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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: S5W-03868

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 4 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-01999 by Shona Robison on 13 September 2016, whether it is taking additional action to recruit trainee GPs to the Highlands and Islands.

As well as the 100 extra places and targeted bursary scheme, other actions include:

the GP Rural Track programme operated by NES, which provides trainees with an opportunity to undertake GPST rotations in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles as well as Fort William, Oban and Caithness
the ‘Being Here’ programme launched in 2013: with Scottish Government funding NHS Highland is implementing a programme of accredited training, workshops and awareness-raising, as well as working to develop some common principles about rural NHSScotland requirements in the future. It is also working with stakeholders to enhance the image of North Highland and Argyll & Bute as a place to live and work, focussing on issues such as accommodation, transport and IT connectivity.
the new Graduate Entry programme will have a strong focus on primary care and a remote/rural component, both to encourage entry into general practice and improve experience of remote & rural working
the Scottish Government Remote & Rural Educational Development Group is developing proposals to support a 20% growth of undergraduate medical education delivered in rural and remote Scotland by 2020, helping to promote remote & rural working to prospective areas more attractive to trainees
NES are reviewing the current 4 year GPST programmes to make them more attractive to trainees

Question reference: S5W-03563

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03118 by Shona Robison on 6 October 2016, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding the reason that no places have been allocated for newly trained GPs under its golden hello scheme to NHS Shetland and Orkney, and whether it will confirm for what reason no places were allocated to NHS Western Isles.

The financial incentive available for certain GP trainee posts is described as the Scottish Targeted Bursary Scheme; golden hello payments relate to recruitment of trained GPs.

It is NHS Education for Scotland (NES) which manages GMC approved training programmes, and it is important to clarify that trainees are not actually placed within individual Boards but to training programmes which involve placements in several NHS Boards to ensure that they gain the appropriate breadth of clinical experiences required to fulfil the GMC’s educational requirements within the general practice training curricula. This includes the availability of Clinical and Educational Supervisors.

In developing this additional recruitment initiative, and with a view to maximising its chances of success, NES had to have regard to the GMC’s educational requirements, ensure these placements would be educationally attractive to prospective trainees for the 3-year duration, and take account of the smaller size of hospitals/practices, particularly within the Island Boards. Each of the additional posts are in programmes which include rotations in previously hard to recruit to GP training practices.

Two bursary eligible places were allocated to the Caledonian programme which, via rotations in different hospitals/surgeries, mainly covers the Highlands and Islands. Of the two posts recruited for the Caledonian Programme, one is centred around Raigmore Hospital in Inverness and the local Culloden Practice. The details of the second are still being finalised, but will comprise hospital-based training and placement within the Portree GP Practice.

In addition to the Caledonian Programme, NES also operates the GP Rural Track programme, which provides trainees with an opportunity to undertake GPST in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles. There are rotations in Orkney and Shetland as well as Fort William, Oban, Western Isles and Caithness. The number of trainees currently placed through this rural focused programme, are: One in Orkney, Six in Shetland and Five in the Western Isles.

Question reference: S5W-04033

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on Network Rail's plans for safety improvements to the Delny open level crossing in Ross-shire, and what the timescale is for any plans.

Question reference: S5W-03340

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to support a local social enterprise company to bid for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry route.

Procurement rules would not allow the Scottish Government or Transport Scotland to support a bid from any individual company. The Contract Notice, which was the first step in the procurement process for the Gourock-Dunoon ferry service, was published on 8 July 2016 on the Public Contracts Scotland website and in the Official Journal of the European Union. As such it was available to all interested parties.

Question reference: S5W-03337

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Gourock to Dunoon ferry contract is due to expire on 30 June 2017.

Question reference: S5O-00285

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making with the Scottish Public Sector Green ICT Strategy.

Question reference: S5W-03338

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has instructed David MacBrayne Ltd to bid for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service.

Question reference: S5W-03339

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether the MV Coruisk will be deployed on the Gourock to Dunoon route over the winter period, as in 2014.

I have discussed the potential deployment of the MV Coruisk on the
Gourock-Dunoon route over the 2016-17 winter period with local stakeholders. As yet no decisions have been made.

The operational availability of the MV Coruisk is a matter for CalMac Ferries Limited as the ferry operator of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service.

The MV Coruisk has been used as an additional vessel, in passenger only mode in the morning and afternoon periods and also for standby relief cover during winter 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Question reference: S5W-03336

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is its policy to provide a vehicle and passenger ferry service between Gourock and Dunoon town centres.

Question reference: S5W-03250

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 13 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported shortfall in the number of radiologists, and whether this will include (a) increasing the training budget and (b) advertising vacancies overseas.

Under this Government, the number of Consultant Clinical Radiologists in NHS Scotland has increased by 43.1 per cent.

We continue to work closely with NHS boards to support their efforts in recruiting and retaining Radiologists to meet the needs of patients and to deliver a safe and sustainable service. That is why we have increased the numbers of Radiology trainees by 16 over the past three years and we are working to increase training posts for diagnostic and interventional Radiology in 2017. We are also working to deliver a network of sustainable Radiology services across Health Boards in South East Scotland via a Short Life Group commissioned by NHS Scotland’s Chief Operating Officer.

Information on a) training budgets and b) advertising vacancies overseas is not held centrally. Specific local information may be available from individual NHS boards, which are responsible for recruiting and retaining the staff they need to deliver safe, high quality services.