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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-02764

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the benefits would be of extending the hours during which free nursery school provision can be claimed, broken down by socioeconomic group.

Question reference: S4W-02763

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost would be of extending to 7.00 am to 7.00 pm the hours during which free nursery school provision can be claimed and whether it has considered such an extension.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

It is for local authorities to decide how to deliver the statutory requirement of 475 hours per year of free pre-school provision for three and four year olds, on the basis of local priorities and needs. The Scottish Government provides local authorities with the vast majority of their funding, including funding for pre-school, by means of a block grant.

Question reference: S4W-02744

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-12995 by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 February 2011 (Official Report c. 3325), when it will be in a position to sanction the construction of a new Balfour hospital in Orkney.

Scottish Government officials have been working closely with NHS Orkney and other key stakeholders to ensure that all of the necessary planning and preparatory work is completed to enable us to move forward as swiftly as possible on a blueprint for a new hospital for Orkney.

As recently as 30 August, the board signed off its implementation plan Our Orkney, Our Health – Transforming Clinical Services, setting out how it intends to deliver its clinical strategy. This was critical step in the process and, alongside the recently published consultation document on Older People’s Services’, reflects many months of concentrated effort by the board and its partners in the Council and Orkney Health and Care to develop a robust and holistic framework for the delivery of high quality health and social care services in the Islands.

Scottish Government will continue to support efforts locally to translate the plans and the models developed into practical proposals that ensure that future investments in these health and care services in Orkney produce the best possible outcomes. At the same time, NHS Orkney have confirmed that an Outline Business Case for the replacement of the Balfour hospital is in the course of preparation in which proposals will be put forward seeking Scottish Government’s support for revenue financed investment.

Question reference: S4W-02745

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-12995 by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 February 2011 (Official Report c. 3325) what discussions it has had with Orkney Health and Care regarding the impact that a delay in agreeing the construction of a new Balfour hospital may have on the development of a new care facility in Kirkwall.

Senior Scottish Government officials are in regular discussion with the Chief Executive of Orkney Health and Care and are very supportive of the plans to take an integrated approach to investment in health and care facilities to ensure that services in Orkney are fit for the 21st century. However, given the amount of public support involved, it is essential that all of the necessary preparatory work has been done to ensure that the facilities will meet not just the current needs of the Orkney population but those of generations to come.

Question reference: S4W-02761

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 26 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to piloting a programme similar to the Pupil Premium that was introduced by the UK Government (a) in a specific region or (b) among a group of schools with a higher than average number of pupils from poorer backgrounds.

Question reference: S4W-02760

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 26 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received to consider creating a programme similar to the Pupil Premium that was introduced by the UK Government.

Question reference: S4W-02646

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-01680 by Angela Constance on 15 August 2011, whether organisations that it funds to promote or support independent advocacy are required to use the definition of independent advocacy set out in the answer.

Question reference: S4W-02645

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what annual (a) monitoring and (b) reporting requirements the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance has in relation to the funding that it receives from the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S4W-02644

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it provided to the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance and for what purposes in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10 and (d) 2010-11 and has provided for 2011-12.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32136 on 15 March 2010. 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/Apps2/MAQASearch/QAndMSearch.aspx.

This provides information requested in relation to the amount of funding provided to the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA) in 2007-08 to 2009-10 and the purpose of that funding. In 2010-11, SIAA received £200,000 and funding for 2011-12 will be in the region of £207,000 but has yet to be confirmed.

Funding is subject to the NHS Section 16b grant funding conditions and SIAA are required to participate in regular progress meetings with officials and are subject to specific reporting arrangements and agreement of their workplan. SIAA is the only organisation directly funded to support and promote independent advocacy and as such uses the definition of independent advocacy within the Mental Health (Care and Treatment)(Scotland) Act 2003. SIAA does not provide advocacy services.

Question reference: S4W-02706

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice's statement on 8 September 2011 that “councils will be able to fund and provide the backdrop and bureaucracy that will allow them [police boards] to do their job” (Official Report, c.1562), whether the funding for this will be met from (a) existing resources or (b) additional resources made available to local authorities and how this will be calculated.

Keeping Scotland Safe and Strong: A Consultation on Reforming Police and Fire and Rescue Services in Scotland published on 8 September outlines a range of proposals for establishing a strong formal relationship between each of Scotland’s

Thirty-two councils and a designated local (police) commander. Following the consultation, which closes on 2 November, we intend to bring forward legislation and will set out the savings and costs arising from our proposals in that context.