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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S5W-20541

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 8 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills has received any reports from the discussions of the Common Financial Tool Working Group, chaired by the Accountant in Bankruptcy, and in what form these communications were made.

Question reference: S5W-20585

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 7 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve lung cancer survival rates, and what its response is to the recent report, Long-term Monitoring of Health Inequalities, which suggests that people in more deprived areas are four times more likely to die from lung cancer.

Through our £42 million Detect Cancer Early (DCE) Programme, we aim to increase the proportion of cancers that are detected at the earliest stage when the chance of survival is higher.

Public awareness of early signs and symptoms is key to driving early stage diagnoses. The Detect Lung Cancer Early campaign fronted by Sir Alex Ferguson was first launched on 6 November 2013. This was supported by the existing marketing campaign being on air again in January and November 2018. A Detect Cancer Early campaign ‘Survivors’ was also launched in September 2018 to reduce fear around all cancers and to empower people, regardless of age or symptoms, to act if they have a worry or concern.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting GPs to be more aware of the potential signs and symptoms of cancer and the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer, which include a specific section on lung cancer, are currently being refreshed and will be published early 2019.

Question reference: S5W-20583

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 20 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether respiratory screening programmes will be included in the respiratory action plan.

Question reference: S5W-20498

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it takes to promote the Fair Work agenda among employers.

The Scottish Government is committed to fair work and consider it to be central to the delivery of inclusive growth. While progress has been made, we want to go further so that we use all of the levers and the financial power of the Scottish Government to achieve our vision of a Fair Work Nation by 2025. In the absence of powers over employment law, we are taking a strategic approach through a Fair Work Action Plan to and through Fair Work First we will extend fair work criteria to as many funding streams, business support grants and public contracts as we can.

Question reference: S5W-20494

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has held any discussions with the charity, Cornerstone, in relation to its recognition agreement with Unison.

The Scottish Government has had several discussions with Cornerstone about its dispute with UNISON. The Scottish Government has also been liaising with UNISON.

Scottish ministers are keen that both parties enter into negotiations as soon as possible and officials will continue to liaise with Cornerstone and UNISON until a resolution is found. Scottish ministers are writing to both organisations offering support in reaching an agreement.

Question reference: S5W-20495

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government in what circumstances it would support employers de-recognising trade unions.

The Scottish Government believes that a progressive approach to industrial relations and that trade unionism is at the very heart of a fairer, more successful society. Research suggests that workers rate collective voice exercised through trade union representation and collective bargaining arrangements most highly in relation to concerns over pay, discipline and grievance.

The Scottish Government is therefore committed to supporting strong trade unions in Scotland's care sector where there is currently a voice deficit; any case of derecognition is therefore highly regrettable and should be avoided.

Question reference: S5W-20497

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to suggest that the charity, Cornerstone, and Unison, resolve any differences they may currently have through ACAS.

Question reference: S5W-20496

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects employers engaged in the delivery of public sector contracts to recognise trade unions.

The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, provides for Scottish Ministers to publish Statutory Guidance on Addressing Fair Work Practices, including the Living Wage, in Procurement. This Guidance was published in October 2015, after consultation with Trade Unions. It states that where a Fair Work criterion is included in a procurement exercise, bidders are expected to describe how they adopt fair work practices, including, for example, their approach to supporting trade union recognition or alternative arrangements to give staff an effective voice.

Question reference: S5W-20433

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the standard to begin treatment for people diagnosed with breast cancer within 31 days of the decision to treat following referral from a national screening programme is being met in 2018 for patients at (a) Royal Alexandria, (b) Inverclyde Royal and (c) Vale of Leven Hospital, and, if not, in how many cases it has not been met.

Question reference: S5W-20435

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the standard to treat suspected breast cancer cases within 62 days following referral from a national screening programme is being met in 2018 for patients at the (a) Royal Alexandria (b) Inverclyde Royal and (c) Vale of Leven Hospital, and, if not, in how many cases it has not been met.