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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: S4W-22809

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 28 October 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-22577 by Margaret Burgess on 3 October 2014, whether it will issue guidance to local authorities on cancelling arrears of the so-called bedroom tax arising in 2013/14.

The Scottish Government has no plans to issue guidance to local authorities on cancelling arrears arising due to the so-called bedroom tax in 2013-14 or arrears as a result of any other aspect of welfare reform. The management of arrears remains a matter for landlords.

The Scottish Government provided local authorities with £20 million to compensate tenants affected by the bedroom tax through Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) in 2013-14 and £35 million in 2014-15. Local authorities may top up their DHP accounts in the current year to make payments in line with local priorities, including payments in respect of legacy arrears, if they choose to do so. The Department for Work and Pensions are responsible for producing the guidance manual on DHPs.

Question reference: S4W-22662

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 28 October 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its position on whether activity at the medical assessment unit at the Vale of Leven Hospital should be (a) reduced or (b) removed before April 2017 and whether it is aware of any plans to do so.

Question reference: S4W-22666

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 28 October 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing's comments in the Lennox Herald on 19 September 2014 regarding the medical assessment unit at the Vale of Leven Hospital in which he is reported to have said, “I give you a guarantee now that services in the Vale will continue and we are actually looking at improvements we can make north of the river in terms of accident and emergency services. I can assure your readers that this is not going to affect the Vale hospital. It will have absolutely no impact on the Vale whatsoever” are accurate and, if so, reflect Scottish Government policy.

Question reference: S4W-22663

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 28 October 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have attended the (a) minor injuries and (b) medical assessment unit at the Vale of Leven Hospital in each year since 2007.

a) The numbers of new and unplanned return attendances to the minor injuries unit at the Vale of Leven Hospital for financial years from June 2007 to June 2014 are shown in the following table:

Financial Year	Number of Attendances at Vale of Leven Minor Injuries Unit
June 2007 to March 2008	12112
2008-09	14786
2009-10	15783
2010-11	15197
2011-12	14602
2012-13	14492
2013-14	15073
April 2014 to June 2014	4151

Source: A&E data mart, ISD Scotland.

b) Information on the number of attendances at the medical assessment unit at the Vale of Leven Hospital is not available centrally.

Question reference: S4W-22650

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 October 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help reduce the gender pay gap.

One of the strategic aims of the Scottish Government’s public sector pay policy is to ensure that pay is fair and non-discriminatory and to protect jobs and services. All public bodies covered by this policy are expected to review their pay systems annually and carry out an equality impact assessment of their reward policies and practices every three years.

To ensure the implementation of the public sector equality duty in the Equality Act 2010 is as effective as possible, the Scottish Government introduced a specific duty that places a requirement on relevant public authorities to publish gender pay gap information and a duty to publish statements on equal pay.

The Scottish Government’s submission to the Smith Commission calls for the devolution of employment and employability policy, including responsibility for setting the minimum wage; all employability programmes; and equal opportunities and equality policy. This would allow the Scottish Government to take more action to tackle the gender pay gap, including undertaking a review of the costs and benefits of mandatory gender pay audits.

Question reference: S4F-02338

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 October 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 October 2014

To ask the First Minister what engagements he has planned for the rest of the day

Question reference: S4W-22643

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 October 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide grant funding to assist domestic households with first time connections to the water main.

In Scotland, there are over 20,000 private water supplies of which some 10% are larger supplies supplying commercial premises or large communities. It is essential that before any funds are allocated that there is a fuller understanding of the location, nature and condition of these supplies. For this reason, the government has asked that the assessment as noted in my answer to S4W-22642 on 14 October 2014, be carried out.

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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-22642

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 October 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether any of the £3.5 billion investment by Scottish Water announced on 29 September 2014 is for first time connections to the water main.

The £3.5 billion investment is designed to address, in the main, priorities that arise on the public network from the need to meet mandatory standards in relation to drinking water and the environment. This also includes sums necessary to accommodate growth including the amounts payable under the Provision of Water and Sewerage Services (Reasonable Cost) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. The priorities as agreed are set out in directions issued to Scottish Water on 1 October 2014.

A specific provision has been included to require Scottish Water to assist regulators with the assessment of the sustainable and cost effective options to improve private provision. A Rural Provision Group has been established to carry out this assessment. In the light of recommendations ministers may instruct Scottish Water to facilitate improvements.

The investment Directions are available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0045/00459867.pdf

Question reference: S4W-22641

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 October 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available for first time connections to the water main.

Question reference: S4W-22593

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 September 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 6 October 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when the report from the public inquiry into Clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven Hospital will be published.