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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: S5O-01136

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported shortage of dentists in rural and island communities.

Question reference: S5O-01120

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-09322

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question to S5W-06697 by Shona Robison on 24 February 2017, what data on osteoarthritis prevalence (a) NHS and (b) integrated joint boards collect, and what its position is on centralising this.

The information requested is not held centrally and we have no plans to do so.

The Scottish Public Health Observatory website advises that Oesteoarthritis is not found only in older people, but prevalence increases with age. Practice Team Information (PTI) data, recorded from a sample of Scottish general practices, suggests that osteoarthritis rates in Scotland reduced between 2003-04 to 2008-09 but have stabilised in recent years. Rates remain highest in people aged 75 years and over: http://www.scotpho.org.uk/population-groups/older-people/data/clinical-conditions-and-age-in-scotland

The Information Service Division (ISD) website shows the estimated number of patients in Scotland (per 1,000 registered with a practice) who consulted either a GP or practice-employed nurse for osteoarthritis at least once in the year ending 31 March 2013, by gender and age group: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/General-Practice/GP-consultations/Health-Conditions/Osteoarthritis/

These data were collected for Practise Team Information programme which ended in 2013. A new national GP information system known as the Scottish Primary Care Information Resource (SPIRE) is in development which will supersede and build on the PTI programme.

SPIRE aims to include richer data from a greater number of practices and will help to inform public health surveillance, research and data linkage. Further benefits will see the creation of a mechanism to feedback data analysis to practices and an improved data extraction process

Question reference: S5W-08959

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 9 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of Marine Scotland seafarers' recent vote in favour of industrial action over pay.

The Scottish Government have committed to undertake a comparison of Marine Scotland seafarer terms and conditions, including pay, with that of other employers of relevant seafarer staff. This review is being undertaken as part of current pay negotiations in partnership with the recognised trade unions. We would encourage Unite to continue to engage positively with management as part of these discussions, the outcome of which will also help inform decisions in relation to the pay supplement allowance currently paid to Marine Scotland seafarer employees.

Question reference: S5O-00921

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that schools can fill teacher vacancies.

Question reference: S5W-08531

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on the Calmac Ferries Wi-Fi and broadband project, including the amount spent on each (a) ferry and (b) port.

Question reference: S5W-08539

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what infrastructure has been installed (a) on each ferry and (b) at each port as part of the Calmac Ferries Wi-Fi and broadband project.

CalMac Ferries Ltd has supplied the following details of the equipment installed on each ferry, with the exception of the MV Eigg and the MV Raasay, and at each port to support the CalMac Ferries Wi-Fi and broadband project. The details are as follows:-

Ferries:

Combination of microwave radio and mobile aggregation devices (these aggregate multiple mobile signals to provide coverage when out of microwave radio range). This provides the connection to and from the ferry - the wide area network.

Standard routing, switching, and wireless equipment to provide local network (including wireless) on each ferry.

Ports:

Combination of microwave radio and "standard BT" connections to provide wide area network;

Standard routing, switching, and wireless equipment to provide local network (including wireless) at each port.

Question reference: S5O-00782

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported concerns regarding the Scottish Ambulance Service's operation of emergency and patient transport services in the Highlands and Islands, including proposed industrial action by Unite members.

NHS Boards are responsible for the design, delivery and management of their services for the population. Therefore, the operation of services is a matter for the Scottish Ambulance Service.

I am aware of the issues raised in the North of Scotland and have been in contact with the Service to discuss these matters. I am reassured that work is on-going to address the concerns raised and I have asked to be kept informed of any developments.

Question reference: S5W-07671

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 9 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many accidental electrical house fires there have been in the Highlands and Islands in each of the last five years; and what steps it is taking to reduce the number of such fires, including in areas where properties are not connected to the gas network and rely more on electricity.

This information is not held centrally.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) publishes statistics on accidental dwelling fires and cause, however this data is not presented on a monthly basis, nor is data on tenure given.

These statistics are available to the public on SFRS’s website, and can be found at this link http://www.firescotland.gov.uk/about-us/fire-and-rescue-statistics.aspx

The SFRS has a statutory duty to promote fire safety across Scotland. Additionally, in the Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2016, Scottish Ministers require SFRS to fully contribute to improving the safety and well-being of Scotland’s communities and to ensure that there is a clear process for working with partners to identify the risks faced by communities and individuals so that the SFRS can target activity on a risk-based approach.

The SFRS itself will consider how best to reduce dwelling fires, including those caused by electricity, what the focus of its preventative action will be, and with which partner organisations it will work to achieve this.

In addition to a programme of fire safety awareness campaigns and community safety engagement events, the SFRS carried out 71,743 Home Fire Safety Visits in 2015-16. The SFRS website also carries safety information for householders on a range of issues, including home appliances and electrical safety.

Question reference: S5W-07250

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform in a letter dated 17 January 2017 regarding the recruitment and retention allowance paid to Marine Scotland seafarers and the wage differentials between them and seafarers from Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd in which the cabinet secretary said, “to draw conclusions we need comparative data across the industry, rather than comparing one shipping operation to another where their core functions are very different and indeed the roles of the seamen may vary considerably. I will therefore ask my officials to undertake some work on this and will contact you again once this has been concluded”, by what date the survey of comparative data will be concluded.