Parliamentary questions
Neil Findlay
2,296 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
13 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on caring for looked-after children in each year since 2007.
Answer · Angela Constance: Information on the allocation of local authority funds toward the care of Looked After Children is collected each financial year in the Local Financial Return. The total amount spent on caring for Looked After Children by local authorities since 2006-07 is pr…
13 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners were previously in care.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The 2011 Prisoner Survey contained, for the first time, a question about prisoners who had previously been in care. Responses to the survey are b…
13 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to intervene when concerns are raised regarding private and charitable residential schools and secure units involved in caring for looked-after children.
Answer · Angela Constance: Residential schools and secure units are registered and regulated by the Care Inspectorate. The Care Inspectorate has a number of powers under the Public Sector Reform Act 2010 and can impose recommendations, requirements, conditions and improvement notices a…
5 Oct 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop social, economic and cultural links with Cuba.
4 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support is available for households that wish to install household renewables.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government offers direct financial support for household renewables through the Energy Saving Scotland homes renewables scheme, managed by the Energy Savings Trust (EST). The scheme offers interest-free loans for renewables systems to private hou…
4 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what legal barriers there are to it or any other public body introducing a living wage.
Answer · John Swinney: Under the Scotland Act 1998, the National Minimum Wages Act 1998 is a reserved matter. However, there are no legal barriers to public bodies paying their staff a living wage rate that exceeds the national minimum wage. The Scottish Government’s Public Sector…
4 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support was or has been provided for household renewables in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10, (d) 2010-11 and (e) 2011-12.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: A number of scheme have been available to householders to provide financial support for renewables. The grants paid under these schemes since 2007-08 are: SCHRI Household grants and Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grants Energy Saving Scotland home…
4 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households have been fitted with renewable energy generators since May 2007, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) tenure.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Figures for the number of renewable energy generators for households are based on the number of households which have drawn down grants and loans since April 2007. Figures for local authority and housing association households have been provided by the Energy…
4 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS Lothian and other stakeholders regarding the development of the former Bangour Village Hospital site.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish Government officials have discussed the development of the former Bangour Village Hospital with NHS Lothian as part of their asset management strategy, and are working with NHS Lothian and the Scottish Futures Trust on disposal plans.
4 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many onshore wind energy planning applications have been refused by local authorities in the last 10 years and how many were subsequently granted on appeal.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: This information is not centrally held.
4 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what legal barriers there are to it introducing conditions in procurement processes that ensure that employees of it, public authorities and subcontractors are paid a living wage.
Answer · Alex Neil: Low pay is an issue that the Scottish Government takes very seriously and we support the principles of the living wage campaign. The Public Sector Pay Policy for Staff Pay Remits 2011-12 published by the Scottish Government requires employers covered by the p…
4 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support has been made available to third-sector organisations seeking to develop (a) community and (b) household renewable schemes since May 2007.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government has funded the Energy Savings Trust (EST) and Community Energy Scotland (CES) to deliver schemes for communities and householders. The Scottish Government also funds the Climate Challenge Fund managed by Keep Scotland Beautiful. EST h…
21 Sep 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will maintain levels of patient care in the face of staff reductions across the NHS.
30 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the relevant trade unions and employers regarding the continuation of the national collective agreement for the electrical contracting industry, and what the outcomes was.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: There have been no discussions with the relevant trade unions and employers on this issue.
30 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-01008 by Kenny MacAskill on 8 July 2011, what the selection process was for members of the Taylor Review Reference Group.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02454 on 8 September 2011. 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/parliamentary…
30 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-01008 by Kenny MacAskill on 8 July 2011, whether there was any consultation undertaken on the appointment of members of the Taylor Review Reference Group.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02454 on 28 September 2011. 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/parliamentar…
30 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with SELECT, the Electrical Contractors Association of Scotland, regarding the continuation of the national joint negotiating scheme, and what the outcome was.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: There have been no discussions with the SELECT, the Electrical Contractors Association of Scotland on this issue.
30 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Joint Industry Board for the electrical contracting industry regarding the continuation of the national joint negotiating scheme, and what the outcome was.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: There have been no discussions with the Scottish Joint Industry Board on this issue.
30 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-01008 by Kenny MacAskill on 8 July 2011, what criteria were used to select members of the Taylor Review Reference Group.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Review of the Expenses and Funding of Civil Litigation in Scotland, which is being led by Sheriff Principal James Taylor, is independent of the Scottish Government. The choice of members of the reference group for the review was a matter for Sheriff Princ…
30 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the continuation of the national collective agreement for the electrical contracting industry, and what the outcome was.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: There have been no discussions with the UK Government on this issue.
30 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions has it had with training providers, including further education colleges, on the implications of any changes to the national joint negotiating scheme for the electrical contracting industry, and what the outcome was.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: There have been no discussions with the training providers, including further education colleges, on this issue.
14 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of men offered screening under the Scottish Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Programme have subsequently been screened in each programme area in each year since the programme started.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-1672 on 5 August 2011. 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/MAQASearch/…
14 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been carried out in relation to the adequacy of NHS (a) procurement and (b) monitoring of supply and distribution of drugs to treat tuberculosis.
Answer · Michael Matheson: No formal assessment has been carried out into these issues in Scotland, but there are difficulties in obtaining supplies of TB drugs across the UK. As a direct consequence, the UK Commercial Medicine Unit has taken the lead to establish a group on a four cou…
14 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have completed treatment for (a) drug-susceptible and (b) drug-resistant tuberculosis in each of the last five years and how many were unable to complete such treatment due to unavailability of drugs.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Information on the outcome of TB treatment becomes available one year after initial tuberculosis notification. For this reason, the latest data on treatment outcomes are for cases notified in 2008. Outcomes for cases notified in 2009 will be reported in the 2…
14 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether an assessment has been made of the merits of including indicators on abdominal aortic aneurysm in the Quality and Outcomes Framework.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) manages the process to develop the clinical and health improvement indicators for the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF). This includes prioritising areas for new indicator development and rec…
14 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many men screened under the Scottish Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Programme have subsequently been referred for treatment since the programme started.
Answer · Michael Matheson: A national screening programme for abdominal aortic aneurysms is not yet available in Scotland. It is currently envisaged that the programme will be rolled out across Scotland from autumn 2012.
14 Jul 2011 · Written Question
To ask Scottish Executive whether it has carried out an assessment of the risk of people developing drug-resistant tuberculosis as a result of inconsistent supply of antituberculosis drugs and what steps it will take to ensure that there are sufficient stocks of such drugs.
Answer · Michael Matheson: No specific assessment has been carried out of the risk to people developing drug-resistant tuberculosis as a result of inconsistent supply of antituberculosis drugs. While there is a theoretical possibility that resistant strains of TB can emerge due to inap…
22 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in its discussions with NHS Lothian, it can confirm that there is a continuing commitment to open a sports injury clinic at St John’s Hospital at Livingston.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Lothian have confirmed that a soft tissue knee and sports injuries clinic has been running at the hospital for a number of years and it continues to see a large number of patients from the area. NHS Lothian have also confirmed that as part of the ongoing …
22 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what budget is in place for the establishment of a sports injury clinic at St John’s Hospital in Livingston.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Boards receive revenue and capital allocations to meet the healthcare needs of their resident population. It is for Boards to decide how best to utilise this funding to meet national and local priorities.
22 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any change to the original budget allocated for a sports injury clinic at St John's Hospital in Livingston.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-01110 on 18 July 2011. 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/parliamentarybusi…