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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-13062

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what recent advice has been given to public bodies regarding contaminated meat.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued advice on its website on the 10 February 2013 to public institutions (schools, prisons, hospitals, and the armed forces) and the businesses who supply them, including caterers. This advice:

Reminded public institutions, and the businesses who supply them, of their responsibility with respect to their own food contracts and procurement procedures; such establishments are expected to have rigorous procurement procedures in place, with reputable suppliers;

Requested that should any public institution have any concerns regarding the authenticity of their products, they should seek assurance from their supplier. Should the public body be unsatisfied with the assurance received then the appropriate action should be taken; and

Highlighted that, following the horsemeat incident, public institutions are also within the scope of the UK-wide authenticity sampling programme organised by the FSA and are part of the extensive testing regime the FSA has established with the food industry.

Question reference: S4W-13066

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it expects retailers to take in identifying contaminated meat.

The Scottish Government expects the food industry, including retailers, wholesalers, food service companies, caterers and manufacturers, to co-operate with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and local authorities throughout the on-going horsemeat investigation. The food industry has agreed to a request from the FSA to test for the presence of horse meat in all their processed beef products.

Further, we expect the food industry, including retailers, to have rigorous procurement procedures in place, with reputable suppliers, and to ensure that the products they sell are safe for consumers and accurately labelled.

The initial phase of testing is almost complete and the vast majority (over 99%) of tests continue to show no horse DNA at or above the level of one percent.

The industry will continue to test for the presence of horse DNA in its beef products, reporting to the FSA, with test results being published on the FSA website at quarterly intervals. Any confirmed cases of gross contamination, greater than one percent horse meat, will be reported to the FSA immediately and published on the FSA website once the information has been received.

Question reference: S4W-13466

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the UK Government consultation on the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 will have in Scotland.

The Westminster Government consultation on this GB instrument may result in revocation of the Regulations as they apply in England but this would require agreement by both DEFRA and Department of Health Ministers. The Regulations would continue unchanged as they apply to Scotland (and Wales).

The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 legally require all white and brown flour produced in Great Britain to be fortified with four specific minerals and vitamins (i.e. calcium, iron, thiamine and niacin) at specified levels.

Since the majority of the current 56 mills in the UK are based in England, any change there is likely to have a direct effect on the other countries in the UK to whom they supply flour. Thus many bread and other flour based products on sale in Scotland may be affected by the outcome of the UK Government consultation and any subsequent actions.

Question reference: S4W-13467

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to (a) remove or (b) consult on the removal of the obligation to fortify flour with (i) iron, (ii) calcium, (iii) thiamine or (iv) niacin.

The Scottish Government has no plans to remove or consult on the removal of the obligation to fortify flour. The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 set a legal requirement for all white and brown flour produced in Great Britain to be fortified with the four quoted minerals and vitamins. Calcium is added for fortification purposes while the remaining three nutrients are added to restore the levels to that which is lost during the flour milling process.

Question reference: S4W-13061

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when the consultation on the establishment of a new food body for Scotland will be published.

Question reference: S4W-13065

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when a new food body for Scotland will be established.

Question reference: S4T-00260

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 February 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on addressing concerns regarding horsemeat in the food chain.

Question reference: S4O-01827

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 21 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on improvements to the Scottish Ambulance Service’s patient transport service.

The Scottish Ambulance Service Patient Transport Service provides a vital service across Scotland. It enables patients who have a medical or mobility need for the support of an ambulance crew to get to and from healthcare facilities for their appointments. In 2011-12 the Patient Transport Service undertook nearly 1.3 million patient journeys.

The Scottish Ambulance Service are taking forward an extensive improvement programme for the Patient Transport Service. The first phase of this work has delivered:

three regional booking centres to co-ordinate requests for ambulance transport;

a single national booking number to facilitate direct patient access;

revised pre-appointment information, developed in partnership with NHS boards, to better support patients to access transport appropriate to their needs;

a clinical needs assessment tool to ensure the service consistently provides transport that is person centred;

mobile data technology across the patient transport fleet, allowing for dynamic real time management of vehicles and improved communication with crews.

The key focus in the next phase of the improvement programme will be on maximising the use of the new technology, ensuring consistency and improvement in the quality of service delivery across the country, and delivering a service that is more demand responsive and more person centred.

Question reference: S4W-12485

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 31 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4T-00181 by Paul Wheelhouse on 18 December 2012 (Official Report, c. 14831), which local authorities have made requests for assistance under the Bellwin scheme; at what stage are these representations, and how much each authority has (a) asked for and (b) been granted.

Following the severe weather in December, potential claims for assistance under the Bellwin Scheme were notified to the Scottish Government by Aberdeenshire, Moray, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Highland and Angus councils.

From the date of the emergency incident, local authorities have four months to submit formal interim claims for assistance and eight months to submit final audited claims. On receipt of the interim claim, the Scottish Government will make payment of 90% of eligible expenditure above the Bellwin threshold (0.2% of the council’s total net revenue budget) with the remaining 10% paid on receipt of the final audited claim. At this stage we have not received any interim claims and so do not have any details of the amounts local authorities may claim.

In addition to the December 2012 incidents the Bellwin Scheme was triggered earlier this financial year for various flooding incidents across Scotland. As a result we were notified of potential claims from East Ayrshire, Argyll and Bute, Scottish Borders and Perth and Kinross councils but to date no eligible claims have been received.

Question reference: S4W-12484

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 29 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Barnett consequentials arising from the 2012 Autumn Statement has been allocated to flood risk management.

The total funding allocated to local government by way of capital consequentials arising from the 2012 Autumn Statement is £46.2 million. Local authorities have the lead for flood risk management in their respective areas and the capital consequentials will be distributed between all local authorities according to an agreed formula share. The funding will be spread over two years with £1.3 million allocated for 2012-13 and £44.9 million allocated for 2013-14.

The additional funding will support those capital projects that are ready to be delivered and additional to current local government investment plans.