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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-25339

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 April 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 30 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government which homeopathic medicines are contained in the approved prescribing list for GPs.

Question reference: S4W-25338

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 April 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 30 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government in what circumstances a letter from a secondary care service medical professional recommending the prescription of a drug or other medication by a GP will incur a charge to the patient.

It is common practice for hospital consultants to recommend to a patient’s GP the prescribing of a drug as part of the patient’s ongoing care at home. All prescriptions issued on a Scottish NHS prescription form are dispensed free in Scotland.

The circumstances in which a GP prescription may incur a charge to the patient might include occasions where the prescription is presented and dispensed in a pharmacy in England and the patient does not hold a valid exemption certificate, or is otherwise exempt, and if the GP is treating the patient on a private basis and issues a private prescription for treatment not available on the NHS. A GP can write a private prescription but cannot charge for writing it if the patient is registered for NHS care with that GP or any other GP in the same practice.

Question reference: S4W-25340

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 April 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 30 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) Syzygium 30c and (b) Natrum Muriaticum 1m powder is available to NHS patients.

Question reference: S4W-25170

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 28 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it monitors the number of Scottish film production companies that have benefitted from the high-end TV tax credit introduced by the UK Government.

Question reference: S4W-25171

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 28 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has a preferred site for a future film studio.

Question reference: S4W-25169

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 28 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made regarding the establishment of a film studio for Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-25172

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) private hire and (b) taxi operators have been prosecuted for licence violations in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority.

The available information on persons proceeded against for private hire and taxi licence offences is given in the following table. Please note it is not possible to fully disaggregate licence violations for taxi operators and private hire operators.

Persons proceeded against in Scottish courts for taxi/private hire licence offences¹under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982^2,3, 2009-10 to 2013-14

Local Authority³	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14
Aberdeen City	1	1	-	1	-
Aberdeenshire	1	-	1	-	-
Argyll and Bute	-	-	-	-	1
Clackmannanshire	2	-	-	-	-
Dumfries and Galloway	-	-	1	1	-
East Ayrshire	1	-	-	-	1
Edinburgh, City of	2	1	1	-	-
Fife	2	1	1	-	1
Glasgow City	10	18	4	5	5
Inverclyde	1	2	-	-	-
Moray	1	1	-	-	-
North Ayrshire	1	3	-	1	-
North Lanarkshire	1	-	-	-	-
Perth and Kinross	-	-	1	-	-
Renfrewshire	-	1	-	1	-
Scottish Borders	-	-	1	-	-
South Ayrshire	1	2	-	1	1
South Lanarkshire	1	2	2	1	1
Stirling	-	1	-	1	1
West Dunbartonshire	-	-	-	1	-
Total	25	33	12	13	11

1. Where main offence.

2. Relating to sections 7(1), 21(1)(A)&(B) and 21(4)

3. Incorporates an approximate mapping of sheriff courts into local authority areas. Some sheriff courts will deal with cases from more than one local authority area. Some local authority areas, including East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Midlothian and North Ayrshire, do not contain a sheriff court.

Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings Database.

Question reference: S4W-25173

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the legislation governing the operation of private hire cars and taxis.

The Scottish Government undertook a detailed consultation on proposals for change to taxis and private hire car licensing between 28 November 2012 and 15 March 2013. The responses to the consultation (http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2013/09/2230) informed the provisions within the current Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Bill. The Scottish Government also intends to take forward specific work to consider the impact of technology such as smartphone apps, as well as reviewing the guidance to allow the sharing of best practice at local authority level.

No further review is planned but the Scottish Government will continue to engage with stakeholders on a regular basis and respond to emerging issues.

Question reference: S4O-04146

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many dermatology inpatient beds will be available at the new South Glasgow Hospitals.

Question reference: S4W-24627

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 5 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to raise awareness of female genital mutilation (FGM).

The Scottish Government has taken a range of steps to raise awareness of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Scotland and during 2014: Wrote to all head teachers in Scotland reminding them of the procedures to be followed and guidance available in relation to FGM. Education Scotland subsequently prepared material for all schools to use to update staff at the start of the 2014-15 school term. Education Scotland is currently gathering resources that can be used in the classroom in an age appropriate manner. Issued a letter from the Chief Nursing Officer/Chief Medical Officer to update health care professionals on developments in Scotland related to FGM. Provided funding to the Women's Support Project to develop a range of information and training materials on FGM, launched 06 February 2015. These resources are being circulated and promoted via relevant websites and established multi agency networks.