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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-10342

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 1 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions took place with NHS boards to ensure that a consistent approach is taken to patient treatment and is set out in access policies as required by the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-10339 on 1 November 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

A number of meetings were held with the Management Task & Finishing Group on the development of the NHSScotland National Access Policy. This should have ensured that all boards across Scotland were taking a consistent approach in developing their local access policies.

Question reference: S4W-10341

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 1 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions took place with NHS boards on the acceptability of the use of private providers in access policies developed by NHS boards as required by the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011.

The Scottish Government undertook a full consultation on the Patient Rights Bill before it was introduced to the Parliament in March 2010.

We expect most patients to be treated locally in the NHS, however, we recognise that, to address any short-term capacity issues which may arise, NHS boards may need to make use of the independent healthcare sector. The Scottish Government has made clear to boards that use of the independent healthcare sector will only be at the margins where it is demonstrably of benefit to NHS patients and represents value for money.

Question reference: S4W-09939

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether any changes to pension arrangements will be the subject of a legislative consent motion or made by regulation and when it would introduce any such motion or order to the Parliament.

Question reference: S4F-00935

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 October 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 November 2012

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the Audit Scotland report, NHS financial performance 2011/12, which suggests real-terms budget reductions and growing financial pressures on the NHS.

Question reference: S4W-09846

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 26 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what outcomes (a) have been and (b) are expected to be achieved by the Youth Employment Strategy fund.

Youth Employment Strategy funding allocated to date aims to support:

1,000 of the most disadvantaged young people into work;

1,100 young people into job opportunities in social enterprises and third sector organisations through Community Jobs Scotland;

2,019 young people to progress towards and into jobs through projects funded by the Social Enterprise and Third Sector Challenge Fund, and

3,371 young people through a range of employment and skills opportunities in six local authorities with particular youth unemployment challenges.

Question reference: S4W-09968

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 26 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether kinship care payments made by a local authority should cease if a residency order is granted and, if so, for what reason.

For children whose long-term wellbeing is best served by living with kinship carers and who do not need compulsory supervision by a local authority, a kinship carer can be granted a section 11, Residence Order, of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995.

Whether the local authority continues to pay an allowance after a residency order is granted is a matter for them to decide. Under section 22 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 local authorities have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need by providing a range and level of services appropriate to the children’s needs; and under section 50 of the Children Act 1975 local authorities have the power to make payments for or towards maintenance of a child being cared for by a person other than a parent.

Question reference: S4W-09754

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how the £20 million contingency budget dealing with welfare reform will be allocated.

Question reference: S4W-09936

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how much the NHS spends on pension contributions and what information it has on NHS employer contributions in (a) England and (b) Wales.

Question reference: S4W-09938

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government when the joint ministerial and trade union working group on pensions will reach agreement on any changes to pensions.

Tri-partite negotiations involving trades unions, employers and the Scottish Government are being taken forward at individual scheme level. Negotiations for reform of public service pensions began in March 2012 and these are ongoing. Regrettably, these negotiations have been hampered by a number of emerging constraints from the UK Government. I continue to seek clarification from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury of the scope available to the Scottish Government to negotiate pensions arrangements in line with Scottish circumstances.

Question reference: S4W-09937

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether the NHS pension scheme is in surplus and, if so, by how much.

Currently the annual scheme income from contributions exceeds annual expenditure on pension benefits in payment, which generates an in-year cash flow surplus. In 2010-11 that figure was £161 million. That in-year cash flow surplus is forecast to begin to reverse for the NHS scheme from 2013-14.

It is important to recognise that in-year cash-flow is not considered to be an appropriate measure of scheme sustainability because contributions made today effectively ‘buy’ future pension benefits, which must be honoured when those benefits fall due in the future.