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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-06815

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-00622 by Jeanne Freeman on 1 February 2017, whether the Financial Health Check Service will assist low-income pensioner households to ensure that they claim council tax reduction.

In the Fairer Scotland Action Plan, Scottish Government committed to helping older people claim the financial support they are entitled to, as we know that if every person eligible for Pension Credit and Council Tax Reduction received their entitlement, this would help lower poverty levels among older people.

We will work with partners to develop a Financial Health Check, ensuring that advice on income maximisation for older people makes reference to their entitlements, including Council Tax Reduction where applicable. We will also explore with partners whether more needs to be done to raise awareness of entitlements for older people.

Question reference: S5W-06823

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the time limit is to claim a backdated council tax reduction.

Question reference: S5W-06822

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it has provided to low income pensioner households in band E to H properties regarding their entitlement to claim council tax reduction since 31 December 2016.

COSLA has provided an agreed text for local authorities to send to all households, including low income pensioner households, in advance of the 2017-18 Council Tax year detailing the changes to Council Tax and the Council Tax Reduction scheme. This specifically highlights the extension of the Council Tax Reduction scheme to provide relief to low income households in properties in Council Tax Bands E to H.

Question reference: S5W-07342

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the decision to review the opening hours for the out-of-hours GP service at the Vale of Leven Hospital, and what discussions it has had regarding this with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Question reference: S5W-07341

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether reducing the opening hours for the out-of-hours GP service at the Vale of Leven Hospital would contravene the commitments made in the Vision for the Vale.

The Scottish Government has been consistently clear that we see a bright future for the Vale of Leven hospital, which plays a crucial role in the local healthcare system.

We have sought and received assurances from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that the continued provision of out of hours primary care services across the Clyde area, including at the Vale, is a key priority for the Health Board.

In November 2015, the Scottish Government published the report “Pulling together: transforming urgent care for the people of Scotland” which highlighted the need to think anew about what is best for both urgent care for the people of Scotland and that this would require transformational change across many sectors.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are undertaking a review of their Out of Hours Primary Care services in line with the report's recommendations and we expect the review to undertake meaningful engagement with the public in the shaping and delivery of locality based services.

Question reference: S5W-07343

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde closed the out-of-hours GP service at the Vale of Leven Hospital on (a) 5, (b) 12 and (c) 19 February 2017, and what discussions it has had regarding this with the NHS board.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has advised that closure of the Out-of-Hours service at the Vale of Leven Hospital on the 5, 12 and 19 February 2017 was a temporary measure taken to protect patient care due to staff shortage.

The Hospital continued to have medical and nursing staff on site in the minor injuries service. Patients requiring emergency medical attention were treated by this service.

For those who needed to see a primary care service, but it was deemed not to be an emergency, transport was offered so that they could be transferred to an alternative out of hours service.

Question reference: S5W-07349

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will take action to ensure that there is no permanent reduction in the opening hours of the out-of-hours GP service at the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Question reference: S5O-00756

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s review of GP out-of-hours services.

Question reference: S5O-00707

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing for the paddle steamer, Maid of the Loch.

The Scottish Government acknowledges the work that the Loch Lomond Steamship Company is undertaking to bring this iconic vessel back into operation. Scottish Government officials, along with representatives from Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise have offered to collectively meet the owners of the paddle steamer to discuss public sector engagement.

The National Park Authority also continues to work closely with the company, providing advisory support and access to facilities. As part of this support, the National Park Authority will be reviewing the piers and infrastructure around Loch Lomond to see how best to accommodate the Maid of the Loch in the future.

Question reference: S5W-06736

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of changing the eligibility criteria for free bus travel on women born in the 1950s who are also affected by the increase in the state pension age.

Over the coming months, we will be engaging with stakeholders across Scotland to listen carefully to their views so that we may understand the social, equality and other impacts of possible changes that might be made to the scheme.

This early period of engagement will lead to a more formal written consultation later in the year on ways in which we might help ensure the longer-term sustainability of concessionary travel.

I do not wish to pre-empt the conclusions of those discussions. However. if the formal consultation includes options to change the eligibility criteria for the National Concessionary Travel Scheme, we will consider the potential impacts on groups that might be affected as part of the consultation process.

I would add that I will be meeting representatives of Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) in the near future to discuss the proposed consultation.