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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-04599

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the impact of the Dundee Academy of Sport; what support it offers the academy, and whether it is considering providing it with additional capital funding.

Through the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the Dundee Academy of Sport has been awarded investment totalling £2.7 million.

A full evaluation of the project, carried out by the Academy, was published earlier this year (see: http://www.dundeeacademyofsport.com/aboutus/). The evaluation showed that considerable progress had been made in addressing challenges around educational attainment and achievement.

Decisions on budget allocations to the Further Education and Higher Education sectors for 2017-18 will be made as part of overall budget preparations.

Question reference: S5O-00382

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 23 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to promote apprenticeships.

We will again support Scottish Apprenticeship Week in March 2017. This will be the 7^th annual campaign to promote the benefits of apprenticeships to employer and young people delivered in partnerships with employers, apprentices, colleges, councils and training providers.

In addition Skills Development Scotland promote Modern Apprenticeships in a number of ways including its new Apprenticeship.scot website and My World of Work. It is also widening the reach of the programme through its equality action plan and as part of its regular engagement with businesses across Scotland.

These are important means to help with the Scottish Government's ambitious plans to grow and enhance the Modern Apprenticeship programme to 30,000 new starts a year by 2020.

Question reference: S5O-00290

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its consultation on a draft referendum bill.

Question reference: S5O-00259

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to attract visitors to Scotland’s town centres.

Developing tourism as a key sector remains an important Government commitment and we have made clear that we will continue to work to make all of Scotland a destination of first choice for visitors from around the world.

As part of the Town Centre Action Plan we have developed the Town Centre Toolkit. This free online resource gives communities information and advice on how they can make their town centres more attractive, active and accessible. It is being hosted and promoted by Scotland's Towns Partnership through their website.

Question reference: S5W-03689

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 25 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5O-00104 and S5O-00193 by Jamie Hepburn on 7 September (Official Report, c. 15) and 28 September 2016 respectively, whether the independent analysis of the responses to its consultation of the Apprenticeship Levy has been completed and, if not, by what date it expects this to be finalised; whether it will publish the findings of the analysis, and when it would then publish guidance on implementing the levy.

Question reference: S5W-02645

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what impact closing the Mountain Weather Information Service would have on North East Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-00206

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken since January 2016 to improve air quality in Aberdeen.

Question reference: S5O-00158

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how the programme of closures of emergency call centres in Aberdeen and Inverness is progressing.

Question reference: S5W-02088

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its strategy is to recruit for any unfilled psychiatrist posts and encourage more people into the profession and what specific action it is taking to recruit for NHS (a) Grampian and (b) Tayside.

It is for health boards to plan and deliver clinical services and ensure that they have the correct staff in place to meet the needs of their services and ensure high quality patient care.

The Scottish Government works closely with all boards to support their staff recruitment efforts.

Under this Government, the number of consultants with psychiatry specialties in NHS Grampian has increased by 18 per cent. The number of consultants with psychiatry specialties in NHS Tayside has increased by 42.6 per cent.

In 2016-17, NHS Tayside’s resource budget has increased by 5.8% to £699.1 million, an above inflation increase, having previously increased by 2.5% in 2015-16. Decide if we are putting into background or answer.

In 2016-17, NHS Grampian’s resource budget has increased by 6.6% to £882.3 million, an above inflation – the highest uplift of any territorial board, having previously increased by 6.3% in 2015-16.

The Scottish Government recognise that Scotland does experience particular recruitment and retention difficulties due to the remote and rural nature of parts of the geographic landscape. To address this, boards can use either the UK or the Scotland only Shortage Occupation List (SOL) to recruit internationally to any of the medical occupations listed, including Psychiatrists where evidence of shortages exist.

Question reference: S5W-02087

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many psychiatrists are employed and operational and how many psychiatrist posts are vacant at (a) NHS Grampian and (b) NHS Tayside.

Information on the number of psychiatric consultants employed by NHS Grampian and NHS Tayside and the number of vacant psychiatric consultant posts in NHS Grampian and NHS Tayside are shown in the following tables:-

Table 1. Number (whole time equivalent) of psychiatric consultants in NHS Grampian and NHS Tayside as at 30 June 2016.

	Consultants	% change from Sep-06 to Jun-16
NHS Grampian	54.4	18.0%
NHS Tayside	51.9	42.6%

Source: Scottish Workforce Information Standard System (SWISS), ISD Scotland

Notes

Figures for all medical staff, including consultants.

Table 2. Number (whole time equivalent) of psychiatric consultant vacancies in NHS Grampian and NHS Tayside as at 30 June 2016.

	Total Vacancies	Total vacancies as % of establishment
NHS Grampian	6.7	11.0%
NHS Tayside	10.9	17.4%

Source: ISD(M)36, Scottish Workforce Information Standard System (SWISS), ISD Scotland

Notes

Establishment is calculated as number of staff in post plus total vacancies.