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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-23512

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many people saved money in 2014 because of free eye tests, broken down by the (a) average and (b) overall saving.

Information Services Division, part of NHS National Services Division, collects information on NHS General Ophthalmic Service activity carried out by eye care professionals in Scotland. It reports a total of 1,913,565 eye care examinations were carried out in Scotland in 2012-13.

Sight tests in England, where universal free tests have not been introduced, cost in the region of £20-£30 for people who are not exempt from payment, depending on their circumstances.

The overall collective saving to the people of Scotland from having entirely free sight tests can therefore be estimated at around £40 million.

Question reference: S4W-23511

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many people saved money in 2014 because of free personal and nursing care, broken down by the (a) average and (b) overall saving.

Over 77,000 people in Scotland benefit from the Scottish Government’s policy of free personal care, consisting of more than 30,000 people in care homes and over 47,000 living in their own home.

The latest Free Personal and Nursing Care Services figures published are for 2012-13. These are published on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/statistics/browse/health/data/fpnc.

The weekly rate for free personal care is £169, and for those requiring both free personal and nursing care is £246.

Personal care provided by a local authority is free for over 65s. For those receiving direct payments or receiving contributions to the personal and nursing care elements of residential care fees, over the course of a full year, an individual in receipt of free personal care would be eligible to payments of £8,788, and an individual in receipt of free personal and nursing care would be eligible to payments of £12,792.

Question reference: S4W-23554

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 15 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what legislation governs electrical safety in care homes.

Electrical safety in care homes would be covered by:

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

Electricity at Work Regulations 1989

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998

BS 7671 2008 (including amendments)- this is not legislation but can be used to show compliance with the preceding Acts/Regulations

Scottish Building Standards (Non Domestic Buildings).

Question reference: S4O-03798

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding the extension of the Department for Work and Pensions' Work Programme.

Question reference: S4O-03785

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve access to rail services for disabled people.

Question reference: S4O-03745

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it seeks to promote affordable public transport for vulnerable groups.

Question reference: S4O-03708

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the benefits of the project, General Practitioners at the Deep End, which is being carried out in deprived communities.

Question reference: S4O-03689

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 November 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it will encourage and support small businesses to pay employees the living wage.

Question reference: S4T-00793

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 September 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 September 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it will support humanitarian efforts in Iraq in light of the UK Parliament’s approval of air strikes in the country.

Question reference: S4O-03495

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 August 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports community organisations in the Glasgow region in using funding from the CashBack for Communities programme and other money seized under proceeds of crime legislation.