Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 1965 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-15721

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has put in place to help local authorities that face potential reductions to housing support funding.

Housing support services are commissioned by Health and Social Care Partnerships as they are best placed to determine local needs and priorities and make best use of resources.

We are supporting Integration Authorities to improve outcomes across health and social care. In particular we are providing support for the effective commissioning of new and better models of care.

In 2018-19 an additional £66 million is included in the Local Government settlement allocations to support additional spending by local government on social care.

In recent years the delivery of housing support services have been undergoing changes to the traditional models. For example the increased use of technology enabled care. However, although the service models may change, the level of support should not be diminished.

Question reference: S5W-15505

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the number of special constables has reportedly decreased over the last five years.

Question reference: S5W-15441

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many people use ride-sharing apps to travel to and from medical appointments.

Question reference: S5W-15454

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what cost-benefit analysis it has undertaken regarding subsidies for all travel to and from hospitals.

Question reference: S5W-15440

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost was of patient taxis for non-emergency medical transport in 2017.

The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government. Individual Boards are responsible for paying for or reimbursing the cost of patient travel, in accordance with their own patients’ travelling expenses scheme and within their overall baseline budgets, which are increasing by 3.7% in 2018-19 for frontline Boards.

Boards are required to make best use of resources, including setting policies on the most appropriate and cost effective means of patient transport whilst ensuring that patient care and safety is at the centre of all decisions made.

Question reference: S5W-15446

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many people it estimates face transportation barriers when accessing healthcare.

The Scottish Government has ensured that there are a range of options available to patients requiring either clinical or financial travel assistance.

This includes the Patient Transport Service provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service for those requiring clinical assistance and, for those requiring financial assistance, the Patient Travelling Expenses Scheme and the specific Highlands and Islands Travel Scheme. In addition, all Health Boards have the discretion to reimburse patient traveling expenses where it is viewed to be an extension of treatment costs and deemed to be clinically necessary.

There are also a number of community based initiatives to provide hospital transport to patients and some Health and Social Care Partnerships link with voluntary organisations or community groups to provide transport.

Question reference: S5W-15445

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted a cost-benefit analysis of any expenditure on providing non-emergency medical transportation and, if so, what the results were.

Question reference: S5W-15439

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it provides for non-emergency medical transportation for people who require it.

Individual NHS Boards are responsible for paying for or reimbursing the cost of patient travel, in accordance with their own patients’ travelling expenses scheme policies and within their overall baseline budgets which are increasing by 3.7% in 2018-19 for frontline Boards. In addition, in 2018-19, a new Neonatal Expenses Fund of £1.5 million will include support for travel and subsistence costs for families whose babies are born prematurely and require long term admission to a neonatal unit.

Question reference: S5W-15436

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to facilitate non-medical emergency transportation for people who require it.

As part of its core funding from the Scottish Government, the Scottish Ambulance Service delivers the Patient Transport Service for patients who have a need for assistance from skilled clinical staff during transport to healthcare appointments.

If the Scottish Ambulance Service feel that a patient does not have a clinical need for patient transport, they will be signposted to information regarding alternative transport providers, where applicable.

There are a number of community based initiatives to provide transport to patients and some Health and Social Care Partnerships will link with voluntary organisations or community groups who provide transport via volunteer drivers. Information on accessing these Services is often available to patients at their local GP practice.

Also, under the National Health Service (Travel Expenses and Remission of Charges) Regulations 2003, travel expenses incurred by patients to attend hospital appointments can be reimbursed for individuals who are on certain types of benefits or a low income. This is based on an assessment of each claimant's ability to pay in light of their financial circumstances at the time a claim is made or a charge was paid.

All of these services and systems are in place to support patients throughout Scotland in travelling to and from healthcare appointments.

Question reference: S5W-15437

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken regarding (a) the costs and (b) any social benefits of medical facilities partnering with ride-sharing companies to provide transportation to and from appointments.

The Scottish Government does not facilitate non emergency transport to healthcare facilities. This is a matter for individual frontline NHS Boards, in conjunction with the Scottish Ambulance Service and local authorities.

There are also a number of community based initiatives to provide hospital transport to patients throughout Scotland and it is a matter for individual operators to decide what types of services they offer.