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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-18077

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11056 by Jeane Freeman on 18 September 2018, whether race equality has featured as a discussion in its Social Security Experience Panels, and, if not, whether this topic will be addressed.

Social Security Experience Panel research has focussed on understanding panel members experience of the current benefits system, and working with them to understand how we can improve the new system in Scotland. The research is structured to allow panel members the opportunity to discuss what is important to them, and accessibility is always a key priority. For example, translation and interpretation services are available through the Experience Panels helpline, and we always offer to book interpreters if they are needed.

In addition, the research team are running a series of research events with people from ethnic minority backgrounds, many of whom do not speak English as a first language. The first of these events was held in March 2018, with further events scheduled in September this year.

Question reference: S5W-17716

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Disability and Carers Benefits Expert Advisory Group's advice that consent should be obtained from recipients of carers allowance in order for the DWP to share data with the Scottish Government for the purpose of paying the carers allowance supplement.

Question reference: S5W-17921

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent specialist nurses in organ donation have been employed in each hospital in each year since 2011, broken down by NHS board.

While specialist nurses are available at all times to provide organ donation services where these can be facilitated in Scotland, information is not centrally held by ISD at this level of detail.

The number of specialist nurses is published quarterly and the most recent data, published on 5 June 2018, can be found at http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2018-06-05/Nursing-and-Midwifery.asp .

The number of specialist nurses dating back to September 2007 can be found in the non-medical trend table found here https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2018-06-05/Non-Medical_Trend_M2018.xls .

The data can provide a breakdown by NHS Board but not by hospital.

Question reference: S5W-17920

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent specialist nurses in organ donation are employed in each hospital, broken down by NHS board.

While specialist nurses are available at all times to provide organ donation services where these can be facilitated in Scotland, information is not centrally held by ISD at this level of detail.

ISD Workforce collects data on the number of specialist nurses at national and Health Board level.The number of specialist nurses is published quarterly and the most recent data, published on 5 June 2018, can be found at http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2018-06-05/Nursing-and-Midwifery.asp .

The data can provide a breakdown by NHS Board but not by hospital.

Question reference: S5W-17681

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland has conducted with registered medical practitioners to satisfy the provision in paragraph 3, chapter 1, part 1, schedule 5 of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, and which professional bodies it has consulted.

Question reference: S5W-17682

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland began the consultation with registered medical practitioners that is referred to in paragraph 3, chapter 1, part 1, schedule 5 of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, and when it expects the consultation to conclude.

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has established a Short-Life Working Group on Terminal Illness for Disability Assistance. The Group will be responsible for developing the CMO's Guidance for registered medical professionals to make clinical judgements about 'terminal illness' for the purposes of determining an indvidual's entitlement to Disability Assistance. The Group are scheduled to meet for the first time on 7 August to begin the consultation, with this phase expected to conclude by summer 2019. The Group will be chaired by Dr Linda de Caestecker, Director of Public Health, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and its membership goes further than required by the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018. Members will include a GP, Consultant in Occupational Medicine, Consultant in Public Health, Consultant Occupational Physician, Consultant for Cancer and Palliative Care, Consultant Geriatrician, Neurologist, Occupational Therapist and academics. Other Professionals will be approached to contribute as required.

Question reference: S5W-17680

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what responses the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland has received to the consultation with registered medical practitioners that is referred to in paragraph 3, chapter 1, part 1, schedule 5 of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018.

Question reference: S5W-17686

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 2 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland (CMO) (a) had with the Minister for Social Security, following the CMO's letter of 27 March 2018, and (b) has had with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People, since the CMO's letter of 26 June 2018, regarding the CMO's duties under paragraph 3, chapter 1, part 1, schedule 5 of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018.

Question reference: S5W-17169

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 22 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the budget is for social security experience panels, and how much has been spent to date, broken down by (a) staffing costs, (b) venue hire, (c) communications, (d) expenses for members and (e) any other costs.

Experience Panels do not have a hypothecated budget from the overall Social Security budget, it is contained within the overall allocated budget for the Social Security agency and implementation of benefits.

The total spend from 3 March 2017 when recruitment to the panels opened to date is £291,149. This consists of:

	2017-18 and 2018-19 YTD
Staffing costs	220,508
Venue hire	13,511
Communications	24,561
Expenses	4,806
Other costs, Including accessibility provision, staff training and materials	27,763

Question reference: S5W-17178

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 21 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many people applied for positions at the social security agency and, of those, how many were (a) interviewed and (b) appointed.