Neil Findlay

31 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09928 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 July 2017, whether it will publish the 2016-17 figures that show how many FTE college places are funded by SDS; how many FTE courses are funded by SDS, and what the value of this funding is.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: As stated in my answer S5W-09928, the breakdown of FTE is published by the SFC in the College Statistics 2015-2016 publication. SDS focus on starts as this is how they report their data. SDS statistics and more information about the Employability Fund, inclu…

20 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-10073 by Aileen Campbell on 19 July 2017, whether it will list the main differences between its proposals and the bill considered in session 4.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The overall aim of the proposals in the Scottish Government consultation on increasing organ and tissue donation is to provide for a workable soft opt out system of organ and tissue donation which will do no harm to trust in the NHS or to the safety of transp…

30 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to end the public sector pay cap, whether all public sector employees will receive a real terms pay rise each year until the end of the parliamentary session.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-10088 on 4 August 2017. 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/…

30 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its plans for ending the public sector pay cap.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-10088 on 4 August 2017. 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/…

30 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much public sector pay will increase by after it ends the public sector pay cap.

Answer · Derek Mackay: On 29 June 2017 I confirmed that the current public sector pay cap is unsustainable and I will be bringing the 1% cap to an end. Our 2018-19 Public Sector Pay Policy will be published alongside the Draft Budget 2018-19 later this year and will strike a balan…

30 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it will cost to end the public sector pay cap in each year until the end of the parliamentary session, broken down by ministerial portfolio.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-10089 on 4 August 2017. 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/2…

30 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it decided to change its position on its policy of maintaining the public sector pay cap.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-10088 on 4 August 2017. 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/…

30 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will end the public sector pay cap.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Our current pay policy was published alongside the 2017-18 Draft Budget in December 2016 and our new pay policy will again be available at the same time as the Draft Budget 2018-19 later this year. I have made clear that the current public sector pay cap is …

29 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it considers the main differences will be between the proposals in its forthcoming bill on organ donation and those in the Transplantation (Authorisation of Removal of Organs etc.) (Scotland) Bill, which was considered in session four.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government consultation on increasing organ and tissue donation set out workable proposals for a soft opt out system of organ and tissue donation which were significantly different from those in the Transplantation (Authorisation of Removal of Or…

28 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is included in the memorandum of understanding between NHS Digital, the Department of Health and the Home Office to share non-clinical information regarding people who are considered to be immigration offenders.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is not a participant in the memorandum of understanding between NHS Digital, the Department of Health and the Home Office, to share non-clinical information regarding people who are considered to be immigration offenders.

28 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to lay regulations with regard to part 5, chapter 1 of the Digital Economy Act 2017 (Digital Government, Public Service Delivery).

Answer · Derek Mackay: Part 5, Chapter 1 of the Digital Economy Act 2017 relates to improving Public Service Delivery. It includes regulation-making powers in relation to the disclosure of information by a public authority (or persons providing services to a public authority) to ot…

23 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the children's ward at St John's Hospital is to stop accepting new patients during summer 2017.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government have been advised by NHS Lothian that due to concerns over maintaining a safe and sustainable rota for the paediatric service at St John’s Hospital, the Board has reluctantly taken a decision based on a risk management assessment, to i…

23 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the full-time equivalent (FTE) students identified in the numbers provided in the recent Audit Scotland report, Scotland's colleges 2017, took part in either a "Get ready for work" or "Employability fund" course, and whether these students were included in the FTE numbers.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Audit Scotland report used the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) infact online database in order to calculate Full-Time Equivalents (FTE) for the 20 incorporated colleges in Scotland. The infact database can be used to split the number of FTE’s down by a …

23 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any minister or official made any representations to the Home office, Police Scotland or the City of Edinburgh Council in respect of the Home Office's immigration compliance and enforcement patrols in Scotland relating to EU migrants rough sleeping, either before or since the rep…

Answer · Alasdair Allan: Scottish Government officials have engaged with the Home Office and Police Scotland to clarify the position on immigration compliance and enforcement patrols in Scotland relating to EU nationals rough sleeping. The Minister for International Development and E…

23 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any minister or official (a) was consulted by UK Government ministers or officials and (b) has received any information from Police Scotland or the City of Edinburgh Council in respect of the Home Office's immigration compliance and enforcement patrols in Scotland relating to EU …

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government was not consulted by the UK Government or officials, nor have we received information from City of Edinburgh Council in respect of immigration compliance and enforcement patrols of EU nationals rough sleeping in Scotland. Scottish Gove…

19 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidelines are in place for (a) undercover police officers that investigate and (b) police dealing with informers, from campaign groups, and which authority drafts these.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-03262 on 5 October 2016. 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…

19 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what human rights protections it considers that non-violent campaign groups and social justice campaigners should have in relation to the activities of informants or undercover police.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is committed to creating a modern, inclusive Scotland which protects, respects and realises internationally recognised human rights. We fully support the existing human rights protections found in the European Convention on Human Right…

19 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland uses undercover officers to investigate social justice campaign groups and, if so, how many it has used each of the last five years.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The use of undercover officers is an operational matter for the Police Service of Scotland.

19 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how undercover police are trained.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The training of police officers, in whatever discipline, is a matter for the Police Service of Scotland.

19 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how police officers are trained in dealing with informants from campaign groups.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The training of police officers, in whatever discipline, is a matter for the Police Service of Scotland.

16 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-01107 by John Swinney on 14 June 2017 (Official Report, c. 27), what impact its record on education has had on media coverage of the portfolio.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government strives to present a balanced assessment of our education system and encourages others to do likewise. The number of our young people leaving school for a positive destination is at a record high of 93.3 per cent. Success in national q…

13 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09324 by Humza Yousaf on 31 May 2017, how many times it has escalated with the rail regulator concerns regarding ScotRail meeting its accessibility obligations in each year since 2004, and what the outcome was in each case.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland, has not had reason to escalate any concerns regarding ScotRail and accessibility with the Office of Rail & Road since the creation of the ScotRail franchise in 2004.

13 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09324 by Humza Yousaf on 31 May 2017, how it ensures that people who have not booked in advance can (a) board and (b) alight timetabled services that have no second member of train crew.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: ScotRail endeavours to have a second member of staff on all services. ScotRail has a commitment to provide assistance to any passenger who has booked help in advance of travel and will reduce the notice required to one hour within the current franchise. Sco…

7 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on attempts to develop (a) business, (b) cultural and (c) other links with Qatar in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: Scottish Ministers have visited Qatar on four occasions as part of wider visits to the Gulf region to promote business, cultural and other connections: The former First Minister, Alex Salmond, in October 2011; and the former Minister for Europe and Internatio…

6 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review its relationship with the Qatari Government, in light of the decision by several countries to break diplomatic ties with Qatar because of alleged links with terrorist and sectarian organisations.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: Scotland's International Framework sets the direction for Scotland's international activity, recognising that the world is increasingly global, and Scotland must remain internationally relevant in order to build a stronger, fairer and more prosperous society.…

5 Jun 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding will be made available to local authorities to increase the availability of childcare.

25 May 2017 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it does not keep minutes of all meetings between stakeholders and ministers.

24 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the target is for the provison of post-diagnosis dementia support, and (a) how many and (b) what percentage of people diagnosed received this in each of the last five years, also broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Maureen Watt: In 2013 the Scottish Government designed a national target (now standard) to give effect to a guarantee that everyone newly diagnosed with dementia between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2016 will have received at least a year’s worth of post-diagnostic support, c…

24 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have a dementia diagnosis, also broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Maureen Watt: A first report into estimated and projected dementia diagnosis rates in Scotland 2014-20, based upon data from Health Boards in Scotland was published in December 2016. The report was commissioned from NHS National Services Scotland by The Scottish Government…

24 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the new dementia strategy has been delayed and, if so, (a) for what reason and (b) when it will be published.

Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-08643 on 27 April 2017 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/2…