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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: S5W-04338

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish in full the report by Dr Brian Montgomery into the work of the Scottish Medicines Consortium; when it will announce the outcomes of the review, and whether it will implement in full the recommendations.

Question reference: S5O-00310

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Director of ScotRail and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S5W-03713

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 8 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many radiotherapy specialists there are, broken down by NHS board.

The number of consultant clinical radiologists in NHS Scotland has increased by 43.1 per cent under this Government, to 320.0 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE). The number of therapeutic radiographers has also increased, by 22.1 per cent to 274.2 WTE.

It is not possible to accurately identify all staff defined as ‘radiotherapy specialists’ – either wholly or as part of their role – from centrally held data due to the multi-disciplinary roles involved in the delivery of radiotherapy services.

However, we are continuing to work closely with NHS Boards to support their efforts in recruitment within cancer services to meet the needs of patients, and to deliver a safe and sustainable service.

Question reference: S5W-03712

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 8 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many new training places have been created to meet its pledge to recruit an extra 100 radiotherapy specialists.

Additional specialist posts for radiotherapy healthcare professionals will be created over time to meet projected demand. Planning for these including training capacity will be a matter for NHS Boards based on the advice of the recently established radiotherapy subgroup. This group is responsible for identifying and agreeing a national direction of travel for access to modern radiotherapy treatments and agreeing a collaborative approach to delivering these treatments across all five Scottish Cancer Centres.

Question reference: S5W-03592

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 8 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it will improve treatment waiting times for people with kidney cancer to ensure that the renal Quality Performance Indicator target for 70% of patients with advanced or metastatic kidney cancer to receive systemic therapy within 12 months of their diagnosis is met.

Question reference: S5W-03763

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 8 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) the Scottish Health Council regarding (i) Lightburn and (ii) the Vale of Leven Hospital since May 2015.

Ministers and Government officials regularly communicate with representatives of all health boards, including NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde; to discuss matters of importance to local people. As part of this, any discussions about potential service change take place within the context of the well-established and long-standing process, set out in the national guidance 'Informing, Engaging and Consulting People in Developing Health and Community Care Services' (2010) available at: www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2010_04.pdf

Question reference: S5W-03766

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 8 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the capital investment in Lightburn Hospital since May 2007, including the work that was carried out and the total cost.

Question reference: S5W-03591

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 8 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government who it consulted regarding kidney cancer when preparing its cancer strategy, and for what reasons the strategy did not include specific actions on improving outcomes for people with kidney cancer.

A range of health care professionals, third sector and advocacy groups were involved during the drafting of the strategy.

Our ‘Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action’ strategy and the accompanying
£100 million investment over 5 years, serves as a blueprint for the future of cancer services in Scotland, improving the prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare of people affected by all cancers. This work links with our tobacco control strategy and the Prevention of Obesity Route Map as evidence shows that smoking and obesity are two of the biggest risk factors for renal cancer.

Question reference: S5W-03394

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what saving targets the NHS has identified for each of the next five years, also broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S5W-03398

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on NHS boards sharing procurement services; what information it has on (a) how often this occurs and (b) what savings are made, and whether it considers any savings that are made should be reinvested in clinical services.

a) NHS Scotland has a mature shared service capability within National Services Scotland, via the National Procurement Organisation. This has increased the value of national/shared procurement arrangements significantly over the last 10 years with the annual value of national/shared procurement arrangements increasing from approximately £350m p.a. in 2005 to approximately £1.3bn p.a. in 2016. Additionally the National Distribution Centre provides a single logistics service for NHS Scotland with a stock holding of approx 9000 products and a throughput of approximately £150m per year.

b) Savings of £35m - £40m are secured every year from the use of national arrangements. These savings are for re-investment in frontline services.