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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-20794

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Cochrane Collaboration report on the effectiveness of the antiviral drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza.

In collaboration with colleagues across the UK, we will consider all new relevant scientific evidence on the effectiveness of Tamiflu and Relenza. This will include the Cochrane Collaboration reviews published on 9 April 2014, which considered data from the initial trials of Tamiflu and Relenza, dating back to the late 1990s. It will also include evidence from other studies carried out since the medicines were licensed, which support the view that they can reduce severe outcomes such as intensive care admission or death. The results of this review will inform our next steps.

Question reference: S4O-03162

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S4W-20762

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 30 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-19996 by Alex Neil on 13 March 2014, what action NHS boards have taken to implement the recommendations set out in Neonatal Care in Scotland: A Quality Framework.

The new local delivery plan format, focusing on the 12 priority areas for action in the Route map to the 2020 Vision for Health and Social Care, gives NHS boards the opportunity to set out the action they are taking to implement Neonatal Care in Scotland: A Quality Framework. We continue to support the focus on performance across NHSScotland through the annual process of agreeing NHS board local delivery plans with improved monitoring and assessment of outcomes.

Considerable progress has already been made, with the vast majority of statements in Neonatal care in Scotland: A Quality Framework already being met. All neonatal units are working together with their NHS boards and neonatal managed clinical networks to achieve full implementation of the framework. The Scottish Government has been clear that the framework will need to be implemented over a 5 to 10 year timescale to allow boards and regions flexibility to suit the needs of their local population in combination with staffing and resources.

Question reference: S4W-20496

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 30 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the ratio in the hospital consultant contract is for the time spent on direct clinical care compared with supporting professional activities; whether it plans to review the contract in this regard; what information it has on how the ratio compares with that for England, and what its position is on any difference between the Scottish and English figures.

Appointments to consultant posts in Scotland are generally based on nine programmed activities of direct clinical care and one programmed activity for supporting professional activity, which will include continuous professional development appropriate for annual appraisal and five yearly revalidation.

Individual job plans which are subject to agreement between the individual and their manager allow for amendment to the balance between these different forms of activity so in practice the balance varies and is dependent on the service to be delivered to patients as well as the needs of the employer and the individual consultant.

This practice is consistent with the basic 2004 consultant contract which makes provision for a full-time consultant to have 7.5 programmed activities of direct clinical care and 2.5 programmed activities of supporting professional activities unless agreed otherwise. The contract allows flexibility to agree a different balance of activities where this is in the interests of the doctor and of the service. The contract covers the UK so there is no difference in the ratio set out in consultant terms and conditions between Scotland and England.

Currently there are no plans to review the consultant contract in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-20498

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 30 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether the hospital consultant contract sets higher requirements for established consultants in terms of supporting professional activities than that set for new consultants and, if so, whether it will examine what impact this has on staff (a) morale, (b) recruitment and (c) retention.

<>No. The consultant contract does not set higher requirements for established consultants in terms of supporting professional activities than that set for new consultants. However, as stated in the reply to S4W-20496 on 30 April 2014, it does allow flexibility to agree a different balance of activities where this in the interests of the service and of the doctor.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-20495

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 24 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the recent Information Services Division figures showing that 218 consultant positions in hospitals are vacant, with 50 unfilled for more than six months.

It is vital that we have the right number of staff in the right place at the right time to deliver the best possible patient care, and individual NHS boards are responsible for planning NHS Scotland’s workforce in accordance with that aim.

Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland reports NHS workforce statistics on a quarterly basis. The most recent statistics, referring to the period ending 31 December 2013, were published by ISD Scotland on 25 February 2014 and show consultant vacancies in Scotland running at 4.5% with 1.1% vacant for six months or more.

This is a low vacancy rate which allows NHS boards positive, flexible opportunities to help develop new roles and skill sets for NHS Scotland’s medical workforce.

It should be noted that the NHS establishment of consultants has increased from 3,896.9 whole time equivalent (wte) as at September 2006 to 4,823.9 wte as at December 2013, an increase of 927.0 wte or 23.8%.

Question reference: S4O-03125

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 23 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether raising the threshold for civil cases in the Court of Session from £5,000 to £150,000, as proposed in the Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill, will harm access to justice.

Lord Gill recommended in the Scottish Civil Courts Review that only the most complex and legally difficult cases should be heard in the Court of Session, whereas most routine litigation should be conducted in the sheriff court by sheriffs using enhanced case management powers.

Lord Gill restated his belief that £150,000 was the appropriate level to achieve this at his appearance at the Justice Committee on Tuesday, 22 April 2014.

I agree with the Lord President and believe that this will ensure that the resources of the court are used efficiently and that the cost of litigation is reduced for all parties and the public purse, which will improve rather than harm access to justice.

Question reference: S4W-20035

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce pulse oximetry screening for all newborns to detect heart conditions early.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans to introduce pulse oximetry screening for all newborns to detect heart conditions early.

The Scottish Government takes its advice on screening policy from the UK National Screening Committee (NSC). The most recent review of screening for congenital heart defects (CHDs) from July 2013, did not recommend introduction of routine pulse oximetry screening.

The NSC keeps its policies under regular review and is currently undertaking a review of screening policy for CHDs. That review is expected to conclude in March 2014, after which it will be considered by the NSC.

Question reference: S4O-03061

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4W-19996

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 13 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the recommendations in the report by the charity, Bliss, It’s not a game: the very real costs of having a premature or sick baby.

The Bliss report contains a number of recommendations on reserved issues such as extending maternity leave and advice for employers which are, therefore, a matter for the UK Government. Neonatal Care in Scotland: A Quality Framework, published on 5 March 2013, sets out the requirements for the provision of high quality dedicated family friendly facilities appropriate for parents and families of babies in neonatal care.

We expect boards to determine how to meet those requirements as they work towards full implementation of the framework over a five to 10 year timescale.