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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: S5W-02411

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many and what proportion of the intake in medical schools since 2011 were from (a) state schools, (b) private schools and (c) overseas, also expressed as a percentage.

Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data shows that between 2011-12 and 2014-2015 there were 3,795 entrants to pre-clinical medicine in Scottish HEIs. 2,150 (60%) were from state schools, 850 (24%) were from independent schools, and 555 (16%) were from overseas.

Excluding overseas, 72% were from state schools.

Note: Percentage calculations are based on rounded data and exclude the 245 UK domiciles whose previous education establishment was unknown. Data rounded to nearest 5.

Question reference: S5W-02410

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the expenditure was on the outsourcing of NHS services in each year since 2007, also broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S5W-02409

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the spend was on locum doctors in each year since 2007, also broken down by NHS board.

The information requested is held by NHS Boards. The Scottish Government does not hold the information centrally.

We do however know that the annual spend on agency medical locums in NHSScotland is £103 million. When compared to the NHS England overall spend of £3.3 billion for the year 2014-5 on Medical and Nursing agency, NHSScotland spends proportionately 1/3 of what is spent in England on medical and nursing agency staff at £127.5 million.

Question reference: S5W-01879

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 7 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how much the National Chronic Pain Steering Group spent each year on (a) functions, (b) conferences, (c) salaries and expenses, broken down by grade, (d) travel and (e) other items.

Prior to April 2014, the National Chronic Pain Steering Group (NCPSG) was operated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS). The information requested for that period is not held centrally. The NCPSG also ended in November 2014, when it was renamed the National Chronic Pain Improvement Group (NCPIG).

During the period it was directly supported by the Scottish Government, the NCPSG held a total of two meetings. However, the costs for these meetings (venue hire, catering, videoconference facilities, etc.) were covered by NHS Dumfries & Galloway (NHS D&G) from an annual allocation granted by the Scottish Government to cover several items and work associated with the group. This included protected time for the NCPSG Chair (an NHS D&G employee), protected staff time for admin support and covering meeting costs. The allocation for the 2014-15 financial year was £13,073, but only a percentage of this is applicable to the NCPSG as the group was renamed. The rest of this allocation applies to the NCPIG, and I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01880 on 7 September 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx. A specific breakdown of the £13,073 between the NCPSG and NCPIG, as well as individual meeting costs, is not available centrally.

It is important to note that the NCPSG did not have its own budget during the period it was directly supported by the Scottish Government. The NCPSG did not have any salaried employees, with policy support being provided by Scottish Government officials as part of their duties and other posts being held by NHS D&G staff, as outlined above.

Finally, travel expenses for the NCPSG during this period were only offered to patient members, and I understand that no claims were made. Any such expenses incurred by group members from the NHS, the third sector, the Scottish Government or the national officers (National Lead Clinician for Chronic Pain and National Chronic Pain Co-ordinator) would be covered by their own organisations as part of their wider operational costs.

Question reference: S5W-01880

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 7 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how much the (a) National Chronic Pain Improvement Group and (b) Ministerial Steering Group on Chronic Pain has spent each year on (i) functions, (ii) conferences, (iii) salaries and expenses, broken down by grade, (iv) travel and (v) other items.

The National Chronic Pain Improvement Group (NCPIG), a renamed version of the National Chronic Pain Steering Group (NCPSG), operated from December 2014 until March 2016. During this period, it held five meetings and one development day. The total cost for these events was £7,836.25 (this figure includes venue hire, catering, videoconference facilities, etc.).

The Ministerial Steering Group on Chronic Pain (MSG) has so far held four meetings since its inaugural conference in March 2015. The total cost of these meetings has been £111.66 (catering being the only expense incurred).

It is important to note that neither the NCPIG nor the MSG had or has their own budget, with all costs being paid for by the Scottish Government. Neither group had or has salaried employees, with admin and policy support being provided by Scottish Government officials as part of their duties.

In addition, an annual allocation was provided to NHS Dumfries and Galloway to cover several items and work associated with the group. This allocation of £13,073 was initially provided for the financial year 2014-15, but spanned the existence of both the NCPSG and the NCPIG. This allocation was to cover protected time for the NCPSG and NCPIG Chairs (an NHS D and G employee), and initially admin support for the NCPSG. When the group became the NCPIG, admin duties were passed to Scottish Government officials, with the corresponding allocation amount instead being used to support work on the national chronic pain website: (http://chronicpainscotland.org/).

A second, reduced allocation of £5,285 was given to NHS D and G for the 2015-16 financial year. Specific breakdowns of these allocations are not available centrally.

Finally, travel expenses for both groups were and are offered only to patient members, and the total reimbursement claimed so far is £10.80 (for the NCPIG). Any such expenses incurred by group members from the NHS, the third sector, the Scottish Government or the national officers (National Lead Clinician for Chronic Pain and National Chronic Pain Co-ordinator) would be covered by their own organisations as part of their wider operational costs.

Question reference: S5W-01881

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 7 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 28 April 2014, New national chronic pain centre, how much of the additional £1.3 million investment has been allocated, and to where.

The £1.3 million investment referred to in the 28 April 2014 news release was pump-prime funding provided to NHS boards in order to support Service Improvement Groups/Managed Clinical Networks for chronic pain. The allocations were based on an assessed proposal submitted by each Board, and funding was provided as follows:

NHS Board	Total
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	£100,000
NHS Borders	£100,000
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	£100,000
NHS Fife	£100,000
NHS Forth Valley	£99,300
NHS Grampian	£100,000
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	£100,000
NHS Highland	£100,000
NHS Lanarkshire	£100,000
NHS Lothian	£100,000
NHS Orkney	£70,000
NHS Shetland	£70,000
NHS Tayside	£100,000
NHS Western Isles	£70,000

Question reference: S5W-01934

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 7 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve awareness and prevention of stroke.

We are committed to ensuring that people who have had a stroke have access to the best possible care as quickly as possible. Our Stroke Improvement Plan published in 2014; http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2014/08/9114 continues to support the FAST (Face, Arm, Speech, Time) test in Scotland. The FAST test aims to raise public awareness of the signs and symptoms of stroke to encourage people to dial 999 if they think someone is having a stroke. Further details can be found at; http://www.thinkfast.org.uk/.

The Stroke Improvement Plan, published in 2014 also reaffirms our commitment to improve stroke treatment and care in Scotland. The plan is underpinned by a commitment to improving data collection and the Scottish Government continues to fund the Scottish Stroke Care Audit (SSCA), carried out annually by Information Services Division. The Scottish Government provided funding for the SSCA of £167,000 in 2015-16 and is a key focus for raising awareness of stroke as well as driving improvements in stroke care, prevention, skills and knowledge across the whole of Scotland; http://www.strokeaudit.scot.nhs.uk/Publications/Main.html.

Question reference: S5O-00096

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what impact its spending plans for 2016-17 will have on Glasgow and Renfrewshire.

Question reference: S5W-01758

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the number and nation of origin of NHS Scotland staff from the rest of the UK in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S5W-01759

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it makes of the number of citizens from the rest of the UK working in NHSScotland based on information from the Office for National Statistics.