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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-20884

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, if Scotland became independent, how much it would cost to (a) set up and (b) operate annually its proposed (i) national regulatory authority for energy, (ii) fair work commission, (iii) financial regulator, (iv) independent fiscal commission, (v) energy fund, (vi) motor services agency, (vii) pensions regulator, (viii) regulator for postal services, (ix) security and intelligence agency, (x) defence headquarters, (xi) asylum agency and (xii) borders and migration service.

The transition to independence provides a significant opportunity to improve and invest in public service delivery in Scotland.

Scottish taxpayers already contribute to UK expenditure on reserved functions. The elected government of an independent Scotland will have control over all public expenditure in Scotland and will be able to take spending decisions which reflect the priorities, needs and wishes of the Scottish people.

The size of the one-off investment in systems and processes as a result of the transition to independence will be a small proportion of an independent Scotland’s total budget. Further information is available on page 345 of Scotland’s Future – Your Guide to an Independent Scotland.

Question reference: S4O-03174

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what contingency plans are in place to allow the MV Loch Seaforth to berth should any problems arise with the newly fitted link-spans at the ports of Stornoway and UIlapool.

Question reference: S4W-20363

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 3 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether there will be interim funding to support improvements in the quality of life of people with dementia while the Life Changes Trust funding programme is developed.

Funding to improve dementia services to help improve the quality of life for people with dementia and for the delivery of local dementia strategies continues to be drawn from the overall funds allocated to NHSScotland and local authorities by the Scottish Government.

In addition, the Scottish Government provides national funding to support delivery of the 2013-16 National Dementia Strategy and to help services meet the Standards of Care for Dementia and provide high-quality, safe and effective care, treatment and support. This includes funding to NHS Education for Scotland, the Scottish Social Services Council and Alzheimer Scotland to deliver the Promoting Excellence dementia skills and competencies framework to ensure all health and social services staff have the right skills and knowledge to support people with dementia. This includes supporting staff to deliver the Scottish Government’s national commitment to provide a minimum of a year’s worth of dedicated post-diagnostic support, coordinated by a named and trained link worker.

NHS expenditure only on mental health (including dementia) in 2012-13 was £899 million. For dementia, this NHS spend will not include costs associated with treating people with dementia in hospital. Overall spend on dementia in health and social care is difficult to calculate given the diverse way dementia spend is made through social work and other budgets such as older people’s care, housing adaptations, telecare, palliative care, primary care and pharmacy. In addition, Change Fund money has been used across Scotland to improve and modernise community-based dementia services and resources to support better care, information and quality of life for people with dementia.

Question reference: S4O-03019

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what European funding streams are available to help safeguard the cultural heritage of communities.

Question reference: S4T-00629

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that those who require social care services receive appropriate assistance.

Question reference: S4W-19935

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 6 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its response to the Health and Sport Committee’s Report on Inquiry into the Regulation of Care for Older People, when a review of National Care Standards will take place.

Question reference: S4W-19629

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 4 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Department of Health regarding the Scottish Public Inquiry into Hepatitis C/HIV.

I met with Jane Ellison, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health, on 11 February, to discuss the possible implications of the Penrose Inquiry. Officials are also in regular contact with counterparts from the other UK health departments.

Until Lord Penrose publishes his final report, we have no knowledge of what the inquiry will conclude or recommend, and any discussions are therefore limited.

Question reference: S4W-19934

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 4 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the waiting time is to see a specialist for people who present symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Question reference: S4W-19628

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 20 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take in light of the delay of the publication of the report of the Scottish Public Inquiry into Hepatitis C/HIV.

Lord Penrose, Chairman of the Scottish Public Inquiry into Hepatitis C/HIV acquired infection from NHS treatment in Scotland with blood and blood products (The Penrose Inquiry) wrote to me on 20 December 2013 informing me that, due to unforeseen personal circumstances and the warning letter process taking longer than anticipated, it will not now be possible for him to publish his report by the end of March 2014.

The Penrose Inquiry is independent of Scottish Ministers and, it is for the chairman to decide on the progress and timetabling of the Inquiry.

The chairman has agreed to provide me with a progress report at the end of this month.

Question reference: S4W-19460

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 20 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether its consultation on strengthening the governance and accountability of NHS boards will consider measures to ensure that non-executive directors are appointed in a way that gives a balanced geographical representation of board areas.

The Scottish Government’s engagement on developing governance and accountability will explore a range of issues relating to the appointment of non-executive directors and representation on health boards.

Non-executive directors have a responsibility to maintain a strategic overview of the delivery of healthcare services to the entire population served by the board. They are not appointed to represent the interests of specific areas or individual communities.

Appointments to health boards are regulated by the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland. The Commissioner’s Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments is clear that the purpose of our appointment process is to attract a diverse range of able applicants and appoint the most able to lead Scotland’s public bodies. However, it is important that these appointments are reflective of the populations they serve. Accordingly, all public appointments are merit based following an open, fair and impartial process.