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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: S5W-11958

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of places required in care homes over the next (a) 5, (b) 10 and (c) 15 years.

Integration Authorities are responsible across Scotland for undertaking strategic needs assessments to inform their statutorily required strategic commissioning plans for their area. These plans are required to be prepared and reviewed on a 3 year rolling basis, so that Integration Authorities are planning for the medium to longer term, including identifying and determining the needs of their local population for care home places. This work considers needs, population dynamics and projections, service activity, supply and demand and gaps in provision, which in turn allows strategic commissioning plans to identify investments and disinvestments according to locally determined priorities within available resources, and which require to achieve or contribute to the national health and wellbeing outcomes.

Question reference: S5W-11959

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with independent care home providers about workforce issues.

Scottish Government officials are in regular dialogue with providers and receive live updates regarding any current issues. Scottish Government officials also hold a National Workforce Planning Group. This is the main stakeholder group driving the health and social care workforce plan and discussing the challenges facing the health and social care workforce both now and going forward into the future.

Question reference: S5W-11962

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the National Care Home Contract recognises the complex clinical needs of residents.

The National Care Home Contract is negotiated annually between COSLA, Scottish Care and CCPS. The Scottish Government is contributing to a range of work streams designed to reform and develop the National Care Home Contract, including in respect of workforce issues and quality and improvement. This will ensure that the National Care Home Contract remains fit for purpose and responsive to the changing needs of care home residents.

Question reference: S5W-11953

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met COSLA to discuss the National Care Home Contract and what the outcome was.

Question reference: S5W-11955

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the National Care Home Contract.

Question reference: S5W-11956

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the clinical care needs of people in care homes.

Comprehensive assessments are undertaken prior to people being admitted to care homes and placed there by the relevant local authority/ integration authority. This incorporates a full needs assessment, including clinical needs, particularly for nursing care, as well as a financial assessment. For strategic planning and commissioning purposes, this information is aggregated at a local level to determine the overall number of placements which a local authority/integration authority may need in order to inform capacity planning in the care home sector.

Question reference: S5W-11961

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the National Care Home Contract for 2018 to be finalised.

Question reference: S5W-11968

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 31 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11582 by Derek Mackay on 5 October 2017, what plans it has to phase-out fossil fuel vehicles used in (a) the ministerial car pool, (b) Transport Scotland, and (c) other areas of the Government Car Service.

Our Programme for Government sets out that we will take the lead in promoting the use of ultralow emission vehicles (ULEVs) and phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032, well ahead of the 2040 target recently announced by the UK Government.

The Scottish Government’s fleet replacement policy is to consider a replacement when a vehicle has reached 80,000 miles or six years. The final decision will also depend on the condition and history of the vehicle.

When considering vehicles for the fleet, the replacement will be fit for purpose, be ultra-low emission (where practicable) or offer significantly lower emissions (where practicable) than the vehicle being replaced, whilst ensuring best value for money.

This current strategy will allow us to phase out fossil fuelled vehicles as and when vehicles come to the end of their operational life and suitable replacements are available.

Question reference: S5O-01401

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update of the progress being made by the Scottish Growth Scheme.

Question reference: S5W-11555

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its investment has been in dermatology services in each of the last 10 years, broken down by NHS board.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The allocation of spend is determined by territorial Health Boards. The Scottish Government’s role is to provide policies, frameworks and resources to NHS Boards to allow them to deliver services that meet the needs of their local populations.

The Scottish Government Modern Outpatient Programme recently invested £80,500 to update and improve nineteen national dermatological pathways in collaboration with Dermatology and Primary Care practitioners. Education events were held across Scotland to promote the pathways amongst clinicians. As a part of this funding, an app has been developed which allows clinicians to access the pathways easily and quickly from their smartphones or surgery computers.