Parliamentary questions
Neil Findlay
2,296 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
17 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many companies identified on the Consulting Association's database have been awarded NHS contracts in Scotland in the last 18 months.
Answer · Alex Neil: A total of four companies that have been awarded contracts by the Scottish Government and its agencies since 2007 have been named, or associated with companies named by the Information Commissioner’s Office, as companies which subscribed to the Consulting Ass…
17 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what procurement advice in relation to blacklisting it has given to (a) NHS boards and (b) the Scottish Futures Trust on new build projects.
Answer · Alex Neil: NHS boards and the Scottish Futures Trust were made aware that Ministers are opposed to blacklisting and will work with the Scottish Government to respond to the final report from the Scottish Affairs Committee’s Inquiry on this matter. New guidelines for pu…
13 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership talks will have on (a) public policy and (b) the NHS in Scotland; what its position is on the talks; whether it has discussed them with the UK Government, and, if so, what specific areas it has discussed.
Answer · Alex Neil: Scottish Government welcomes the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks and is maintaining close contact with the negotiations and ensuring that our views are fed into the UK Government Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, whic…
21 Aug 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on formalising links between Skills Development Scotland and DWP Job Centre Plus.
Answer · Angela Constance: Partnership agreements are in place between Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and DWP Job Centre Plus at both national and regional/district levels. SDS and DWP have also collaborated in a number of areas, including PACE local partnerships, the Integrated Emp…
21 Aug 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether there have been discussions regarding Skills Development Scotland formally merging with DWP Job Centre Plus and, if so, what the outcomes were.
Answer · Angela Constance: No formal discussions regarding Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and DWP Jobcentre Plus merging have taken place. The Scottish Government is however engaging with a range of stakeholders on how employment services might be delivered under constitutional refo…
20 Aug 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether school leavers who have been offered (a) higher and (b) further education places in 2013-14 are eligible for training opportunities through the Employability Fund before commencing their studies and, if so, whether the training providers can subsequently claim progression payment…
Answer · Angela Constance: Access to the Employability Fund is subject to an individual satisfying specific eligibility criteria. Referral organisations are responsible for undertaking an assessment of the needs of the individual to ensure that entry to the Employability Fund is approp…
22 Jul 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what advice it is giving to GPs on how to deal with requests for information in relation to appeals for benefit claimants in light of changes to the welfare system.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government supports the role of GPs in contributing to the welfare assessment process and this is reflected contractually in both our General and Primary Medical Services Regulations. GPs have a statutory obligation, negotiated on a UK basis, to …
5 Jul 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what income has been derived from advertising private sector jobs on the NHS jobs portal since this practice was introduced.
Answer · Alex Neil: No income has been sought or received from third parties since the NHSScotland jobs website was introduced. The NHSScotland jobs portal is not intended for advertising private sector vacancies. National Services Scotland is reviewing all organisations’ adver…
5 Jul 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government from what date it has advertised private sector jobs on the NHS jobs portal and who made the decision to introduce this practice.
Answer · Alex Neil: Records show that the first vacancy for non-NHS Scotland post was advertised on 13 January 2013. The NHSScotland jobs portal is not intended for advertising private sector vacancies.
5 Jul 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many private sector jobs have been advertised on the NHS jobs portal since this practice was introduced.
Answer · Alex Neil: Records show that since the NHSScotland jobs portal’s inception in February 2005 that 44 posts were advertised by independent healthcare providers.
5 Jul 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on advertising private sector jobs on the NHS jobs portal.
Answer · Alex Neil: The NHSScotland jobs portal is intended for advertising vacancies for posts that are delivering NHSScotland services.
25 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the use of the competitive dialogue process that it uses in its procurement process.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We have no plans to review the Scottish Government’s use of the competitive dialogue procedure.
11 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14692 by Alex Neil on 21 May 2013, which NHS boards will print the National Confidential Alert Line number on June 2013 payslips.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government wrote to all NHS Boards on 6 June 2013 asking them to include information about the National Confidential Alert Line on the June and or July 2013 payslips. We have been advised by health boards that the information will be included on …
6 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether funding is available for credit unions to develop schemes offering accounts to welfare recipients to enable them to receive benefits and pay bills from the account.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: We are keen to do all that we can to support and promote credit unions, and recognise the valuable role they play in Scotland’s communities. Credit unions are encouraged to access our third sector organisational support programmes, including development fundi…
6 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether funding is available to credit unions to assist them to (a) grow their services and (b) develop services to mitigate the impact of welfare reform.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Credit unions are eligible to apply for the Scottish Government third sector organisational support programmes and development funds and we encourage them to do so. We shall ensure that credit unions and their representative bodies are made aware of any new t…
3 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any colleges have written to staff recently regarding compulsory redundancies and, if so, which.
Answer · Michael Russell: This is a matter for individual colleges as independent employers. The Scottish Government has repeatedly made clear to colleges our view that compulsory redundancies should be avoided.
3 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) teaching and (b) non-teaching staff it estimates will be employed in the college sector in 2013-14.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government does not make estimates of this kind. It is for individual colleges, as independent employers, to plan and consider their staffing needs.
3 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) teaching and (b) non-teaching staff have been employed in the college sector in each year since 2007.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Funding Council collects information on the number of staff employed in the college sector. The latest available data is set out in the following table. Staff headcount by type of staff, 2007-08 to 2010-11 Year Teaching Non-teaching 2007-08 …
23 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Franchising Advisory Panel that has been recently established by the UK Government will have an impact on passenger rail franchises put out to tender by Transport Scotland and, if so, what discussions it has had with UK Government (a) ministers and (b) officials regarding thi…
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government has regular contact with the Department for Transport on rail issues including rail franchising. The Franchise Advisory Panel has no locus in the award of the rail franchises to be let by Scottish Ministers.
20 May 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the banking sector regarding help for small businesses.
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to (a) end or (b) reduce the use of zero-hour contracts in the public sector.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15013 on 29 May 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/P…
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of zero-hour contracts in the public sector.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15013 on 29 May 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/P…
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether zero-hour contracts are being used in the public sector other than in further and higher education.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not employ staff on zero hours contracts. Information as regards to other public sector organisations’ use of zero hours contracts is not held centrally.
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the (a) higher and (b) further education sector regarding the use of zero-hour contracts.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government meets with the further and higher education sectors on a regular basis to discuss a number of issues. We are unaware of any specific discussions with the sectors on the use of zero-hour contracts.
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many in (a) higher and (b) further education institutions are employed on zero-hour contracts.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Our further and higher education institutions are independent institutions with responsibility for their own staffing, admissions, subject provision, curriculum and research.
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to consider the coordination of regulators in relation to the opencast work being carried out at the Five Sisters area of West Calder.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Historic Scotland; the Scottish Government’s executive agency charged with safeguarding the nation’s historic environment is currently working with West Lothian Council, the Police, SEPA, and the Coal Authority to ensure a coordinated approach to the range of…
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the opencast work being carried out in the Five Sisters area of West Calder.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government’s position is that under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, its executive agency Historic Scotland wrote to the company carrying out the unauthorised opencast work on 8 May 2013 to halt all works within the Five S…
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of the work being carried out by an opencast coal developer at the Five Sisters area of West Calder.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government’s Planning and Architecture Division and, through its executive agency Historic Scotland, is aware of works being carried out at the Five Sisters bing.
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what powers exist to prevent opencast coal developers from continuing to dig for coal when they are in breach of planning regulations and local authority stop notices.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Sections 144A to 144D of the 1997 Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act (introduced by the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006) allow a planning authority to issue a temporary stop notice which takes effect immediately it is issued and, unlike a stop notice,…
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what powers exist to prevent opencast coal developers from beginning work without planning permission being in place.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Planning enforcement is the responsibility of the relevant planning authority. Under planning legislation a range of powers, including planning contravention notices, temporary stop notices, stop notices and enforcement notices exist for planning authorities …