- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 June 2014
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-20607 by John Swinney on 30 April 2014, how the board will influence the private sector.
Answer
As previously answered in S4W-20607, a programme of activity is currently being developed by the Scottish Government, in conjunction with the programme board and stakeholders. Action plans and targets are still in the developmental phase. Connecting with users’ experiences and raising awareness amongst influencers will be key to the success of the programme.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 June 2014
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-20607 by John Swinney on 30 April 2014, what equality impact assessment was conducted to determine that the systems and processes are (a) appropriate and (b) likely to bring about change.
Answer
The Public Boards and Corporate Diversity Programme have the core aim of improving the diversity of public and private boards in Scotland. Activities undertaken to date have been informed by an analysis of the evidence relating to women and people from other under-represented groups. We will continue to consider the equality implications of our proposed interventions, including any changes to systems and processes, throughout the life of the programme and will publish the results of equality results as appropriate on the Scottish Government's website in due course.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 June 2014
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-20607 by John Swinney on 30 April 2014, how confident it is in the (a) robustness of the data-gathering process and (b) accuracy of the statistics mentioned in relation to the Practical Change strand.
Answer
(a) Diversity data for new appointments to regulated public boards have been collected at the application stage of the process for the last three years. Applicants are invited to complete a diversity monitoring form which contains ten questions. Each question includes a 'prefer not to say' option. For all existing board members who were appointed before 2011, diversity data was collected by means of an exercise carried out in 2013 which asked members to complete and return the diversity monitoring form. Therefore, all current board members have been asked to complete the diversity monitoring form, with the vast majority providing some or all of the information. The completion of the diversity monitoring form is voluntary, so we rely on the co-operation of the board members and applicants for new positions to provide accurate and complete data.
(b) The accuracy of the diversity statistics for public boards depends on the level of non-responses (including those who selected the 'prefer not to say' option). The higher the non-response rate, the less reliable our statistics will be. In 2013-14, the response rates for applicants for new board positions was very high, with nearly 70% of applicants completing the whole form and a response rate of more than 90% for nine of the ten questions (the exception being the question relating to household income which had a response rate of just under 80%). Therefore, we would expect our diversity statistics for new appointments in 2013-14 to accurately reflect the true position.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 June 2014
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-20607 by John Swinney on 30 April 2014, for what reason it has selected 2025 as the year by which it should be broadly reflective of the Scottish population.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s view was that 2025 was a reasonable target. It aims to balance being attainable and stretching, given the significant resource constraints on the organisation, such as a general presumption against external recruitment. These resourcing constraints have an impact on our ability to change the shape of the organisation. The timeframe also gives the organisation time to reflect on the 2021 census results.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 June 2014
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-20607 by John Swinney on 30 April 2014, for what reason diversity data has not been captured for members of the Public Boards and Corporate Diversity Programme Board.
Answer
Diversity data for those programme board members who are Scottish Government employees is captured on our electronic HR system. We are currently exploring methods of capturing this information for our non-Scottish Government employees on our electronic HR system. In addition, the Scottish Government does not publish sensitive personal data for numbers less than five to protect individual confidentiality.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 June 2014
To ask the Scottish Government whether the National Steering Group on Chronic Pain will, as a matter of urgency, raise with NHS boards the staff shortages and significant waiting lists at chronic pain clinics that were identified in the Healthcare Improvement Scotland Report, Chronic Pain Services in Scotland: Where are we now?
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to the question S4W-21177 on 28 May 2014, which advises that it is for each NHS board to decide how best to deliver those services to meet the needs of their population. This includes how to utilise funding and staff, taking account of national and local priorities, to meet local health needs. As such the recommendations within the Healthcare Improvement Scotland report relating to staffing and the provision of services are directed at NHS boards. All NHS boards Chief Executives were sent a copy of the report for their consideration.
The role of the National Chronic Pain Steering Group is to provide oversight and direction to support local Service Improvement Groups and Managed Clinical Networks in the implementation of the Scottish Service Model for Chronic Pain. We expect that implementation of the model will contribute to improved access and lead to reductions in waiting times. A key part of the programme will be working with primary care colleagues to improve the early stages of the patient journey and access to supported self-management to help to reduce chronicity and the need for more specialist input.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 June 2014
To ask the Scottish Government what priority local service improvement groups for chronic pain give to raising with their local NHS boards staff shortages and significant waiting lists for chronic pain services, which were identified in the Healthcare Improvement Scotland Report, Chronic Pain Services in Scotland: Where are we now?
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to the question S4W-21297 on 4 June 2014, which sets out the position regarding the role of NHS boards and that of the National Chronic Pain Steering Group in providing support to local Service Improvement Groups and Managed Clinical Networks in implementing the Scottish Service Model for Chronic Pain.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 June 2014
To ask the Scottish Government what action the National Steering Group on Chronic Pain will take to address (a) increased waiting lists, (b) staff shortages and (c) an underfunding of the services provided at chronic pain clinics, as identified in the Healthcare Improvement Scotland report on Chronic Pain Services in Scotland: Where are we now?, and for what reasons these issues have arisen.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to the question S4W-21297 on 4 June 2014, which sets out the position regarding the role of NHS boards and that of the National Chronic Pain Steering Group in providing support to local Service Improvement Groups and Managed Clinical Networks in implementing the Scottish Service Model for Chronic Pain.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2014
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2014
To ask the First Minister when the Vale of Leven Hospital inquiry will be published.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2014
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 29 May 2014
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-20607 by John Swinney on 30 April 2014, how the Public Boards and Corporate Diversity Programme Board will ensure that the views of disabled people and staff are considered.
Answer
The scope of the Public Boards and Corporate Diversity Programme Board encompasses diversity in its wider sense, and this includes disabled people. However, the primary focus will be on women in the early part of the programme, with the learning from improving the gender balance of boards being used to increase participation of disabled people and those with other protected characteristics.
The Scottish Government works with a range of key partners to ensure that the views of disabled people and staff are heard. Our focus is on working across the Scottish Government to develop a disability delivery plan which will contribute to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and our Shared Vision on Independent Living. Within the Scottish Government we ensure that the views and opinions of all our minority groups of staff, including our disabled staff, are considered by consulting regularly with our Staff Diversity Networks and our Diversity Champions.
