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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-18149

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 19 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what processes were put in place to support the new, elected, non-executive members in the pilot NHS boards and how much it cost each board.

All non-executive health board members receive comprehensive induction and development on taking up post. For the elected non-executive members, this was augmented by a two day national induction event on the 14 and 15 June 2010. This event, at the Beardmore Hotel and Conference centre was attended by the Deputy First Minister/Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, the Director General for Health and Social Care, Audit Scotland and members of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. In addition, NHS Dumfries and Galloway and NHS Fife delivered local induction and development programmes to support their elected non-executive members.

The total cost associated with delivering these national and local induction and development events was £50,722. Neither board incurred any costs as these were met centrally by the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S4W-18145

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 19 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-17523 by Michael Matheson on 28 October 2013 and in relation to its proposals to introduce plain packaging of tobacco products, what consideration it has given to HM Revenue and Customs’ tobacco tax gap estimates for 2012-13.

Question reference: S4W-18143

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 19 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the (a) terms of reference and (b) timescales for the business regulatory impact assessment related to its proposals to introduce plain packaging of tobacco products.

Question reference: S4W-17948

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made, or will make, of the effectiveness of the European Parliament's revised directive on tobacco products, which would increase the size of health warnings on cigarette packs.

Question reference: S4W-17947

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the European Parliament's revised directive on tobacco products would have on its plans to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products.

Question reference: S4W-17760

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 8 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement a system of physician associates and, if so, by what date.

While polices, frameworks and resources are provided by the Scottish Government, it is for each NHS board to decide how best to plan and deliver high quality, safe and sustainable services to meet the needs of their population.

The Scottish Government recognises the potential benefits of the physician associate (PA) role and is currently exploring ways in which PAs can be integrated into the NHSScotland workforce.

Question reference: S4W-17949

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-17358 by John Swinney on 3 October 2013, how many of the Government Car Service vehicles listed have been (a) purchased outright and (b) leased.

Question reference: S4W-17603

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 29 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to paragraph 3.3 of the Annual State of the NHSScotland Assets and Facilities Report for 2012, whether it will provide a breakdown by NHS board of the (a) £20 million spent on leasing cars and (b) £18 million spent on fuel.

The following table provide a breakdown of the car leasing and fuel costs contained within paragraph 3.3 of the Annual State of the NHSScotland Assets and Facilities Report for 2012:

Health Board	Car Leases £	NHS Board	Fuel £
Ayrshire and Arran	2,301,972	Ayrshire and Arran	756,703
Borders	958,735	Borders	259,630
Dumfries and Galloway	1,214,594	Dumfries and Galloway	309,982
Education for Scotland	-	Education for Scotland	4,000
Fife	708,649	Fife	408,563
Forth Valley	1,047,997	Forth Valley	435,009
Grampian	2,091,405	Grampian	1,354,213
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	3,945,435	Greater Glasgow and Clyde	1,940,905
Health Improvement Scotland	-	Health Improvement Scotland	1,000
Highland	2,002,497	Highland	1,604,716
Lanarkshire	3,170,723	Lanarkshire	1,238,263
Lothian	1,738,525	Lothian	1,161,488
NHS 24	1,145,344	NHS 24	13,000
National Services Scotland	-	National Services Scotland	665,187
National Waiting Times Centre	-	National Waiting Times Centre	25,647
Orkney	4,796	Orkney	2,196
Scottish Ambulance Service	295,590	Scottish Ambulance Service	8,088,198
Shetland	120,454	Shetland	21,500
Tayside	702,170	Tayside	684,294
The State Hospital	7,196	The State Hospital	18,327
Western Isles	5,812	Western Isles	4,000
Total	21,461,893	Total	18,996,822

Figures were based on best estimates at the time of publication. A detailed analysis was carried out post publication which showed that actual net Car Leasing costs were £13.2 million for 2012.

Notes:

1. Car Lease costs are for Staff Car Lease Scheme vehicles and for all other Operational/Pool cars that are leased.

2. The fuel costs include fuel for operational vehicles and claims that are made by staff for their Lease Cars.

Question reference: S4W-17605

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 29 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on the £948 million backlog expenditure requirement on the NHS estate identified in the Annual State of the NHSScotland Assets and Facilities Report for 2012.

Question reference: S4W-17752

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 29 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what civil servants and at what grade are on secondment to other governments, excluding the UK Government, and what the reason is for each secondment.

Currently we have four secondments at B and C band to other governments. This includes two secondments to the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2013 to provide support on fisheries policy, one to the Welsh Government to assist the Office of the Welsh Legislative Counsel in preparing primary legislation and one to the European Commission to undertake a programme of work and training within the European Commission.