Parliamentary questions
Drew Smith
636 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
14 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it gathers information on the (a) use and (b) scale of demand for foodbanks and, if so, whether it will publish this.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15751 on 27 June 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/parliamentarybu…
14 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it collects regarding foodbanks.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government does not routinely collect information on food banks. However, we are aware that the Trussell Trust, a key provider of food aid in the UK, is operating 17 food banks in Scotland with a further 18 in development. In the last 12 months, …
7 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulation Agency proposal to regulate electronic cigarettes as medicines and what discussions it has had with the (a) agency with regard to this matter and (b) UK Government on whether the proposals are compliant with the EU …
Answer · Michael Matheson: The regulation of medicines is a reserved matter. As set out in our Tobacco Control Strategy, Creating a Tobacco Free Generation, following the announcement of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulation Agency on 12 June to regulate Electronic Cigarette…
3 Jun 2013 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to secure jobs and conditions at the O2 Skypark facility in Glasgow following the announcement by Telefónica that 3,000 jobs are to be outsourced to Capita.
30 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it or its agencies provided to O2 when it established the Skypark call centre facility in Glasgow and what conditions were attached.
Answer · John Swinney: O2 was offered a regional selective assistance grant of £7,000,000 in 2005 to help attract the project to Glasgow rather than competing locations in Ireland. This was for a project that would create 1,522 jobs and involve investment by the company of £13,271,…
29 May 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will maintain the number of police stations in Glasgow and their opening hours at current levels.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Scotland.
22 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is helping local authorities to maximise the budgets available for discretionary housing payments.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The level of Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) budgets is a matter for the Department of Work and Pensions and local authorities. Scottish Ministers have consistently pressed the UK Government to increase the DHP allocation for Scotland and will continue to…
22 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities have increased their funding for discretionary housing payments to the maximum level of 2.5 times the contribution from the UK Government.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: This information is not held centrally. However, the questionnaire for local authorities jointly developed by the Scottish Government, COSLA and the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers, issued on 24 May 2013, includes a question on whether t…
22 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of what support is available via local authority discretionary housing payments for social tenants affected by the under-occupancy charge.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The UK Government has allocated £10 million to Scottish local authorities for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) for 2013-14, constituting 6.5% of the total GB allocation. This is intended to cover reforms to housing benefit in the private and social rente…
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of GPs in (a) each NHS board area and (b) Scotland is contracted for NHS work under (i) the General Medical Services contract, (ii) a variation of the General Medical Services contract or (iii) an arrangement other than the General Medical Services contract.
Answer · Alex Neil: Figures showing the number of GPs contracted to work in Scottish General Medical Practices, broken down by NHS board and practice contract type, can be found in Table 1. Table 1 – The number of GPs contracted to work in Scottish General Practices, broken dow…
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) the Welsh Assembly Government, (b) the Northern Ireland Executive and (c) COSLA in relation to the General Medical Services contract and welfare reform.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has not had any discussions with the Devolved Administrations or COSLA in relation to the GMS contract and welfare reform.
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) the Department of Work and Pensions, (b) ATOS, (c) Salus, (d) NHS boards, (e) BMA Scotland, (f) representatives of disabled people and (g) GPs at the Deep End regarding the effectiveness of the General Medical Services contract in relation to welfare …
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has not had any discussions with any organisations regarding the effectiveness of the GMS contract in relation to welfare reform.
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding the effectiveness of the General Medical Services contract in relation to welfare reform.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has not made any representation to the UK Government regarding the effectiveness of the GMS contract in relation to welfare reform.
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the General Medical Services contract to be fit for purpose in respect of the interaction between GPs and the benefits system.
Answer · Alex Neil: GPs, through the UK negotiated General Medical Services (GMS) contract are statutorily required to provide certain medical certificates which include certificates such as the Med 3 and the statements contained in the Personal Independence payment and Attendan…
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that requests for information in support of a work capability assessment by (a) the Department of Work and Pensions, (b) ATOS and (c) Salus are responded to timeously and without charge in accordance with the General Medical Services contract.
Answer · Alex Neil: Provision of information to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) by a GP in relation to Work Capability Assessments (WCA) is not covered by the General Medical Services (GMS) contract but through separate contractual arrangements. The GMS contract is n…
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the (a) Minister for Housing and Welfare or (b) Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing has had meetings with (i) the Department of Work and Pensions, (ii) ATOS, (iii) SALUS, (iv) NHS boards, (v) BMA Scotland, (vi) representatives of disabled people or (vii) GPs at the Deep En…
Answer · Alex Neil: Neither the Minister for Housing and Welfare or the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing have had meetings with any party with regard to the provision by GPs of information in support of a benefit application, or with regard to the decision by the Glasg…
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in relation to GPs refusing to provide patients with letters of support or evidence in relation to benefit applications.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15020 on 30 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/parliamentarybus…
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many GPs are represented by Glasgow Local Medical Committee and how many patients are registered with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde GPs.
Answer · Alex Neil: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Local Medical Committees represent NHS GPs in their localities and membership is a local matter for each Committee. The Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland …
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with, or is aware of between, (a) the Department of Work and Pensions, (b) ATOS, (c) SALUS, (d) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, (e) other NHS boards, (f) BMA Scotland, (g) representatives of disabled people and (h) GPs at the Deep End regarding Glasgow Local Me…
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has not had discussions, and is not aware of discussions between other organisations, in respect of the Glasgow Local Medical Committee’s recommendation that GPs working under contract to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde do not provide le…
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Glasgow Local Medical Committee's recommendation that GPs working under contract to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde do not provide letters of support for patients making benefit applications when requested by the patient and whether any other local medical committee…
Answer · Alex Neil: 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 …
15 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with, or is aware of between, (a) the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), (b) ATOS, (c) SALUS, (d) NHS boards, (e) BMA Scotland, (f) representatives of disabled people and (g) GPs at the Deep End regarding the provision of information by GPs in support of a…
Answer · Alex Neil: Scottish Government officials met with the Chair of the Scottish General Practitioner Committee of the BMA on 13 March 2013 to discuss provision of medical information to patients in support of appeals in respect of DWP’s Work Capability Assessments. On 20 A…
13 May 2013 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to tackle bullying in the NHS.
8 May 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what practical support it can provide to Scottish charities wishing to carry out development and assistance work overseas.
26 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to extend access to superfast broadband to those urban areas that do not have it.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government has committed over £240 million of public funding to the Step Change 2015 programme, which will deliver a step change in next generation broadband connectivity to those areas where the market will currently not go. We are also collabo…
24 Apr 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to prevent the backfilling of civilian staff posts by police officers.
12 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S4W-08944 and S4W-08941 by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 August 2012, what progress has been made on the transfer of the administration of employment tribunals.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The UK Government has been considering the transfer of the administration of reserved tribunals to the Scottish Ministers. In his response to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice’s letter of 12 October 2012, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice…
12 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government on proposals to devolve responsibility for the operation and administration of employment tribunals and when such discussions will be concluded.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The UK Government has been considering the transfer of the administration of reserved tribunals to the Scottish Ministers. In his response to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice’s letter of 12 October 2012, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justic…
2 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who will benefit from the social wage and how.
Answer · John Swinney: Through the Social Wage we have defended and extended key core universal services, rights and benefits to deliver the social and economic circumstances for everyone to benefit. Key commitments include: the removal of prescription charges, benefitting every S…
29 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many parents do not obtain a place for their child at a nursery school in the first (a) three, (b) six and (c) nine months of their entitlement due to a lack of available places.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Local authorities are under a statutory duty to secure a place for all prescribed children, where parents wish to have a place for their child, in accordance with where their third birthday falls. The Scottish Government monitors registration of those eligib…
29 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many parents do not obtain a place for their child at the nursery school of their (a) first and (b) second choice.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: This information is not held centrally.