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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-26629

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 4 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how it will encourage owners, purchasers and suppliers of public access defibrillators to ensure that they are regularly serviced, maintained and registered with the Scottish Ambulance Service.

As part of the implementation of the Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Strategy, the government is working with stakeholders to consider how to maximise the value of public access defibrillators.

The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) encourages all those considering purchasing a Public Access Defibrillator to contact the service beforehand – information can be found on the SAS website (www.scottishambulance.com) – in order that communities can be provided with information of the service protocol. The Memorandum of Understanding defines the responsibilities of the two parties in the provision of an Automated External Defibrillator until the arrival of the statutory ambulance response. It also provides information on the registration and maintenance of devices.

Question reference: S4W-26626

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 4 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to raise public awareness of sudden cardiac arrest symptoms.

Question reference: S4W-26633

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve processes to ensure that Scottish Ambulance Service and aligned staff are sufficiently supported to deal with the (a) physical, (b) psychological and (c) emotional demands of their jobs.

Our staff are at the heart of our NHS. Their health and wellbeing is something the government takes very seriously. The Staff Governance Standard for NHSScotland commits all boards to providing a continuously improving and safe working environment promoting the health and wellbeing of staff, patients and the wider community. Through our monitoring arrangements, we are ensuring that boards, including the Scottish Ambulance Service, have policies and actions in place to support staff.

In December 2014, we allocated an additional £200,000 to the Scottish Ambulance Service to fund activities which will address the health and welfare needs of staff.

Question reference: S4W-26124

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 13 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will continue to instruct local authorities, government agencies and the Scottish civil service to deduct union dues at payroll.

Question reference: S4W-26118

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when the Borders Railway will have its own rolling stock, and what class of train will be used.

Question reference: S4W-26117

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 26 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24607 by Derek Mackay on 6 March 2015, from which ScotRail services the Borders Railway rolling stock will be drawn, and how many of the class 158 trains that are based in Inverness will be included.

It is an operational matter for Abellio ScotRail to decide which trains from within its diesel fleet it allocates for Borders services. Those planned to be used on Borders services also work across other routes in central Scotland, including, predominantly, Fife to maximise the available capacity in and out of Edinburgh.

Borders services will be operated by class 158s and this fleet will begin a significant refurbishment programme in July 2015. When these upgraded units start to roll out they will operate on Borders services from September 2015.

Question reference: S4W-26123

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Marco Biagi on 25 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether local government staff earning under £21,000 receive the £250 flat rate public sector increase.

The current minimum award for staff under the public sector pay policy earning under £21,000 is £300 and has been since 2013-14.

The public sector pay policy directly applies to the Scottish Government, executive agencies and some non-departmental bodies. However, Scotland’s councils are independent corporate bodies with their own powers and responsibilities and are entirely separate from the Scottish Government. As such they are not directly subject to the public sector pay policy.

The Scottish Government therefore does not hold any information about whether individual councils do or do not pay a minimum award for workers earning under £21,000. It is for councils to decide whether to pay a flat rate award for workers earning under £21,000 as part of the pay settlement for their staff.

Question reference: S4W-26122

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 24 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to update the rolling stock serving the (a) Far North Line and (b) Highland Mainline.

The Far North line will be served by a refurbished class 158 fleet which Abellio ScotRail is obliged to deliver through the franchise agreement. These trains will be used on great scenic rail journeys routes (The Borders, West Highlands and North Highlands) offering an improved passenger experience, enhanced on board-facilities and a range of services aimed at attracting more visitors onto Scotland rural services.

This work will see improvements delivered such as new carpets, table-top maps, seating aligned with windows, power/USB sockets, wheelchair spaces, luggage storage, tourist information and external re-livery. The first unit is due to be released in September 2015 with all of the retained fleet of 40 c158s completed by December 2018.

Highland Mainline services will continue to be served by class 170 trains for now, with Abellio ScotRail due to introduce 27 High Speed Trains HSTs from mid-2018 onwards. This freshly-enhanced fleet will deliver significant improvements in passenger facilities such as more seating capacity, Wi-Fi, on train catering, new seating, lighting, wheelchair access and compliant toilets.

Question reference: S4W-26120

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 24 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reduce the number of class 158 trains on Inverness services.

Question reference: S4O-04495

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that secondary school pupils in the Highlands and Islands can study the subjects that they need to meet their career ambitions.