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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-09787

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 17 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a consultation on its diet and obesity strategy, and the final strategy.

Tackling obesity is a top priority for this Government and we will consult on our new diet and obesity strategy this year. This will propose an ambitious, coherent package of action that will start to deliver the change we need to see. It is important we take the time to get our approach right. We will therefore continue to engage closely with a wide range of stakeholders, including the food and drink industry, on their views of action most likely to secure improvement.

Question reference: S5O-01150

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reported 47.6% vacancy rate for consultants in older people’s medicine in NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

It is the responsibility of each NHS Board – including NHS Ayrshire and Arran – to plan their workforce to ensure the provision of safe, effective and high quality patient care, delivered by the right professional at the right time.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran acknowledges the recent challenges they have experienced in recruiting to vacant Consultant posts in Geriatric Medicine.

The Board has assured me that they are fully redesigning their services for older people as part of their Transformational Change Programme. This work is being led on behalf of the Board by the North Ayrshire and Arran Health and Social Care Partnership.

In establishing a new Model of Care, the Board has filled a range of clinical posts, and is scheduled to interview for Consultant level staff in August, including the role of Clinical Director. In the interim, the Board is mobilising Consultant locum support to ensure patient safety is maintained at all times.

We are also developing a National Health and Social Care Workforce Plan to strengthen workforce planning practice, including within the Consultant workforce. We are working closely with all relevant stakeholders throughout this process and will publish the Plan soon.

Question reference: S5W-09562

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 13 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much investment it has made in the regeneration of Stranraer Waterfront since April 2006.

Whilst we regularly discuss regeneration plans with Dumfries and Galloway Council it is the council which has the primary responsibility for, and lead role in implementing, plans in relation to the regeneration of Stranraer Waterfront.

In addition to a range of Scottish Government funding across Dumfries and Galloway, which has contributed to economic resilience across the area, Stranraer has specifically benefited from

£1.2million from Scottish Enterprise in relation to the Stranraer Waterfront since April 2006, with an additional £3million provided to various Stranraer studies and works prior to this date.

£790k from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund in 2009-10

£1.8million from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) for the Stranraer Town Centre Regeneration Initiative in 2016-17 and

£987k from the RCGF for the Stranraer Millennium Centre in 2017-18.

We have also agreed to provide up to £6million to support Dumfries and Galloway Council with its plans in relation to the Stranraer Waterfront, subject to the Spending Review.

Question reference: S5W-09561

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 12 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided towards the development of a Borderlands growth deal.

Scotland's strong ties with the North of England flourish. We continue to develop and strengthen these, identifying opportunities for greater practical co-operation. In 2013, we launched the Borderlands Initiative to facilitate cross border council discussions between Carlisle City Council, Cumbria County Council, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Northumberland County Council and Scottish Borders Council. The Initiative has help to cement social and economic links. We welcome the work being taken forward by the five councils to develop the initiative with proposals for a Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. We look forward to exploring those further with the councils to identify how we can support those ambitions and ensure that they support the inclusive growth and competitiveness of the South of Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-01069

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it made to the Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer and National Museums Scotland regarding the acquisition and display of the Galloway Viking hoard.

Question reference: S5W-09005

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 9 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether only people with a specialist qualification in clinical behaviour should provide behavioural advice on the use of electronic training collars for dogs.

The Scottish Government is in discussion with a wide range of stakeholders from the pet industry, animal training and veterinary profession about the format and content of the tough new regulations on the use of electronic training collars, including the training and qualifications required by trainers who may approve their use in defined circumstances. Regulations will be presented to the Scottish Parliament for approval in due course.

Question reference: S5W-09006

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 9 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government which organisations it has met to discuss proposed regulations on static pulse, sonic and spray collars used on dogs, since it announced its plans to regulate their use in September 2016.

Question reference: S5O-00863

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the criteria used to assess potentially vulnerable areas.

SEPA has begun to review the National Flood Risk Assessment and the designation of potentially vulnerable areas (PVAs) for the Flood Risk Management planning cycle 2016-2022. As part of this work, SEPA will revisit the underlying methodology used to designate PVAs and they will also be considering new evidence and information that has emerged since the previous designation. SEPA will continue to work closely with all local authorities to ensure that the review uses the best evidence currently available.

Question reference: S5W-07922

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what it considers the role of a community link worker is, and how many have been recruited to work in GP surgeries since September 2016, broken down by NHS board.

Community Link Working is an approach for connecting people to non-medical sources of support or resources in the community which are likely to help with the health problems they are experiencing. The twin objectives of the Scottish Government's Links Worker Programme is to enable people to live well within their community and also help to ease pressure on General Practices.

The Scottish Government has committed to recruiting 250 Links Workers during the lifetime of this parliament, with at least 40 being recruited by September this year. Recruitment will begin from April 2017.

Question reference: S5W-07924

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 20 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many employers have signed-up to the Carer Positive scheme since September 2016.