Parliamentary questions
Clare Haughey
166 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Dec 2017 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to attract more people to train as nurses.
22 Nov 2017 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that new-build housing estates are able to access fast fibre broadband internet connections.
10 Nov 2017 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards negotiating a new GP contract for 2018.
Answer · Shona Robison: Following positive and collaborative negotiations between the Scottish Government and the British Medical Association, the terms of the 2018 General Medical Services Contract have now been agreed. The agreed Contract Offer is being published on the Scottish …
30 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) emotional, (b) psychological and (c) other support it provides to women during menopause.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government recognises the impact the menopause has on women’s lives and the pivotal role of general practice in promoting high-quality menopause care to all and specialist referral if needed. The Scottish Government provides policies, framework…
24 Oct 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement the finance secretary has had with trade unions regarding scrapping the cap on public sector pay.
Answer · Derek Mackay: 9 May 2017, the STUC on 1 August and had further discussions with Grahame Smith, STUC General Secretary, on 9 October. Following that discussion, we sent a joint letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer calling on the UK Government to lift their 1 per cent p…
28 Sep 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made prohibiting smoking on NHS property, and how this has contributed towards the aim of making Scotland a tobacco-free country.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Our 2013 strategy, Creating a Tobacco-Free Generation, committed us to making all hospital grounds tobacco-free. This was implemented across the NHS Scotland estate in April 2015. However, smoking still persists around many hospitals. To address this, offenc…
11 Sep 2017 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it will give to families of children who died at the Smyllum Park orphanage in Lanark.
7 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the number of staff working in the NHS in September 2006 compares to the latest available statistics.
Answer · Shona Robison: The number of Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) staff working in NHSScotland has increased from 127,061.9 WTE as at 30 September 2006 to 139,430.9 WTE as at 31 March 2017 – a record high increase of over 12,300 WTE, or 9.7 per cent under this Government. (Source: …
19 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-10034 by Kevin Stewart on 14 July 2017, whether the Scottish Funding Council received the information that it requested from the principals and chairs of college buildings and from the Scottish Association of University Directors of Estates (SAUDE) …
Answer · Kevin Stewart: As outlined in S5W-10034, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) requested information from Principals and Chairs of college buildings and from the Scottish Association of University Directors of Estates (SAUDE) about the use of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM)…
28 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether wider inspections of student accommodation will take place, in light of reports that cladding on a hall of residence at Edinburgh Napier University was found to be made of the same material used on Grenfell Tower.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) have requested information from Principals and Chairs of Scotland’s college buildings and from the Scottish Association of University Directors of Estates (SAUDE) about the use of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding …
28 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what continuing representations it is making to the Treasury regarding Scotland’s share of any Barnett funding that may arise from the agreement between the Conservative and Democratic Unionist parties.
Answer · Derek Mackay: I wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 27 June to request an urgent meeting of the Scottish, Welsh and UK Governments to discuss this issue. That request was declined, but the Chief Secretary had separate telephone discussions on 6 July with me and…
28 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to grow employment in the creative industries.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Through our partner agencies - Creative Scotland, Scottish Funding Council, Skills Development Scotland and the enterprise agencies - we have supported a range of actions through grant funding, including developing leadership and business skills through the S…
28 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds regarding the growth of microbreweries in Scotland, and how many people are employed in this sector.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government does not have access to specific information on the growth of microbreweries in Scotland due to the structure of the Standard Industrial Classification. For statistical purposes, data is collected for businesses where their main activ…
28 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for publishing its cultural strategy for Scotland.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Engagement with stakeholders about the strategy’s scope and purpose is currently underway and will inform our approach to broader public engagement over the coming months. Our stated approach to the development of a culture strategy for Scotland is both a col…
28 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Widows Retirement Report.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Widows Retirement Report 2017 sets out a range of interesting findings about attitudes and behaviours around saving for retirement; a vital issue for current and future generations. The recommendations of the report relate, in large part, to impr…
28 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the impact on Scotland of ONS statistics that reportedly show that, between 2012 and 2015, 14.6% of people in the UK experienced living in poverty for a whole year, and whether it will provide an update on the action it is taking to tackle poverty.
Answer · Angela Constance: The ONS measures of persistent poverty look at whether people are at risk of poverty over a number of years. The most recent data shows that 14.6% of people in the UK had been at risk of poverty in only one of the years between 2012 and 2015, a further 7% had…
28 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to encourage people to save for retirement.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government's Fairer Scotland Action Plan (FSAP), published in October 2016, sets out a number of commitments to ensure that older people can enjoy a thriving "third age". This means supporting people who want to keep on working, and ensuring that…
28 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging (a) retailers and (b) food and drink producers to use biodegradable packaging.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government's vision is for a circular economy in which materials are kept in high value use for as long as possible, though reuse and recycling. While biodegradable packaging can help to reduce litter through the gradual degradation of littered …
27 Jun 2017 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the National Health & Social Care Workforce Plan will be published.
Answer · Shona Robison: To ensure that NHSScotland and the Social Care sector have the right skills mix, we will introduce national and regional workforce planning. Workforce planning already happens locally within NHSScotland Boards, but we want to develop a National Health and So…
27 Jun 2017 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the third dementia strategy will be published, and what its priorities are for dealing with dementia over the next three years.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government has maintained a priority focus on dementia since 2007. We have had two national strategies so far, and I am pleased to confirm that we are today publishing the third Scottish Dementia Strategy, for 2017-2020. The strategy can be acces…
5 Jun 2017 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will reaffirm its commitment to the Paris climate accord.
16 May 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what additional income will be raised in 2017-18 by local authorities that have increased Council Tax rates.
8 May 2017 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government is marking Mental Health Awareness Week.
28 Mar 2017 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress made in relation to its International Development Small Grants Programme funding round 2017-18.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government is pleased to announce that funding amounting to a total of £479,157 will be provided to 10 organisations, from our Small Grants Programme 2017-2018, for projects to commence in April 2017. Total amount of Recommended funding - Progr…
22 Mar 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will increase the mental health workforce.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Following the publication of the National Health and Social Care Workforce Plan, and the Mental Health Strategy 2017-27, the Scottish Government will be working with Integration Authorities, NHS boards, training providers and other partners to deliver the com…
8 Mar 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of staff working in the NHS.
Answer · Shona Robison: Under this Government, the number of staff working in NHSScotland has increased by over 12,000 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) to a record high total of 139,262.0 WTE. This includes record high numbers of qualified nurses and midwives, which have increased by 6.…
21 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03160 by Shona Robison on 7 October 2016, whether it has reached a decision on how it will take forward its response to the consultation on the proposed amendments to the National Health Service Central Register (Scotland) Regulations 2006.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Ministers have listened carefully to the arguments made during the consultation on proposed amendments to the LEARS Act Regulations, and have concluded that it would not be appropriate to broaden the range of bodies prescribed in legislation who can share dat…
24 Jan 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is confident that the UK Government will lay its commencement order in time for the Scottish Government to take forward its social security plans.
18 Jan 2017 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of fibre-optic cables across the Rutherglen constituency.
16 Dec 2016 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its NHS delivery plan.
Answer · Shona Robison: Our Health and Social Care Delivery plan has been published today. The plan can be found at http://www.gov.scot/healthandsocialcaredeliveryplan