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: S4W-02156

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 16 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the implementation of the senior charge nurse programme has been completed and, if so, what direct benefits have resulted.

The Senior Charge Nurse programme, Leading Better Care (LBC), was introduced across all NHS boards by the target date of end December 2010. Two further related programmes are also now in the process of being implemented. Releasing Time to Care - Mental Health and Releasing Time to Care – Community.

LBC supports SCNs/Midwives and team leaders (TL’s) by providing facilitation, support, development and educational opportunities to help them and their teams to achieve high quality person centred, safe and effective care for every patient, first time and every time. Data collected to May 2011 shows that 2,327 Senior Charge Nurses (SCNs), midwives, team leaders and band six nurses are currently engaged in the programme.

In December 2010 the Chief Nursing Officer, in collaboration with NHS board nurse directors, also agreed to continue progressing the work of LBC alongside the ongoing implementation of Releasing Time to Care. A measurement framework is being developed as part of that continuation process, which will help to show the quantifiable benefits that have resulted in the delivery of patient care through continued investment in and development of the LBC programme.

Question reference: S4W-02157

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many senior charge nurses there were in each NHS board as at June 2011 and with what delegated level of authority.

The latest published information on headcount and whole time equivalent of nursing staff by band and NHS board can be found on the workforce statistics website at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2011-06-28/Nursing%20and%20Midwifery.xls.

Decisions on delegated levels of authority are a matter for individual NHS boards. This information is not held centrally.

Question reference: S4W-01944

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish how Scottish Enterprise spent its grant recorded in the report Section 70 Grant Payment In accordance with: Transport Scotland Act 2001 Section 70(4) Financial Year 2010-11 (SG/2011/115) and what evaluation it has made of the effectiveness of that expenditure.

Question reference: S4W-01947

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish how Aberdeen City Council spent its low carbon vehicles (capital) grant recorded in the report Section 70 Grant Payment In accordance with: Transport Scotland Act 2001 Section 70(4) Financial Year 2010-11 (SG/2011/115) and what evaluation it has made of the effectiveness of that expenditure.

It is proposed that details of expenditure for all participating Community Planning Partnerships in the Low carbon Vehicle Procurement Support Scheme will be published once all claims are made and finalised. Aberdeen City Council procured three electric vans and one hybrid van.

The effectiveness of the vehicles will be measured every six months, for the operational lifetime of the vehicle, with returns made to Transport Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-01946

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish how The Bike Station spent its grant recorded in the report Section 70 Grant Payment In accordance with: Transport Scotland Act 2001 Section 70(4) Financial Year 2010-11 (SG/2011/115) and what evaluation it has made of the effectiveness of that expenditure.

The Bike Station received grant funding of £28,670 to run the Build Your Own Bike course. The grant was used to provide training to 36 young people from deprived areas or backgrounds and to build self esteem and encourage community cohesion. As part of the grant conditions, The Bike Station submits annual reports to Transport Scotland on the outcomes of the courses to evaluate their effectiveness. Data from participants completing the courses in 2010-11 showed a 100% increase in mechanical competence and an increase in cycle journeys of over 10 miles from 29% to 52%.

Question reference: S4W-01948

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish how Dumfries and Galloway Council spent its sustainable travel - smarter choices grant recorded in the report Section 70 Grant Payment In accordance with: Transport Scotland Act 2001 Section 70(4) Financial Year 2010-11 (SG/2011/115) and what evaluation it has made of the effectiveness of that expenditure.

The Dumfries and Galloway Council - sustainable travel - smarter choices grant was spent on a range of projects including:

Transport Interchange enhancements

Park and Choose sites

Public realm enhancements

Green Commuter cycle route development

Self Service Bike Hire

Travel Information

Salary Sacrifice scheme promotion

Youth Cycling Programme

Personal Travel Planning

Programme Support

Hour Bike Scheme.

Smarter Choices, Smarter Places has an ongoing evaluation and monitoring programme which is running from 2009-12. It is collecting and analysing data:

To test the effectiveness of sustainable travel and other interventions against national and local outcomes.

To share lessons learnt across disciplines and geographical boundaries.

To provide practical experience to identify how to widen the application of these activities across Scotland where they have proven to be effective.

Question reference: S4W-01945

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish how Eastern Airways spent its grant recorded in the report Section 70 Grant Payment In accordance with: Transport Scotland Act 2001 Section 70(4) Financial Year 2010-11 (SG/2011/115) and what evaluation it has made of the effectiveness of that expenditure.

Eastern Airways Grant Payment was for the Air Discount Scheme which is evaluated on a regular basis to ensure that it continues to address the often high cost of air travel for those residents of the most peripheral parts of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and in doing so facilitates a greater level of social inclusion in these areas. The scheme has proved popular with residents since it was introduced with around 73% of the population in membership and with increased patronage, capacity and frequency on some ADS air services. The scheme is administered through HIAL with the administrative costs regularly published in their annual report.

Question reference: S4W-00739

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to publish an updated Strategic Transport Projects Review.

Our approach to the prioritisation of the projects in the Strategic Transport Projects Review remains unchanged.

Our priority projects remain the Forth Replacement Crossing, the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP), the Highland main line and the Aberdeen to Inverness line. We expect to deliver these projects by 2017.

In terms of the remaining 25 projects, we are continuing to work hard with partners and other stakeholders to take forward the development and design of these projects.

Question reference: S4W-00738

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-39332 by Keith Brown on 1 March 2011, whether it will provide an update on each project mentioned in the Strategic Transport Projects Review, showing the (a) actual expenditure to date, (b) planned or estimated future expenditure, (c) actual or planned starting date and (d) estimated completion date.

Question reference: S4W-00740

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 17 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-34691 by John Swinney on 30 June 2010, what action (a) it is and (b) local authorities are taking to promote schemes for reducing council tax where improvements are made to the energy efficiency of homes, as outlined in section 65 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 places a duty on individual local authorities to introduce a discount scheme for council tax. The Scottish Government has no formal role in developing or delivering a discount scheme, but following joint work we undertook with COSLA, local authorities, the energy companies and some other interested parties to support implementation last year, we understand all local authorities now have a scheme in place from the start of the 2011-12 financial year.