Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 2041 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S4O-01169

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it gives to NHS boards on consulting patients when changes are proposed to services delivered to patients at home.

Question reference: S4O-01097

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 7 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on implementing the recommendations of the Scottish Studies Working Group across the curriculum.

We are making good progress in taking forward the recommendations of the Scottish Studies Working Group in partnership with Education Scotland, the SQA and other stakeholders including the University of Glasgow’s Champions Group.

A package of measures including guidance, online resources and professional learning has been launched and is now supporting learning about Scotland across the curriculum. Recommendations on Scottish texts in the new National Qualifications in English have been implemented and progress is being made on the development of an Award in Scottish Studies.

Question reference: S4O-01013

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the public consultation process is when NHS boards are considering where to locate new-build community health facilities.

Question reference: S4W-04660

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the sickness absence rate has been for staff in NHS (a) Lanarkshire, (b) Forth Valley and (c) Greater Glasgow and Clyde in each year since 2007, broken down by department.

The percentage sickness absence rates for NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Forth Valley and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in each year since 2007 are provided in the following table along with the absence rate for NHSScotland. The breakdown of these rates by department is not held nationally.

Further information on the statistics, including information on how the data is collected and notes to aid interpretation, is given in the “Background” section of the Workforce Statistics website at http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/.

	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Scotland	5.55	5.28	4.95	4.75	4.74
NHS Lanarkshire	6.34	5.89	5.02	4.45	4.32
NHS Forth Valley	5.80	5.48	5.43	5.28	5.53
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	5.82	5.33	4.92	4.79	4.77

Question reference: S4W-04603

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 22 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what value it considers chartered teachers bring to school education.

The Scottish Government has recognised the important contribution that Chartered Teachers can make within the education system. Chartered Teachers can be a valuable resource to assist and lead other teachers in improving educational outcomes. The Scottish Government remains committed to encouraging all teachers to develop their professional knowledge and skills, so that they can contribute fully to the education of our children.

Question reference: S4W-04604

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 22 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on recommendation 19 of the Advancing Professionalism in Teaching: Report of the Review of Teacher Employment in Scotland (the McCormac Review).

Question reference: S4W-04605

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 22 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond to the recommendations in the Advancing Professionalism in Teaching: Report of the Review of Teacher Employment in Scotland (the McCormac Review).

Question reference: S4W-04551

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many and (b) which types of chartered engineers it employs in a policy or policy advisory role and in which directorates.

Information is not held centrally for engineers employed by the Scottish Government; however, one of the Scottish Government’s agencies, Transport Scotland, employs 79 engineers covering a number of different disciplines, for example; civil, structural, highway and transportation, railway and geotechnical. All of Transport Scotland’s engineers are predominantly involved in operational delivery but do feed into the wider policy development process.

Question reference: S4W-04242

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 8 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve conditions for (a) prisoners and (b) prisoners with mental health issues in HMP Cornton Vale.

I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The SPS Framework for the Management of Women in Custody has identified several areas of development to meet the needs of women in custody in Cornton Vale.

Easing overcrowding of the prison has allowed for general improvement in conditions for all women prisoners.

Identified managers and named nurses are now responsible for the operation of multi-disciplinary mental health team meetings, and support for individual prisoners with mental health issues respectively.

Responsibility for the delivery of healthcare transferred to the NHS on 1 November 2011 and the specific healthcare needs of women in HMP Cornton Vale will be met by Forth Valley Health Board.

Question reference: S4W-04244

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 8 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in providing staff at HMP Cornton Vale with appropriate training to deal with the needs of prisoners with mental health issues.

I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

Within the SPS Framework for Management for Women in Custody, training for staff to assist in managing prisoners with mental health issues is one specific area for development.

The SPS continue to deliver Mental Health First Aid training to operational staff in all establishments including HMP Cornton Vale. The SPS Mental Health Strategy is being reviewed at present and will include a training element specific to operational staff.

Responsibility for delivery of health care to prisoners transferred to the NHS on 1 November 2011. All healthcare staff will now have access to Mental Health training in line with the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework.