Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 9232 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S4W-00282

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whom it has appointed as special advisers and what their (a) role and (b) salary banding is.

The special advisers appointed to date are:

Name	Appointed	Role
Kevin Pringle	26 May 2011	Head of Communications, strategic communication across all portfolios and political spokesperson
Noel Dolan	26 May 2011	Support to the Deputy First Minister, Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy
Stephen Noon	26 May 2011	First Minister support (p/t)
Alex Bell	26 May 2011	Head of Research, Strategy, Constitution, Rural Affairs and the Environment, UK Relations and External Affairs
Jennifer Erickson	13 June 2011	Economy and Council of Economic Advisers (p/t)
Geoff Aberdein	26 May 2011	Lead on FMQs, the forward planning of FM announcements, Commonwealth Games and Sport
Stuart Nicolson	26 May 2011	Depute Head of Communications and political spokesperson
Stephen Gethins	26 May 2011	Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth, Infrastructure and Capital Investment
David Hutchison	8 June 2011	Education, Culture and Lifelong Learning
John McFarlane	26 May 2011	Justice and Parliamentary Business
John MacInnes	3 June 2011	Communications and political spokesperson

The current special adviser pay ranges are:

Pay Band	Pay Range	Number in Pay Range
1	£39,445 to £52,904	4
2	£51,041 to £67,709	2
3	£65,017 to £83,963	5
3 (premium)	£83,549 to £100,942	0
4	£86,965 to £104,462	0

The estimated salary cost of the current team of 11 special advisers in post (including ERNIC and employer pension contributions) is £822,000. The cost of the team of 12 special advisers under the previous Labour administration in 2006-07 was £854,000.

Question reference: S4W-00850

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcome was of the recent meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth and Scottish Power.

I met with the Scottish Power (UK) Retail Director on 14 June 2011 to discuss their recent price increases and the implications for consumers in Scotland. I expressed my serious concerns at their recent price rises and the impacts of these on consumers in Scotland. I secured Scottish Power's commitment to work with the Scottish Government and local authorities on a targeted £10 million programme to deliver more of their regulatory obligations to help the most vulnerable communities in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-00965

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 30 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-00279 by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 June 2011, who made it aware of the situation at the Elsie Inglis Nursing Home on 17 May 2011.

Question reference: S4W-00886

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 (a) how many student midwives have received a bursary, (b) what the average bursary has been and (c) what the total cost of bursaries has been in each year since 1999-2000.

The total number of pre-registration midwifery students receiving bursaries, (including allowances and placement expenses), the average bursary and the total cost of bursaries from 1999-2000 to 2009-10 in the following table:

Year	Number of Students in Receipt of Bursary	Average Payment per Student	Total Amount Paid (£1,000's)
1999-2000	560	£4,325	£2,422
2000-01	555	£4,405	£2,444
2001-02	665	£5,075	£3,380
2002-03	450	£5,120	£2,304
2003-04	530	£5,045	£2,675
2004-05	515	£5,390	£2,775
2005-06	485	£5,535	£2,684
2006-07	465	£5,465	£2,541
2007-08	505	£5,895	£2,977
2008-09	755	£5,950	£4,492
2009-10	615	£6,010	£3,696

This data has been supplied by the Students Awards Agency for Scotland and is the most up to date available.

Question reference: S4W-00889

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 what the age profile of NHS midwives has been in each year since 1999.

The precise information requested is not available.

Information about the number and whole time equivalent of midwives employed by age group and 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.

The number of midwives by age group for the years 30 September 2003 to 30 September 2005 is available at:

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

Figures for 1999 to 2002 are not available. Figures for 2006 are not available due to the assimilation to Agenda for Change.

Question reference: S4W-00847

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

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the recent announcement by Scottish Power of price rises of 19% for gas and 10% for electricity, what the Scottish Government's revised estimate would be of the number of people living in fuel poverty.

Question reference: S4W-00891

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 student midwife places there have been in each NHS board area in each year since 1999-2000.

All midwifery students undertake placements within NHS boards during each year of their training programme. The pre-registration midwifery programme consists of 50% theory at university and 50% placement within NHSScotland.

Pre-registration midwifery students are not recruited to NHS board areas but to the universities providing the training programme. Information on the number of placement opportunities by NHS boards is therefore not held centrally.

Question reference: S4W-00846

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

To ask the Scottish Executive what its current estimate is of the number of people living in fuel poverty.

Question reference: S4W-00832

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 whether it is aware of care providers reducing budgets and employees in that sector having to self-fund training and, if so, what its position is on this.

Question reference: S4W-00845

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

To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the actions set out by the Scottish Assembly for Tackling Poverty 2011.