Chamber and committees

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: S3W-24706

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 June 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to invite representatives from the mutual and co-operative sector into the Scottish Centre for Financial Education.

Question reference: S3W-24705

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 June 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to review membership of the management group of the Scottish Centre for Financial Education.

Question reference: S3O-07457

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 June 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to engage with Latin American countries.

Question reference: S3W-24009

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop a national strategy for people with lymphoedema.

We are clear that there should be equity of access to lymphoedema services across the country. The British Lymphology Society''s Best Practice document offers a good opportunity to share best practice at a national level.

Lymphoedema is also covered by our national strategies Better Cancer Care and Living and Dying Well as well as our work on long term conditions management. We expect all of these help to improve the services and support available for people with lymphoedema.

Question reference: S3W-24008

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve services and treatment for people with lymphoedema.

We expect NHS boards to implement, through local protocols, the relevant Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guidelines. The Guidelines on the Management of Cervical Cancer (99), the Management of Breast Cancer (84) and the Care of Patients with Chronic Leg Ulcers (26) cover aspects of lymphoedema and its treatment.

The British Lymphology Society (BLS) has published a Best Practice document on the Management of Lymphoedema. A consultation to assess the document''s applicability to Scotland showed strong support for its adoption here, and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland is currently considering, with the network of Scottish Lymphoedema Practitioners, how best to take this forward.

We have also set up a working group to develop a clinical pathway for the surgical management of chronic lymphoedema. This is intended to include clear referral criteria, clinical pathways and protocols, and provide equitable access to surgical management across Scotland. The group is expected to report by autumn 2009.

Better Cancer Care outlines a range of commitments on supporting people who develop lymphoedema as a side effect of their cancer treatment.

Question reference: S3W-23447

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 01 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive which commercial banks are represented on the Scottish Centre for Financial Education Advisory Group.

Question reference: S3W-23446

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 01 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive which representatives of the co-operative and mutual sector are on the Scottish Centre for Financial Education Advisory Group.

Question reference: S3W-11772

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 April 2008
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 6 May 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions took place with rail companies other than First Group plc before the decision was made to extend the Scotrail franchise and with which companies.

Question reference: S3W-11770

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 April 2008
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 1 May 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has held with Network Rail in respect of operating Scotrail as a not-for-profit organisation.

Question reference: S3W-11769

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 April 2008
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 1 May 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to operating Scotrail as a not-for-profit organisation.

The experience of the last franchise re-letting process is that a four-year lead time is required to allow for effective consultation and for any significant changes in the basis of the franchise contract.

Activating the extension clause in the current franchise agreement has therefore given this administration the scope to consider and consult upon what changes it might wish to make to the structure of future rail franchising arrangements, whilst guaranteeing continuity of train service planning and delivery during the introduction of the existing programme of rail enhancements and for the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Through the franchise extension we have created a cap on the operator''s profits: where the profit of the franchise reaches more than £30 million per annum in 2007-08 prices, 50% of the marginal profit is returned to government for investment in services.