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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-19377

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 12 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 6 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) support and (b) guidance it provides to (i) NHS boards, (ii) local authorities and (iii) health and social care partnerships that work with external partners to provide alcohol and drug addiction services.

The Scottish Government provides over £70 million funding per year, to support NHS Boards and Integrated Joint Boards, for use by Alcohol and Drug Partnerships that work with external partners to provide alcohol and drug services. The Scottish Government also provides data, evidence and performance indicators to support this work. This support includes regularly updated information and intelligence about problem alcohol and drug use and their consequences.

By way of guidance, the Scottish Government and CoSLA set out a framework in 2009 for local partnerships on alcohol and drugs. Further guidance is provided through Scotland’s alcohol and drug strategies.

Question reference: S5W-19376

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 12 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 6 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has contingency funding set aside to provide emergency support to alcohol and drug addiction service providers.

NHS Boards receive a baseline budget from the Scottish Government to provide health services for their local population. A proportion of this funding will be used to support alcohol and drug addiction services.

We have invested over £746 million to tackle problem drug and alcohol use since 2008. This financial year we have provided a further £20 million (per annum for the lifetime of this Parliament) to improve the provision and quality of services for those with substance misuse issues.

The total financial resource available to services in any given year will be significantly higher than the Scottish Government’s funding and includes contributions from NHS and other statutory partners across a range of provision.

Question reference: S5W-19548

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 2 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the training of court reporters.

I assume the member is referring to child welfare reporters, appointed by the courts to report on the welfare of the child in cases under section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 on matters such as parental responsibilities and rights, contact and residence. The Scottish Government has recently consulted on a review of the 1995 Act: https://consult.gov.scot/family-law/children-scotland-act/ Paragraphs 2.54 to 2.75 discussed Child Welfare Reporters, including training, and question 4 asked about the best future arrangements for child welfare reporters. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation, before deciding on next steps. Programme for Government 2018-19 confirmed that a Family Law Bill will be introduced in 2018-19: https://beta.gov.scot/programme-for-government/

Question reference: S5W-19551

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 2 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the consultation, Building Standards Compliance and Fire Safety, what plans it has to reduce the threshold whereby people need to notify neighbours of building work of £50,000 or less.

Neighbour notification is not a requirement of building standards legislation. As such the Building Standards Compliance and Fire Safety review consultation makes no reference to this.

Whilst neighbour notification is a requirement regarding applications for planning permission, there are no monetary thresholds in that regard. There are no plans at present for changes to the planning requirements for neighbour notification.

Question reference: S5W-19386

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 1 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that seven NHS boards will change their chief executives in the next year, and how many boards currently (a) have a chief executive in post, (b) are recruiting a chief executive and (c) have an interim chief executive in post.

Appropriate leadership is in place in all 22 of our NHS Boards. Every Board currently has a chief executive, with two operating on an interim basis. The recruitment process for one of those posts is underway, whilst arrangements to recruit to the other post will begin early in 2019. There are a further five Boards that will be changing their chief executives in the next six months. Of these, two have already appointed successful candidates and the recruitment processes for the remaining three are underway.

Question reference: S5W-19385

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 1 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an annual report on workforce planning and seek to hold an annual parliamentary debate on this.

Question reference: S5W-19272

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 25 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is of its proposed Family Law Bill.

Question reference: S5W-19130

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what Transport Scotland's response is to the reported call of South Queensferry residents for box junctions to be introduced on the new bridge access roundabout on the northbound approach to the Queensferry Crossing.

Ramp metering equipment, which controls traffic flow onto the motorway from the Queensferry junction roundabout, has recently been installed as part of Intelligent Transport Systems measures and will become operational in the near future. An aim of this is to ease congestion at the junction.

Transport Scotland will be undertaking an evaluation of the Forth Replacement Crossing Project, one, three and five years after motorway opening in line with Scottish Trunk Road Infrastructure Project Evaluation, against both the transport planning objectives and wider evaluation criteria. In addition, Transport Scotland is undertaking an evaluation of performance one month after motorway regulations came into effect. These evaluations will consider pre-opening and post-opening traffic data.

Following evaluation, Transport Scotland will consider whether any further measures are necessary at the Queensferry Junction.

Question reference: S5W-19298

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 08 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 24 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-18753 by Kevin Stewart on 27 September 2018, which local authorities are involved in the regular meetings to monitor funding to Castle Rock Edinvar Housing Association.

Question reference: S5W-19300

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 08 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 24 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-18754 by Kevin Stewart on 27 September 2018, whether Ministers received any report on the provision of funding to Castle Rock Edinvar Housing Association before the loan was repaid to Hearthstone.