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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-24820

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether the costs relating to the judicial review brought by the former First Minister, Alex Salmond, were reduced as a result of the “extensive negotiation” referred to by the Scottish Government spokesperson in the Sunday Mail article of 18 August 2019 and if so, by how much.

Question reference: S5W-24817

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any problems with settlement at Brimmond School in Aberdeen; whether Hub North Scotland Ltd or Aberdeen City Council have instructed reports to investigate any such issues, and, if so, from whom reports have been commissioned and when they were instructed.

The Scottish Government has taken the allegations about settlement issues at Brimmond School very seriously.

Aberdeen City Council, as the owner of the building, categorically assured us that the claims are untrue. over past few years, Aberdeen City Council and Hub North Scotland has sought independent engineering advice by two separate engineers: Ramsay & Chalmers and Fairhurst; as well as the project Engineer, Buro Happold, and all three categorically refute the claims.

Question reference: S5W-24814

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time is for dental paediatric surgery at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow.

The following tables show the average (median wait) and, as per ISD practice, the 98 th percentile wait for the Dental Paediatric Surgery Specialty at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow for quarter ending 30 June 2019.

Table 1: Waiting Times for Inpatient or Day Case Admission

Hospital

Specialty

Median Waiting Time (Days)

98 th Percentile

Royal Hospital for Children

ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

116

281

Royal Hospital for Children

PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

171

216

Source: ISD Waiting Times Warehouse

Table 2: Waiting Times for New Outpatients

Hospital

Specialty

Median Waiting Time (Days)

98 th Percentile

Royal Hospital for Children

ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

Royal Hospital for Children

PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

Source: ISD Waiting Times Warehouse

Question reference: S5W-24818

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation by The Cole Inquiry that the use of visual inspection reports of schools should cease, for what reason a visual inspection report is reported to be being relied on in the case of Brimmond School in Aberdeen.

The visual inspection report on alleged defects at Brimmond School was commissioned by Hub North Scotland and Aberdeen City Council.

Under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, it is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage and maintain the school estate across Scotland. Accordingly, the question on the relevance of the use of visual inspections as part of those Brimmond School investigations should be directed to the building owner, Aberdeen City Council.

Question reference: S5W-24821

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government who was responsible for negotiating the settlement of costs relating to the judicial review brought by the former First Minister, Alex Salmond, and whether the First Minister was advised.

Question reference: S5W-24813

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time is for paediatric surgery at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow.

The average and longest waiting time for inpatient paediatric surgery is 88 and 529 days respectively. For new outpatients it is 30 and 54 days respectively. The longest waiting times provided in the following tables is the 98 th percentile figure in keeping with ISD accepted practice.

Inpatient/Day Case and Outpatients for the Paediatric Surgery Specialty at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow for quarter ending 30 June 2019.

Table 1: Completed waits for Inpatient or Day Case Admission

Hospital

Specialty

Average (Median) Waiting Time (Days)

98 th Percentile

Royal Hospital for Children

Paediatric Surgery

529

Source: ISD Waiting Times Warehouse

Table 2: Completed waits for New Outpatients

Hospital

Specialty

Average (Median) Waiting Time (Days)

98 th Percentile

Royal Hospital for Children

Paediatric Surgery

Source: ISD Waiting Times Warehouse

Question reference: S5W-24809

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many welfare inspections have been carried out annually since 1 January 2012 on poultry holdings with egg laying hens that contain (a) more and (b) fewer than 1,000 birds.

APHA conducts inspections for welfare non-compliance issues at poultry holdings on behalf of the Scottish Ministers and maintains the records of such inspections. The Scottish Government understands, from figures provided by APHA, that 144 inspections of poultry holdings with egg laying hens has been carried out since 2014 and is not broken down by flock size. Due to the change in systems of recording outcomes by APHA, records are not readily available for 2012 and 2013.

Question reference: S5W-24819

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it sought an independent audit of the cost of legal fees in the judicial review brought by the former First Minister, Alex Salmond.

The Court in this case awarded expenses to the former First Minister, Alex Salmond. Established procedures were followed to agree the sums to be paid. The Scottish Government legal team represented the Scottish Government in this process, and they also engaged law accountants to provide additional external expert advice. There was no need to have the account taxed by the Auditor of Court, and thereby incur additional expense, given that agreement was reached. As is normal in such cases, the detail of these negotiations is confidential. The First Minister was advised after settlement had been reached.

Question reference: S5O-03476

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the value is of Scotch lamb exports to Europe.

Question reference: S5W-24807

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 28 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many egg producers have made a commitment to phase out egg production from hens in enriched cages by 2025.