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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-01533

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 15 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review exemptions to right to roam on sporting ground under the provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

Under Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, people have a right of access to most land and inland water in Scotland, so long as they act responsibly as detailed in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

With regard to sports or playing fields, the Act provides that access rights are not exercisable on:

grass sports pitches or playing fields whilst they are in use for their intended purpose;

golf greens, bowling greens, cricket squares, lawn tennis courts or other similar area on which grass is grown and prepared for a particular recreational purpose, whether or not in use;

sports pitches or playing fields with certain types of artificial surfaces, whether or not in use.

The Scottish Government does not have any plans to review Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

Question reference: S5W-01532

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 15 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a land reform Bill and, if so, when.

The focus of the Scottish Government’s work on land reform is on implementing the provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016, which received Royal Assent on 22 April 2016, and on our commitment to promote and facilitate community land ownership across the whole of Scotland.

Some of the provisions in the Act have already been commenced and our next implementation steps include appointing Scottish Land Commissioners by the end of 2016 and having a Scottish Land Commission operational by April 2017, the publication of a draft Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement for consultation this autumn before laying it before the Scottish Parliament in autumn 2017, publishing guidance in 2017 for landlords on how to engage with community groups, and consulting this summer on a register of persons with controlling interests in landowners and tenants, before laying draft Regulations in the Scottish Parliament.

There are no plans to introduce another Land Reform Bill to the Scottish Parliament at this stage.

Question reference: S5W-01340

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it will (a) start and (b) conclude its review of the number, structure and regulation of NHS boards; what this involves; who will be consulted, and on what date it will announce the outcome.

Question reference: S5W-01341

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an assessment of (a) how much money would be saved and (b) what reduction in staff would result from reducing the number of NHS boards.

Question reference: S5W-01339

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to comments on page 2 of the 2016 SNP manifesto, what barriers to planning local services effectively are presented by the existing boundaries between health and integration bodies.

Question reference: S5W-01342

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) compulsory and (b) voluntary redundancies it has calculated could result from reducing the number of NHS boards.

Question reference: S5W-01336

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reduce the number of (a) territorial and (b) special NHS boards and, if so, (i) by how many and (ii) how.

This Government is committed to reviewing the number, structure and regulation of both territorial and special health boards and their relationships with local councils. The detail of this work has yet to be finalised but will be subject to engagement with Parliament and broader consultation.

We need to create an NHS Board structure that reflects the new health and social care landscape and which better supports the provision of excellent hospital and specialist care for Scotland’s population. That means a structure that will lead NHSScotland forward while ensuring the focus is on patients rather than on structures and bureaucracy and which maximises the opportunities for a ‘Once for Scotland’ where that creates efficiencies and reduces duplication.

Question reference: S5W-01338

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments on page 2 of the 2016 SNP manifesto, what NHS board services and functions it has identified as being (a) unnecessary backroom duplication and (b) structural impediments to better care; for what reason, and how it plans to address these.

Question reference: S5W-01337

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has that reducing the number of NHS boards would improve the service to patients.

Question reference: S5W-01343

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what planning (a) has been conducted and (b) is anticipated for the possibility that there will be a reduction in the number of NHS boards.