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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-19971

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce high risk screening for type 2 diabetes.

There are currently no plans to introduce high risk screening for type 2 diabetes.

The Scottish Government takes its advice on screening programmes from the National Screening Committee (NSC). The current advice from the NSC is that screening for type 2 diabetes is not recommended.

The NSC regularly reviews its policies and is currently undertaking a review of its policy on diabetes. A consultation on the current review is due to end on 24 March 2014.

Question reference: S4W-19938

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, in the event of independence, what plans it has to align Scotland with EU standards under directives 2009/113/EC and 2006/126/EC to (a) improve eyesight testing standards for drivers and (b) legislate so that professional eye testing is carried out at the time of taking a driving test.

Question reference: S4W-19936

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the level of uptake is of free eye tests, broken down by age group.

Information on the total number of free NHS eye examinations carried out by high-street optometrists is published by Information Services Division and can be found at the following link:

Numbers of primary and supplementary eye examinations for years ending 31 March 2007 to 31 March 2013:

https://isdscotland.scot.nhs.uk/Health-Topics/Eye-Care/Publications/2013-08-27/ophthalmic_table_C_august13.xls?98183841

Information on the level of uptake of the free NHS eye examination broken down by age group is not held.

Source: Information Services Division

Question reference: S4W-19937

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging the uptake of free eye tests.

We have maintained our commitment to the free NHS eye examination introduced on 1 April 2006 delivering universally free comprehensive community based eye care services for everyone in Scotland.

There has been a continued increase in the number of NHS funded eye examinations carried out since its introduction. The number of free eye examinations has increased from 1.573 million in 2007 to 1.927 million in 2013, an increase of 22.5%. GPs are now referring 33% more patients annually for NHS funded eye examinations than in 2007.

We continue to invest in the free NHS eye examination through our partner organisations. Each year £1 million of funding is provided to NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to support the knowledge and skills of community optometrists in providing care to their NHS patients. We have also previously made funding available to optometry practices to purchase state of the art testing and screening equipment to facilitate the new examinations. This is ensuring that optometrists can provide an improved level of care.

A patient information leaflet Your guide to free NHS eye examinations in Scotland is available for display in optometrists, GP practices, and pharmacies.

Source: Information Services Division

Question reference: S4W-19239

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 30 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Cities Investment Fund it has allocated to Inverness.

The Cities Investment Fund is designed to accelerate the pace of investment in cities by developing programmes which lever in other funding and support collaborative programmes between cities (including their regions) which will develop large-scale projects. Projects are collaborative in nature and aim to benefit all the cities involved.

Once projects have been identified, funding is allocated according to agreed protocols. At its most recent meeting in December 2013, the Leadership Group of the Scottish Cities Alliance noted that £2,599,712 of the £7 million Cities Investment Fund had been approved for a range of collaborative projects. A detailed list of approvals is in SPICe (Bib. number 55643).

Question reference: S4O-02841

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the NHS about the progress of the diabetes action plan.

Question reference: S4W-19124

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 22 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many notices of liability for expenses under section 50A of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 have been registered, and how many of these have been discharged in each year since 2011, broken down by local authority.

Section 50 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 (the Act) enables Scottish Ministers and planning authorities to recover expenses for urgent works which they carry out to preserve unoccupied listed buildings.

Since 2011 Scottish Ministers have not exercised their powers under section 49 of the Act, so have not registered any notices of liability for expenses under section 50 of the Act.

The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 requires notices of liability for expenses to be registered with the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland, Registers of Scotland have confirmed that no cases have been registered with them.

Question reference: S4W-18567

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 11 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made a decision on whether to pilot an increase in the speed limit for HGVs on the A9.

Question reference: S4W-18520

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will extend the network of public service obligation operations in order to secure the air services operated from Inverness to, from and within the Highlands and Islands by FlyBe and its franchise partner and whether it will make a statement on the matter.

Question reference: S4W-18519

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the withdrawal of the FlyBe services from Inverness to London Gatwick, whether it will consider an application for public service obligation protected service from Inverness to London Heathrow or Northolt and whether it will make a statement on the matter.