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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: S2W-20622

Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2005
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 30 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of (a) NHS and (b) GP budgets will move to the private sector as a result of the introduction of pharmacist prescribing.

The introduction of pharmacist prescribing on the NHS will not change existing budget arrangements. At present prescribing costs are linked to the relevant prescribing GP practice and it is likely that pharmacist prescribing costs will be linked to the relevant community pharmacy.

As with general medical practitioners, community pharmacists are independent contractors who are not employed by the NHS but contracted by NHS boards to provide NHS services.

Question reference: S2W-20658

Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 November 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 30 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19934 by Cathy Jamieson on 9 November 2005 and in light of Rule 86(2) a and b of the Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 1994 which states that “an officer may, where he suspects that the visitor may have concealed anything which may be prejudicial to security, good order or safety, ask the visitor to consent to a search”, why the contract with Premier Prison Services Limited in respect of HM Prison Kilmarnock requires a random rub-down search of one-in-three visitors as a minimum and whether this random search is carried out at any other prison in Scotland.

Question reference: S2W-20703

Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2005
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) representations it has made to, (b) discussions it has had with and (c) meetings it has had with (i) the Equal Opportunities Commission and (ii) other organisations regarding equal pay for women in local authority employment.

The Scottish Executive has made no representations or held discussions or meetings with the EOC or other organisations on the specific issue of pay for women in local authority employment as this is a matter for local authorities.

The Executive has had a number of discussions with a range of organisations on the general issue of equal pay in the context of its work on gender equality. This has primarily been through the Executive’s role as a partner within the Close the Gap project.

For the last four years the Scottish Executive has been a partner, along with the Equal Opportunities Commission Scotland, in the Close the Gap project which aims to raise awareness about the pay gap between women and men in Scotland and encourage activity to close it, such as carrying out equal pay audits or reviews. The project steering group, which is made up of representatives from all the partner organisations – Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Trades Union Congress and TGWU, the EOC Scotland, Fair Play and the University of the Highlands and Islands Millennium Institute, meets regularly to discuss the issues surrounding the pay gap.

Question reference: S2W-20704

Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2005
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what cognisance it has taken of representations it has received on equal pay and what action it will take to ensure that all women who work for local authorities receive equal pay for work of equal value retrospectively and prospectively.

Question reference: S2W-20687

Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20320 by Mr Andy Kerr on 14 November 2005, whether the tendering process will be completed and contracts agreed before a pandemic flu virus is identified and a vaccine is possible and whether the award of the contracts will not depend on whether such a pandemic flu virus emerges.

As it is not known when a pandemic virus will emerge the Scottish Executive is not in a position to confirm if the tendering process will be completed and contracts agreed in advance.

However, the process has started. Department of Health, on behalf of the UK Health Departments expect to receive expressions of interest later this month and returns in the early part of next year.

The award of the contract is not dependent on whether a pandemic influenza virus emerges or not.

Question reference: S2W-20692

Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20321 by Mr Andy Kerr on 14 November 2005, whether all contracts being negotiated by the NHS solely relate to H5N1, a virus not transmitted from human to human and not likely to lead to a human flu pandemic

Question reference: S2W-20688

Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20320 by Mr Andy Kerr on 14 November 2005, whether monies paid to successful bidders will be dependent on the emergence of a pandemic flu virus or whether monies will be paid whether or not such a virus emerges.

Question reference: S2W-20693

Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2005
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 25 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-19948, S2W-19949 and S2W-19950 by Lewis Macdonald on 14 November 2005 and in light of the fact that its Health Department does not hold this information centrally, whether it is satisfied with the performance of the department and whether it considers that its policy on the provision of maternity services is sufficiently informed.

I am satisfied that our policy on provision of maternity services is sufficiently informed. The information requested in S2W-19948, S2W-19949 and S2W-19950 is not routinely recorded centrally. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Since these questions were answered this information has been collected and is set out in the following tables. There are currently no consultant-led maternity units subject to formal consultation for closure, or conversion to non-consultant services.

Types and Locations of Maternity Units by Region

West of Scotland
Name	Type
Princess Royal, Glasgow	Consultant-Led Unit
Queen Mothers, Glasgow	Consultant-Led Unit
Southern General, Glasgow	Consultant-Led Unit
Royal Alexandria, Paisley	Consultant-Led Unit
Cresswell Maternity, Dumfries	Consultant-Led Unit
Ayrshire Central, Irvine	Consultant-Led Unit
Wishaw General, Wishaw	Consultant-Led Unit
Inverclyde, Greenock	Community Maternity Unit
Vale of Leven, Alexandria	Community Maternity Unit
Lorn & Island, Oban	Community Maternity Unit
Dunoon, Dunoon	Community Maternity Unit
Campbeltown, Campbeltown	Community Maternity Unit
Victoria, Rothesay	Community Maternity Unit
Islay, Bowmore	Community Maternity Unit
Dalrymple, Stranraer	Community Maternity Unit
Arran War Memorial, Lamlash	Community Maternity Unit

South East and Tayside
Name	Type
Ninewells, Dundee	Consultant-Led Unit
Simpson’s, Edinburgh	Consultant-Led Unit
St John’s, Livingston	Consultant-Led Unit
Forth Park, Kirkcaldy	Consultant-Led Unit
Borders General, Melrose	Consultant-Led Unit
Stirling Royal, Stirling	Consultant-Led Unit
Perth Royal, Perth	Community Maternity Unit
Arbroath, Arbroath	Community Maternity Unit
Montrose, Montrose	Community Maternity Unit

North of Scotland
Name	Type
Aberdeen, Aberdeen	Consultant-Led Unit
Dr Gray’s, Elgin	Consultant-Led Unit
Raigmore, Inverness	Consultant-Led Unit
Caithness, Wick	Consultant-Led Unit
Western Isles, Stornoway	Consultant-Led Unit
Chalmers, Banff	Community Maternity Unit
Fraserburgh, Fraserburgh	Community Maternity Unit
Jubilee, Huntly	Community Maternity Unit
Peterhead, Peterhead	Community Maternity Unit
Aboyne, Aboyne	Community Maternity Unit
Belford, Fort William	Community Maternity Unit
McKinnon, Broadford	Community Maternity Unit
Balfour, Kirkwall	Community Maternity Unit
Gilbert Bain, Lerwick	Community Maternity Unit
Uist and Barra, Benbecula	Community Maternity Unit

Changes to Maternity Services in Last Five Years

Perth Royal changed from Consultant-Led Unit to Community Maternity Unit in 2004

Inverclyde changed from Consultant-Led Unit to Community Maternity Unit in 2003

Vale of Leven changed from Consultant-Led Unit to Community Maternity Unit in 2003

Falkirk Consultant-Led service moved to Stirling in 2003

Forfar Community Maternity Unit closed in 2002

Units at Bellshill and Law Hospitals amalgamated at Wishaw General in 2001

Question reference: S2W-20523

Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 24 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20039 by Mr Tom McCabe on 3 November 2005, how it will address any inconsistencies between the offer to local government employees in respect of the 85 Rule and the agreements reached with the public health, teaching and civil service sectors where this option has been retained for all existing pension members.

The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) already has a normal pension age (NPA) of 65, unlike the schemes for NHS, teachers and civil servants which currently have a NPA of 60. However, as explained in the answer to question S2W-20039 on 3 November 2005, the LGPS will have to be amended to remove the rule of 85 because legal advice is that the rule will not comply with European Equality legislation because of age discrimination. To comply, the rule will have to be removed from the Scheme, for existing as well as new members, by October 2006.

The Scottish LGPS group will be discussing what degree of protection might be afforded to existing scheme members who would have qualified under the rule if it had not been removed. The discussions will continue over the next few months, with a view to agreed proposals being put to ministers by mid-2006.

Question reference: S2W-20621

Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 23 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what remuneration system will be put in place for prescribing pharmacists and what total levels of remuneration are projected.