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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-00829

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 29 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the minimum (a) training and (b) qualification requirements are for care workers working with older people.

It is an employer’s responsibility to train their staff. Employers must ensure that all staff have not only the appropriate skills and knowledge to carry out their role, but ensure that the knowledge and skills is continuously updated.

The National Care Standards clearly state that services must have a staff development strategy and effective training plans in place for all staff.

Staff working in care home services for adults are required to register with the Scottish Social Services Council. A condition of registration is that a person has, is or working towards, an appropriate qualification for the job they undertake.

Question reference: S4W-00966

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 29 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-00509 by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 June 2011, how many complaints about the Elsie Inglis Nursing Home Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS) received after 9 November 2010; how many were from (a) individuals and (b) public bodies, and how many were (i) upheld, (ii) partially upheld or (iii) rejected.

I understand from Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland that it received nine complaints after 9 November 2010 broken down as follows:

Complainer: Individual/Public Body	Status: Upheld/ Partially Upheld/ Not Upheld/Withdrawn
Individual	Partially Upheld
Individual	Upheld
Individual	Withdrawn
Individual	Withdrawn
Individual	Partially Upheld
Individual	Withdrawn
Individual	In progress
Individual	In progress
Individual	In progress

I further understand that consideration of the three complaints marked as “in progress” is pended as a consequence of the ongoing police investigation.

Question reference: S4W-00967

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 29 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-00534 by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 June 2011, what grading Raniach House obtained after the follow-up visit by Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS) on 30 March 2011 and whether there are outstanding concerns.

I understand from Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS) that at the inspection of 30 March 2011, Ranaich House received “weak” grades across all quality themes. I further understand that SCSWIS has served two improvement notices on this service since this inspection and a further inspection took place on 13 June 2011. The inspection report is being finalised and SCSWIS will undertake the necessary steps to safeguard the safety and wellbeing of the residents.

Question reference: S4W-00884

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 29 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many midwives have been employed by each NHS board in each year since 1999, expressed as (a) headcount and (b) full-time equivalent.

Information about the number and whole time equivalent (full-time equivalent) of midwives employed by NHS board is published by ISD annually at 30 September. The latest published information showing figures for 30 September 2007 to 30 September 2010 is available at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health%2DTopics/Workforce/Nursing%2Dand%2DMidwifery/Nursing_and_midwifery%202010.xls.

Midwifery staff figures for the years 30 September 1999 to 30 September 2005 are available at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health%2DTopics/Workforce/Nursing%2Dand%2DMidwifery/list-of-historic-tables.asp.

Figures for 2006 are not available due to the assimilation to Agenda for Change.

Question reference: S4W-00964

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 29 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-00279 by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 June 2011, on what date in April the regulator undertook a full inspection of the Elsie Inglis Nursing Home.

Question reference: S4W-00800

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is ensures financial inclusion for less- well off families.

Responsibility for the delivery of financial inclusion lies with community planning partnerships and a comprehensive and responsive range of support and intervention services exists across the country funded through the Local Government Settlement.

Supporting the provision of welfare rights and money advice is a key aspect of the Scottish Government’s approach to tackling poverty. The Achieving our Potential budget funds national infrastructure for the sector, this year for example:

Citizens Advice Direct continues to receive core funding of £400,000 and an additional £80,000 to provide telephone benefit checks to those people referred through the Energy Assistance Package and Home Insulation Scheme;

The Child Poverty Action Group provides a second tier advice service and has received £408,000 this year to deliver the Second Tier Advice, Information and Training Services, and the Benefits for Students Training, Advice and Information Service. This offers advice, training and support to frontline staff that are in contact with households that are likely to be entitled to benefits and tax credits, and

MATRICS, a collaboration between Citizens Advice Scotland and Money Advice Scotland, will receive £191,600 towards training and support for the money advice sector.

Scottish Government has also invested in a number of innovative local services, for example:

Link Housing Association are receiving £300,000 to continue their Older People’s Advice Service, which provides an outreach support and advice service in Glasgow, Falkirk, Clackmannanshire, North Lanarkshire and West Lothian to vulnerable older people with a particular emphasis on clients who have health problems, or who live in remote areas, and

Macmillan Cancer Support has been allocated £406,500 this financial year to continue to provide benefits advice and support across the five cancer treatment centres in Scotland and in two NHS boards for patients with long-term conditions.

In addition, a number of organisations and initiatives receive Scottish Government funding to provide a wide range of support to individuals and families which includes welfare rights and money advice, for example the Lone Parents Helpline, Parenting in Scotland, Contact-a-Family, National Debtline and the Family Nurse Partnership programme.

Question reference: S4W-00799

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it takes to promote and develop credit unions.

Question reference: S4F-00087

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 June 2011

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government will take in response to figures showing that one in 10 care homes have been assessed by Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland as weak or unsatisfactory in at least one area of inspection.

Question reference: S4W-00885

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people the NHS has employed in each year since 1999, expressed as (a) headcount and (b) full-time equivalent.

Question reference: S4W-00731

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will receive in Barnett consequentials arising from the £600 million announced by the Secretary of State for Health for cancer services over the next three years and how it will allocate it.