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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-10342

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 27 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many wind farm applications that have been turned down by local authorities have been subsequently (a) approved and (b) rejected by ministers on appeal since July 2016.

*The number of wind farm applications that have been turned down by local authorities (or where the authority have failed to make a decision) and have been subsequently a) allowed and b) dismissed by Ministers on appeal since July 2016 are set out in the following table:

	Decisions issued on appeals against refusal	Decisions issued on appeals against conditions imposed	Decisions issued on appeals against planning authority’s failure to give a decision	Total
Allowed (planning permission granted)	11	1	1	13
Dismissed (planning permission refused)	6	0	4	10
Total	17	1	5	23

*Figures shown relate to the period 1 July 2016 to 24 July 2017

Question reference: S5W-09612

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what progress the NHS is making with reducing bed blocking.

The latest delayed discharge census (April 2017) was published on 6 June. It showed a reduction in bed days associated with delay, continuing the downward trend that has seen 25 out of 26 months showing a reduction on the equivalent month the previous year.

The standard health and social care delays over 3 days fell again in April to713, down 63 from March. This is the lowest level since recording changes were introduced in July 2016.

Question reference: S5W-09610

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what progress Education Scotland is making with increasing the number of school inspections.

Education Scotland expects to have increased the number of inspections it carries out by 9% by the end of Academic Year (AY) 2016-17, compared to AY 2015-16. It expects to increase the number of inspections in 2017-18 by a further 9.5%, compared to 2016-17.
To support the increase in school inspection numbers, Education Scotland has put in place a number of measures.

Nine new inspectors were appointed in April 2015. These inspectors are now fully trained and are contributing to the increase in inspection activity.
A further recruitment exercise for inspectors is currently ongoing.
A number of highly experienced Assistant Inspectors were also appointed.
Education Scotland is currently recruiting for more Associate Assessors. These are senior school leaders or senior local authority staff. They are rigorously trained by Education Scotland and join school inspection teams as full team members. As well as increasing capacity for inspection, Associate Assessors benefit greatly from these experiences.
A new short-visit model of inspection has been introduced successfully.

Question reference: S5W-09576

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 16 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to ensure that children receive timely treatment for mental health issues.

We have put in place a £54 million comprehensive package of support to improve access to mental health services for children and adults, which will provide funding for additional staff, for workforce development and for in-depth improvement support to local services. In this first year £4.3 m has been awarded to boards across Scotland to build capacity within mental health services. A further £4.5 m has been awarded through NHS Education Scotland to provide each board an individual, tailored offer of funding and workforce development.

As part of a comprehensive package of support for Boards, £4.6 million funding has been announced for Healthcare Improvement Scotland to establish a Mental Health Access Improvement Support Team which is working in partnership with boards to improve access to mental health services. In latest published waiting times figures for CAMHS Forth Valley, one of the first boards to engage with the improvement team, has recorded its performance is over 99% against the waiting times standard for CAMHS for quarter 1 of 2017, previously in quarter 2 of 2016 its performance was just 28% against the standard. Additionally 10 of 14 Health boards are meeting the target 18 weeks for CAMHS treatment and the average wait throughout Scotland is 10 weeks.

Question reference: S5W-09611

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what progress the NHS is making with increasing the number of medical professionals.

Under this Government we have the highest medical staffing levels ever, with numbers of consultants increasing by a record 46.2 per cent to 5,315.7 Whole Time Equivalent.*

As part of our initiatives to sustain the future NHSScotland workforce, we are investing £23 million in increasing supply and widening access to medical education. The package of measures includes:-

An increase of 50 medical undergraduate places from 2016-17, resulting in an additional 250 medical training places by 2020-21;

A Pre-Medical Entry programme commencing in 2017-18;

The establishment of Scotland’s first Graduate Entry Medical programme (ScotGEM), with intakes commencing in 2018-19.

We are also developing a National Health and Social Care Workforce Plan to strengthen and harmonise workforce planning practice, including within the medical workforce. We are working closely with all relevant stakeholders – including the BMA, COSLA and Scottish Care – throughout this process. The Plan will be published in 2017.

*Source: ISD Scotland

Question reference: S5W-09641

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 15 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-01072 by Alasdair Allan on 7 June 2017 (Official Report, c. 31), for what reason there is only one Scottish Development International office in South America.

In line with the Scottish Government’s Trade and Investment Strategy, Scottish Development International deploys its resources where it can generate the best return for the Scottish economy while remaining open to new and emerging opportunities. SDI’s network in the Americas reflects where the best opportunities for Scottish exports and inward investment currently lie.

SDI’s office in Brazil supports Scottish companies operating across various sectors in countries across the region, including Chile, Colombia, Peru and Mexico.

Question reference: S5W-09582

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns regarding police response times to recent incidents at Dunfermline Bus Station, despite the area being monitored by a CCTV control centre.

Question reference: S5W-09575

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve police response times.

Question reference: S5O-01129

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many potentially lethal weapons have been seized by security staff in 2017.

Question reference: S5T-00560

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve cycling infrastructure, in light of recent research by Sustrans Scotland, which highlighted that T- junctions and roundabouts possess the highest number of collisions.