- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are in place for its agencies to seek approval for their staffing structures and the (a) number of promoted posts and (b) pay grades attached to such posts, and what routine periodic inspections of the staff and grading structures of its agencies takes place.
Answer
The continuing authority to determine the most appropriate staffing structures rests with the Accountable Officer within each Agency which is in line with the delegation of civil service terms and conditions of service by the Minister for the Civil Service under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992. For those Agencies which are staffed with employees on Scottish Government Main (SGM) terms and conditions of employment, the evaluation and grading of posts takes place via Scottish Government People Directorate guidance. Table 1 below details the current pay and grading structure within SGM. Table 2 details the Agencies within SGM showing the number of staff at each level. Promotion is available between all pay ranges within the SGM pay and grading structure from A3 onwards.
Table1 - SGM Pay and Grading structure with effect from 1 April 2020
| A3 | A4 | B1 | B2 | B3 | BF | C1 | C2 | C3 |
Max-3 | | | £26,155 | £30,652 | £38,541 | £30,400 | £48,930 | £64,057 | £74,038 |
Max-2 | £20,064 | £23,344 | £27,150 | £32,138 | £39,663 | £33,266 | £52,478 | £66,285 | £74,884 |
Max-1 | £21,148 | £24,107 | £28,172 | £33,624 | £42,194 | £35,184 | £56,122 | £69,163 | £75,728 |
Max | £22,232 | £24,909 | £29,192 | £35,110 | £46,599 | £37,578 | £61,006 | £73,935 | £76,574 |
Table 2 - staffing structure of SGM Agencies as at 31 July 2020
Agency | A3 | A4 | B1 | B2 | B3 | BF | C1 | C2 | C3 |
Accountant in Bankruptcy | 41 | | 46 | 24 | 12 | | 4 | | 1 |
Disclosure Scotland | 141 | 32 | 55 | 32 | 26 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
Education Scotland | 31 | 7 | 11 | 21 | 48 | | 42 | 146 | 18 |
Scottish Public Pensions Agency | 19 | 135 | 80 | 31 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 1 |
Student Awards Agency for Scotland | 113 | 15 | 46 | 21 | 25 | | 8 | 3 | 2 |
Transport Scotland | 34 | 26 | 41 | 98 | 139 | 7 | 79 | 38 | 10 |
Social Security Scotland | 164 | 36 | 191 | 130 | 83 | 3 | 40 | 14 | 1 |
Those Agencies outwith SGM should be approached separately and will be able to provide the data specific and relevant to them.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30851 by Kate Forbes on 10 August 2020, what its response is to concerns that the Water Industry Commission for Scotland has reportedly been routinely breaching the guidance on air travel to London, and whether it is aware of any other similar breaches by the Commission regarding air travel.
Answer
It is the responsibility for agencies, such as WICS, to determine their own travel policies. The Scottish Government has accepted that the Commission’s current policies are consistent with the business needs of the organisation and expects the Commission to keep these policies under review. I refer the member to the answer to S5W-30847 on 13 August 2020 for information on how WICS offsets the carbon footprint of its activities.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30851 by Kate Forbes on 10 August 2020, what action it has taken to ensure that the Water Industry Commission for Scotland observes the guidance regarding air travel to London.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31231 on 26 August 2020. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-3085, S5W-30852 and S5W-30853 by Kate Forbes on 10 August 2020, when it last asked the Water Industry Commission for Scotland to review its air travel policy for the conduct of its business, and what action it took to ensure that this policy was consistent with the published guidance.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31231 on 26 August 2020. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish information regarding the milk and healthy snack scheme that is planned to coincide with the expansion of funded early learning and childcare.
Answer
In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, Scottish Ministers have postponed the introduction of the new milk and healthy snack scheme. Discussions with key stakeholders paused as public sector resource has been focussed on the Covid-19 response. Discussions with CoSLA and our wider stakeholders are expected to resume soon and we will publish information about the new scheme when a new timescale has been confirmed.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-3085, S5W-30852 and S5W-30853 by Kate Forbes on 10 August 2020, whether it considers the Water Industry Commission for Scotland's policy on the (a) use of economy, business and first class air travel and (b) air travel loyalty schemes is consistent with the published guidance.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31231 on 26 August 2020. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government whether any PPE supplied to public bodies in Scotland during the COVID-19 outbreak has not met the required standard and, if so, what was done with it.
Answer
Public bodies operate independently from Scottish Ministers for their procurement activities, and the responsibility for purchasing PPE and making sure it is fit for purpose lies with each public body. Therefore, questions about the standard of PPE acquired by a public body should be addressed to the public body in question as we do not hold this information centrally.
Health & Safety is a reserved matter and all employers must comply with the relevant legislation, undertaking risk assessments as required. That legislation has been used to develop guidance on PPE for health and social care settings in Scotland. It is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control/covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what checks it makes of the standard of PPE supplied to public bodies, and whether all PPE provided during the COVID-19 outbreak has been to the required standard.
Answer
Public bodies operate independently from Scottish Ministers for their procurement activities and are therefore responsible for running their own tendering exercises and for the decisions they take as part of those exercises. It is their responsibility to ensure that any PPE they acquire is fit for purpose. Therefore, questions about the standard of PPE acquired by a public body should be addressed to the public body in question as we do not hold this information centrally.
To further support public bodies and ensure that PPE standards were clear, in March 2020 the Scottish Government issued a policy note to raise awareness on handling certain procurement related issues that arose as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. This contains information for public bodies relating to urgent purchases and can be seen at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/procurement-regulations-during-covid-19-outbreak-sppn-4-2020/ .
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what the required standard of PPE has been to protect staff of public bodies in Scotland during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Answer
Public bodies operate independently from Scottish Ministers for their procurement activities. Responsibility for purchasing PPE to protect their staff sits with each public body, but they must comply with all relevant legislation and guidance. Therefore, questions about the standard of PPE acquired by a public body should be addressed to the public body in question as we do not hold this information centrally.
Health & Safety is a reserved matter and all employers must comply with the relevant legislation, undertaking risk assessments as required. That legislation has been used to develop guidance on PPE for health and social care settings in Scotland. It is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control/covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 August 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 August 2020
To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist infection control nurses are currently employed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, broken down by hospital, and how this figure compares with each of the last five years.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold current or past employment information on the number of specialist infection control nurses within individual NHS Boards.
The NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) website includes information on the Infection Prevention and Control Service in NHSGGC and the local Infection Prevention Control Teams (IPCTs) which cover different geographical sectors. This information can be accessed via the NHSGGC website: https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/your-health/infection-prevention-and-control/about-us/#