has not undertaken research specifically looking at the question of how ‘grooming’ takes place. However, a range of research exists looking at the question of how, in particular, grooming of children for sexual exploitation takes place…

8 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect (a) children and (b) adults from (i) online and (ii) other forms of grooming.

Answer · Maree Todd: Protecting children and young people from all forms of abuse is a priority for the Scottish Government, as set out in current national policy and legislation. We are committed to working with partners nationally, locally and with support services. Internet s…

8 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) financial and (b) other support it gives to (i) charities and (ii) other voluntary groups that work to prevent the grooming of (A) children and (B) adults.

Answer · Maree Todd: We are committed to working with stakeholders to develop and oversee national policy to protect children and young people. The National Action Plan to Prevent and Tackle Child Sexual Exploitation and National Action Plan on Internet Safety for Children and Yo…

8 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce specific legislation to tackle the grooming of (a) children and (b) adults.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Section 1 of the Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2005 provides for an offence of 'meeting a child following certain preliminary contact'. This is commonly referred to as a 'grooming' offence. There is no specific crimi…

7 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13882 by Keith Brown on 31 January 2018, whether it will confirm which of the projects listed were affected by the liquidation of Carillion, also broken down by the financial impact of this (a) to each project overall and (b) on the public purse.

Answer · Keith Brown: The UK Official Receiver is still in the process of liquidating Carillion and so the final impact on the public purse is not yet available.

6 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it provides to the public as a result of bus service changes that may negatively impact on them.

Answer · Michael Matheson: If people are concerned about the impact of changes to bus services they can raise these with the operators concerned or with local authorities, who have powers to subsidise socially necessary services which cannot be provided commercially. If they are not s…

6 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address concerns regarding what are considered failings in bus service provision in West Lothian.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The provision of local services is a matter for operators and local authorities. The Scottish Government itself does not have the power to intervene directly in commercial or supported bus services in Scotland but will continue to encourage operators and loca…

6 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take when bus companies propose widespread changes to bus routes and frequency that may be detrimental to users.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The provision of local services is a matter for operators and local authorities. The Scottish Government itself does not have the power to intervene directly in commercial or supported bus services but continues to encourage operators and local authorities to…

6 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what rights users have to prevent bus route and timetable changes.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Bus services in Scotland are deregulated and largely run on a commercial basis, although local authorities have a duty to identify where there is a social need for particular bus services and powers to subsidise these. Bus operators use their commercial judg…