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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: S4W-21348

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-20607 by John Swinney on 30 April 2014, for what reason diversity data has not been captured for members of the Public Boards and Corporate Diversity Programme Board.

Diversity data for those programme board members who are Scottish Government employees is captured on our electronic HR system. We are currently exploring methods of capturing this information for our non-Scottish Government employees on our electronic HR system. In addition, the Scottish Government does not publish sensitive personal data for numbers less than five to protect individual confidentiality.

Question reference: S4W-21349

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-20607 by John Swinney on 30 April 2014, for what reason it has selected 2025 as the year by which it should be broadly reflective of the Scottish population.

The Scottish Government’s view was that 2025 was a reasonable target. It aims to balance being attainable and stretching, given the significant resource constraints on the organisation, such as a general presumption against external recruitment. These resourcing constraints have an impact on our ability to change the shape of the organisation. The timeframe also gives the organisation time to reflect on the 2021 census results.

Question reference: S4W-21347

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-20607 by John Swinney on 30 April 2014, how confident it is in the (a) robustness of the data-gathering process and (b) accuracy of the statistics mentioned in relation to the Practical Change strand.

(a) Diversity data for new appointments to regulated public boards have been collected at the application stage of the process for the last three years. Applicants are invited to complete a diversity monitoring form which contains ten questions. Each question includes a 'prefer not to say' option. For all existing board members who were appointed before 2011, diversity data was collected by means of an exercise carried out in 2013 which asked members to complete and return the diversity monitoring form. Therefore, all current board members have been asked to complete the diversity monitoring form, with the vast majority providing some or all of the information. The completion of the diversity monitoring form is voluntary, so we rely on the co-operation of the board members and applicants for new positions to provide accurate and complete data.

(b) The accuracy of the diversity statistics for public boards depends on the level of non-responses (including those who selected the 'prefer not to say' option). The higher the non-response rate, the less reliable our statistics will be. In 2013-14, the response rates for applicants for new board positions was very high, with nearly 70% of applicants completing the whole form and a response rate of more than 90% for nine of the ten questions (the exception being the question relating to household income which had a response rate of just under 80%). Therefore, we would expect our diversity statistics for new appointments in 2013-14 to accurately reflect the true position.

Question reference: S4W-21332

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 5 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-21041 by Shona Robison on 15 May 2014, who is involved with the development of the strategic action plan for LGBT equality, and when it will be launched.

The four national LGBT organisations, Equality Network, LGBT Youth Scotland, Stonewall Scotland and the Scottish Transgender Alliance have participated in an initial scoping meeting to develop a strategic approach to LGBT equality work in Scotland. This work will be further developed through engagement with officials across key areas of the government where the action plan will impact. The plan will be launched in spring 2015.

Question reference: S4W-21297

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 4 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether the National Steering Group on Chronic Pain will, as a matter of urgency, raise with NHS boards the staff shortages and significant waiting lists at chronic pain clinics that were identified in the Healthcare Improvement Scotland Report, Chronic Pain Services in Scotland: Where are we now?

I refer the member to the answer to the question S4W-21177 on 28 May 2014, which advises that it is for each NHS board to decide how best to deliver those services to meet the needs of their population. This includes how to utilise funding and staff, taking account of national and local priorities, to meet local health needs. As such the recommendations within the Healthcare Improvement Scotland report relating to staffing and the provision of services are directed at NHS boards. All NHS boards Chief Executives were sent a copy of the report for their consideration.

The role of the National Chronic Pain Steering Group is to provide oversight and direction to support local Service Improvement Groups and Managed Clinical Networks in the implementation of the Scottish Service Model for Chronic Pain. We expect that implementation of the model will contribute to improved access and lead to reductions in waiting times. A key part of the programme will be working with primary care colleagues to improve the early stages of the patient journey and access to supported self-management to help to reduce chronicity and the need for more specialist input.

Question reference: S4W-21298

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 4 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what priority local service improvement groups for chronic pain give to raising with their local NHS boards staff shortages and significant waiting lists for chronic pain services, which were identified in the Healthcare Improvement Scotland Report, Chronic Pain Services in Scotland: Where are we now?

Question reference: S4W-21299

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 4 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action the National Steering Group on Chronic Pain will take to address (a) increased waiting lists, (b) staff shortages and (c) an underfunding of the services provided at chronic pain clinics, as identified in the Healthcare Improvement Scotland report on Chronic Pain Services in Scotland: Where are we now?, and for what reasons these issues have arisen.

Question reference: S4F-02161

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2014

To ask the First Minister when the Vale of Leven Hospital inquiry will be published.

Question reference: S4O-03294

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what priority it places on tackling racism and sectarianism, in light of the reduction in Show Racism the Red Card’s budget.

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling all forms of discrimination and promoting a multi-faith and multi-cultural society.

That is why we are providing £60 million of funding for a range of equality projects between 2012 and 2015, which is more than double the £28 million that the previous administration provided between 2004 and 2007. This funding includes more than £8 million that we are using to support 40 local and national organisations in their work to tackle racism and break down barriers to race equality.

We are also investing a total of £9 million to tackle sectarianism in 2012-15.

Full feedback on the reasons for the levels of grant funding, which were appropriate for the outcomes to be delivered, was provided to Show Racism the Red Card at the time. From 2011 to 2015 Show Racism the Red Card and Show Bigotry the Red Card will receive £310k funding to deliver jointly agreed outcomes. As budgets are finite, any increase in funding for Show Racism the Red Card would mean less would be available for other organisations doing valuable work on race equality and sectarianism.

Question reference: S4W-21121

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 29 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-19746 by Alex Neil on 3 March 2014, whether it has completed its collation of the information that it holds on the costs of the inquiry and, if so, when it will publish this.