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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: S4W-19406

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Devolution Unit is contacting governments overseas seeking their support against Scottish independence.

The Scottish Government will continue to work within the formal structures agreed with the UK Government. The UK Government and all devolved governments work to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Supplementary Agreements on Devolution.

Section D1.3 of the Concordat on International Relations, one of four supplementary agreements to the MoU on Devolution states that the “…Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) promotes the international interests of the United Kingdom and all its constituent parts. United Kingdom Embassies, High Commissions and other Missions overseas serve the United Kingdom and all its constituent parts.”

In the context of the independence debate, the Edinburgh Agreement, signed on 15 October 2012 by the First Minister and the Prime Minister, commits both, the Scottish and UK Governments, “…through the Memorandum of Understanding between them and others, to working together on matters of mutual interest and to the principles of good communication and mutual respect.”

The Scottish Government expects the UK Government to adhere to both the spirit and letter of the Edinburgh Agreement

Question reference: S4O-02823

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scotland's farmers now receive the lowest farm payments in the EU and, if so, whether this is due to a lack of direct representation.

Question reference: S4F-01814

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 January 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2014

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the Treasury announcement that it will honour all UK Government debt up to the date of the independence referendum.

Question reference: S4W-18951

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 8 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that patients are able to see their GP timeously.

The Scottish Government knows how important it is for patients to have prompt access to services when needed and that is why there is in place a national standard of 48 hour access, or advance booking, to an appropriate member of the GP practice team during core hours. That access can be either a face-to-face, or telephone consultation with a GP or nurse in the practice team.

GP contractual arrangements are generally practice based with an emphasis on patient care being provided by the whole clinical team and not just by GPs and we have also incentivised GP practices to improve access through an enhanced service arrangement to extend opening hours beyond core hours. Scottish Government has invested over £13 million annually towards this service. The most recent uptake figures show that 80% of all practices now participate in the scheme.

The Scottish Government has an on-going commitment to primary medical services and we have successfully reached a negotiated settlement with the Scottish General Practitioners Committee (SGPC) for the General Medical Services Contract in Scotland for 2014-15 that, along with delivering a commitment to continuous quality improvement in each GP practice, will have real benefits for patients including improved access.

GP time will now be freed up allowing more time to be spent with their patients and we have a commitment that all GP practices in Scotland will now undertake an annual assessment of current patient demand, assessing both met and unmet need. The results of which will be shared with patients and NHS boards, and be used as the basis for discussion to make any necessary changes/improvements.

Question reference: S4O-02766

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 8 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its education priorities will be in 2014.

Question reference: S4O-02721

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the purpose was of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs's recent visit to Denmark and Sweden.

Question reference: S4W-18585

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the economic impact of the claim in the report by Lawrence Tomlinson that RBS put "good and viable businesses" into default to improve its balance sheet.

The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) provided Sir Andrew Large’s Independent Review team with evidence assembled by Lawrence Tomlinson, Entrepreneur in Residence at BIS, in relation to alleged maltreatment of businesses by RBS’s Global Restructuring Group. This matter was out-with the remit of the Large review, and the validity of the accusations made in the dossier were not investigated by Sir Andrew Large who recommended a separate investigation into the claims of alleged maltreatment.

Wherever there is evidence of any irregularities, the Scottish Government expect these to be fully investigated by the competent authorities, including the potential wider economic impact. The report has now been referred to the Financial Conduct Authority to review the allegations.

Question reference: S4O-02679

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with opposition parties about currency options in an independent Scotland.

Question reference: S4F-01720

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2013

To ask the First Minster what the Scottish Government's position is on the recent comments by the Secretary of State for Scotland regarding the future of the Barnett formula once the economy has "stabilised".

Question reference: S4O-02644

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to boost vocational education and training in North Ayrshire.