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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: S5O-00261

Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to establish a permanent trade representation in Berlin.

Question reference: S5O-00225

Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 5 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Truvada, the medicine used for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, or 'PrEP', has been granted a marketing authorisation by the European Commission for its use in the European Union. The next step is for the manufacturer Gilead Sciences International, to make a submission to the Scottish Medicines Consortium on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of Truvada for the purposes of PrEP. SMC will then consider whether the medicine can be accepted for use by the NHS in Scotland.

The Scottish Government's Chief Pharmaceutical Officer wrote to the manufacturer on 15 September 2016 asking them to make a submission quickly, and at a fair price, so that the SMC who can then consider it for routine use in NHS Scotland.

We are now waiting for Gilead to make this application, and I would encourage them do so quickly

Question reference: S5O-00200

Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what investment it is making, and plans to make, in school infrastructure in Edinburgh Northern and Leith.

The Scottish Government is currently providing significant investment of £62.5 million to the City of Edinburgh Council through the Government's Schools for the Future programme. The City Council is the third largest beneficiary from the programme, to replace three secondary schools and one primary. These projects were identified by the City of Edinburgh Council as its priority schools for investment.

The Government committed in our manifesto, that no child should have to learn in a school that is in poor or bad condition. Therefore during this Parliament, we will bring forward new proposals to build upon the success of our school building programme which rebuilt or refurbished 607 schools – almost a quarter of the school estate – between 2007 and 2015.

Question reference: S5O-00102

Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage employers to pay the living wage and provide secure employment.

Question reference: S5W-01710

Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 10 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have arrived in Scotland through the Syrian Resettlement Programme.

Question reference: S5O-00081

Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage tourism in the Edinburgh Northern and Leith constituency.

Question reference: S5W-00420

Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when the reforms under the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 to remove no-fault evictions will come into force.

Question reference: S5W-00572

Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 15 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to support people with body-focussed repetitive behaviours.

The government expects NHS boards to respond to the clinical needs of their population and of presenting individuals. To assist in providing effective, evidence-based treatments, the Scottish Government provides funding to NHS Education for Scotland to host the ‘Matrix’, an evidence-based guide for NHS boards on effective psychological treatments for a range of mental health issues, including repetitive behaviours. If there is an absence of strong evidence for the treatment of particular neurological conditions, the ‘Matrix’ advises that clinical judgment should be used if considering interventions which have been shown to be effective for similar problems in other adult populations. Where judged as clinically appropriate, medication may also be prescribed in the treatment of body-focused repetitive behaviours.

Question reference: S5W-00419

Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 15 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the inquiry into the closure of 17 schools across Edinburgh that were built under the PPP1 project.