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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-19156

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains its policy to match available dental vocational training places with the number of graduates from dental schools.

Following careful assessment of a range of factors which apply to supply and demand within dental service provision within Scotland, and advice from the chief dental officer for Scotland, the Scottish Government has concluded that a revised policy should apply regarding the provision of dental vocational training places (DVT) in Scotland.

From 2014, Scottish Government policy is to match the number of DVT places to the number of dental graduates who have applied for a DVT place in Scotland. This will deliver a more equitable and manageable process for the provision of DVT places, ensuring that no Scottish dental graduate, who presently make up the majority of applicants for Scottish places, will suffer any detriment. It remains the case however that securing a DVT place is a competitive process, and the decision on whether to offer a dental graduate employment rests with the employing dental practice.

Question reference: S4W-19157

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many students are expected to graduate from dental schools in 2013-14.

Question reference: S4W-19162

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it last increased the level of vocational training allowance.

The grant paid to vocational trainers and salary paid to vocational trainees, were last increased with effect from 1 April 2009. There is an additional vocational training practice allowance which was introduced in 2003 and remains at the level set at that time.

The various grants and allowances paid to dentists who provide NHS general dental services are kept under review and revised where appropriate.

Question reference: S4W-19158

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many dental vocational training places will be made available in 2013-14.

In 2013, 173 dental vocational training (DVT) places were provided. For 2014, in accordance with our revised policy, we will match the number of DVT places to graduates who have applied for such a place, which is 179.

It is NHS Education for Scotland (NES) which has operational responsibility for delivering the Scottish Government’s policy, and NES is in the process of recruiting the required number of dental trainers.

Question reference: S4W-19159

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many dental vocational trainers it has recruited in 2013-14.

Question reference: S4W-19160

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there are sufficient dental vocational trainers to meet the needs of graduates in 2013-14.

Question reference: S4W-19161

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to ensure that there are a sufficient number of vocational training places available for students graduating from dental school in 2013-14.

Question reference: S4T-00569

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 January 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report in The Herald on 20 January 2014 on the pay of university principals.

Question reference: S4W-19107

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government from which level 4 budget headings the underspend identified in its consolidated accounts for the year ended 31 March 2013 comes, broken down by directorate.

The Scottish Government does not hold outturn information at what is termed level 4 budget by directorate. Level 4 information, in the context of the budget, is provided as part of the Draft Budget Scrutiny Phase in accordance with the written agreement with the Finance Committee. The written agreement recognises that there is no formal definition of level 4 information.

In line with good practice the Scottish Budget is managed with appropriate flexibility to ensure sound financial management of available resources and to meet the reporting requirements of the Scottish Parliament and HM Treasury.

The Scottish Government’s consolidated accounts, in accordance with agreed protocol, reports outturn against the Scottish Budget as approved at the Spring Budget Revision by portfolio and at programme level.

Question reference: S4W-19108

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether the underspends recorded in its consolidated accounts for the year ended 31 March 2013 will be retained in the same departmental expenditure limits for the year 2013-14.

The Scottish Government’s consolidated accounts for the year ended 31 March 2013, published on 27 September 2013, record the outturn position against the Scottish Budget as approved at the Spring Budget Revision. Paragraphs 54 to 59 of the Operating and Financial Review section of the published consolidated provide a comprehensive summary of financial performance.

I confirmed the provisional cash departmental expenditure limits outturn for 2012-13 and the deployment of available budget carry forward to 2013-14, in my statement to the Scottish Parliament on 19 June 2013. To support the statement a paper was prepared and shared with MSPs confirming the position against the Scottish Government’s HM Treasury control aggregates. The HM Treasury control aggregates are the key control aggregates in determining budget carry forward for the Scottish Government.