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: S4O-02530

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 31 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of the Labour Force Survey that suggested the number of women unemployed has increased by 4,000 over the last quarter.

In the last year, the number of women in employment in Scotland has risen by 49,000. The female employment rate in Scotland has risen by 2.5 percentage points to 69.5% - the highest rate since March to May 2008 - over the same period.

This is encouraging news but we recognise there is still work to do. Actions across government are underway to help more women into work. This includes work in development to encourage more women to start their own businesses and changes to childcare entitlement and delivery.

Question reference: S4W-17268

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 2 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its spending plans are for health centres.

In terms of capital investment in NHSScotland, health boards continue to invest in infrastructure, including health centres. This can take the form of a rolling programme of maintenance or refurbishment of existing premises, or of redevelopment.

Examples of developments that are in the pipeline are set out in the following table.

NHS Board	Health Centre
NHS Borders	Lauder Health Centre Roxburgh St Health Centre, Galashiels
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	Dalbeattie Health Centre Dunscore Health Centre
NHS Fife	Glenwood Health Centre
NHS Forth Valley	Doune Health Centre
NHS Grampian	Aberdeen Community Health and Care Village Forres Health Centre Westside Health Centre Inverurie Health Centre
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	Maryhill Health Centre Woodside Health Centre Gorbals Health Centre Eastwood Health Centre Alexandria Health Centre Possilpark Health Centre East Pollockshiels Health Centre
NHS Highland	Tain Health Centre Drumnadrochit Health Centre Dingwall Health Centre
NHS Lanarkshire	Kilsyth Health Centre Wishaw Health Centre East Kilbride Health Centre
NHS Lothian	Westend Medical Practice Gullane Health Centre Muirhouse Partnership Centre Firhill Partnership Centre Blackburn Partnership Centre
NHS Orkney	Eday Health Centre Stronsay Health Centre Westray Health Centre North Ronaldsay Health Centre Sanday Health Centre St Margaret’s Hope Health Centre Rousay Health Centre
NHS Shetland	Scalloway Health Centre
NHS Tayside	Bridge of Earn Health Centre
NHS Western Isles	Stornoway Medical Centre St Brendan’s Hospital (Barra) including GP services

Question reference: S4W-17265

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 2 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided for GP practices in each year since 2007-08.

Question reference: S4W-17262

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 2 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-02348 by Michael Matheson on 5 September 2013 (Official Report, c. 22063), whether the £8 million increase in funding for general practice is new money.

Question reference: S4W-17261

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 2 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-02348 by Michael Matheson on 5 September 2013 (Official Report, c. 22063), whether it will provide a breakdown of the £757 million to deliver primary medical services.

Question reference: S4W-17263

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 2 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-02348 by Michael Matheson on 5 September 2013 (Official Report, c. 22063), what the increase in the number of general (a) practitioners and (b) practices has been in each year since 2007.

The latest information and historical information on general practitioners practicing in Scotland is available from the NHS Information Services Division (ISD) website at:

http://www.isdscotland.scot.nhs.uk/Health-Topics/General-Practice/GPs-and-Other-Practice-Workforce/.

The latest information and historical information on the number of GP practices operating in Scotland is available from the ISD website at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/General-Practice/Practices-and-Their-Populations/.

Question reference: S4W-17267

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 1 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure the provision of health services for the increasing population of people over 65.

In 2010, the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities launched the Reshaping Care for Older People programme to improve the quality and outcomes of care, and to help address the challenges of an ageing population. This ten-year change programme, underpinned by the 20:20 Vision and the Healthcare Quality Strategy, builds on previous policies and focuses on supporting people to live independently in their own home and in good health for as long as possible. We introduced the Change Fund in 2011-12, to support the Reshaping Care for Older People programme. The fund is worth £300 million over four years

On 28 May 2013, The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Bill 2013 was introduced to Parliament. The Bill will put in place arrangements for integrating adult health and social care, in order to improve outcomes for patients, service users, carers and their families, and to enable Health Boards and Local Authorities to work together effectively to deliver quality, sustainable care services; to provide seamless, joined up quality health and social care services in order to care for people in their homes or a homely setting where it is safe to do so; and to ensure resources are used effectively and efficiently to deliver services that meet the increasing number of people with longer term and often complex needs, many of whom are older.

Question reference: S4O-02348

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports GP practices.

Question reference: S4W-16513

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 20 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the (a) police and (b) UK Government regarding the (i) licensing and (ii) control of guns made using 3D printing technology.

We have not had any formal discussions with either the police or the UK Government on this issue.

Responsibility for the policy on the licensing and control of such weapons currently lies with the Home Office. Informal contact with officials in that department suggests that guns made using 3D printing technology would be likely to fall within the definition of prohibited weapons, under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968. A person manufacturing or in possession of such a weapon without the appropriate authority would be committing an offence and may be liable to a minimum term of five years imprisonment on conviction.

Question reference: S4W-16033

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 July 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether its banking strategy will encourage banks to make budget accounts more widely available.

The Scottish Government banking strategy (Sustainable, Responsible Banking; a strategy for Scotland) sets out the principles that should apply to encourage a responsible approach to providing banking services, that meets the needs of all customers, including those who have previously been financially excluded.

It states banks should be ready to adopt socially and financially excluded individuals as customers when an individual feels ready to do so and their circumstances allow.

Such actions are intended to help improve the accessibility and range of banking services to all individuals in Scotland, including the provision of budget accounts.

The provision of budget accounts is a commercial decision for the banks.