- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 28 November 2013
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has commissioned work on the income of crofters and, if so, whether it will publish the findings.
Answer
No specific work on the income of crofters has been commissioned by the Scottish Government at this time.
However, this information may be considered for the next Scottish Government report to the Scottish Parliament on the economic condition of crofting, etc, under section 51 of the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.
Section 51 requires the Scottish Ministers to report once every four years. The first such report, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib. Number 52273), was laid in Parliament on 23 December 2010 and the next report is due to be laid by 1 January 2015, covering the period 2011 to 2014.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 28 November 2013
To ask the Scottish Government how much crofting has contributed to the economy in each of the last five years.
Answer
This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
However, a number of issues relating to the economics of crofting were covered in the independent Committee of Inquiry on Crofting’s Final Report, published on 12 May 2008. This can be viewed at:
http://www.croftinginquiry.org/Resource/Doc/0/0000405.pdf
The contribution of crofting to Scotland’s economy will also be considered for the next Scottish Government report to the Scottish Parliament on the economic condition of crofting, etc, under section 51 of the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.
Section 51 requires the Scottish Ministers to report once every four years. The first such report, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib. Number 52273), was laid in Parliament on 23 December 2010 and the next report is due to be laid by 1 January 2015, covering the period 2011 to 2014.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2013
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2013
To ask the Scottish Government what criteria VisitScotland uses to determine whether a town is a suitable location for a visitor information centre.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2013
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2013
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2013
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there was a decrease in funding for the disabled students allowance in 2012-13.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2013
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 12 November 2013
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing and (b) Minister for Public Health has had with other cabinet secretaries and ministers regarding price controls in order to protect public health.
Answer
Scottish Government policies are formulated and developed using evidence-based information, and this includes policies relating to public health. Where a policy raises major issues or involves primary legislation, which was the case for minimum unit pricing of alcohol, the policy will be discussed by the Scottish Cabinet. Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries regularly discuss current or new policies where there are shared portfolio interests.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 12 November 2013
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with other governments that have introduced price controls for (a) alcohol and (b) other products in order to protect public health.
Answer
Scottish Government policies are formulated and developed using evidence-based information, and this includes policies relating to public health. Part of the process of understanding evidence-based information involves discussions with all relevant parties and this may well include other governments.
The Scottish Government is at the forefront of trying to introduce a pricing control such as minimum unit pricing in order to protect public health. Other European countries are becoming increasingly interested in our policy and we have had discussions with various countries.
We are well aware of the strong empirical evidence coming out of Canada that shows that minimum pricing of alcohol will reduce consumption and alcohol-related harm.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 12 November 2013
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) the food and drink sector, (b) health organisations and (c) other stakeholders regarding price controls in order to protect public health.
Answer
The Scottish Government has regular dialogue regarding a whole range of public health issues with stakeholders, including health organisations, the food and drink sector, alcohol industry and retailers. As policies are formulated and developed using evidence-based information, part of the process is to consult relevant stakeholders.
In May 2013, NHS Health Scotland published a report The impact of the Alcohol Act on off-trade alcohol sales in Scotland which provides information on the impact of the quantity discount ban on alcohol, a price control mechanism. This report shows that alcohol sales dropped by 2.6% following the introduction of the ban in October 2011. The report is available at:
http://www.healthscotland.com/documents/21101.aspx.
NHS Health Scotland are also leading the evaluation of the Scottish Government’s alcohol strategy through the Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland’s Alcohol Strategy (MESAS) work programme, and this includes monitoring and evaluating minimum unit pricing.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 12 November 2013
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the introduction of minimum unit pricing of alcohol, what its position is on introducing other price controls in order to protect public health.
Answer
Pricing controls can play a part in contributing to protect public health, and consideration will be given where there is evidence that a pricing control policy is likely to be effective.
As regards alcohol, there is strong evidence that pricing controls are effective in reducing alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm. The Scottish Government firmly believes minimum unit pricing is the most effective price control mechanism to tackle alcohol misuse, and we will continue to press for its introduction at the earliest opportunity.
The Scottish Government introduced the alcohol quantity discount ban in October 2011 which is aimed at protecting public health. The quantity discount ban is designed to not encourage consumers to buy more alcohol than they had originally intended.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 12 November 2013
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-02492 by Alex Neil on 10 October 2013 (Official Report, c. 23561), whether it will provide a breakdown of the (a) date each consultant (i) was appointed and (ii) started employment and (b) hospital at which each consultant is based.
Answer
The following table provides a breakdown of the date each consultant was appointed, started employment and hospital where each consultant is based.
| NHS Board | Date of Appointment | Employment Start Date | Hospital Base |
| Borders | 28 October 2013 | 1 April 2014 | Borders General Hospital |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 19 August 2013 | 16 September 2013 | Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary |
| Forth Valley | 30 July 2013 | 4 November 2013 2 December 2013 | Forth Valley Royal Hospital |
| Grampian | 5 September 2013 | 9 September 2013 and February 2014 | Both will be based at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary |
| Greater Glasgow and Clyde | July 2013 (x3) | August 2013 (x2) September 2013 (x1) | Royal Alexandra Hospital RHSC Victoria Infirmary |
| Highland | 22 August 2013 | 25 November 2013 | Raigmore Hospital |
| Lanarkshire | tbc | January 2014 | Hairmyres |
| Lothian | 22 October 2013 | Between January – March 2014 | St John’s Hospital (x3) Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (x2) |
| Tayside | 31 July 2013 (x2) 24 October 2013 (x1) | 1 November 2013 (x2) To be confirmed (x1) | Ninewells |
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 12 November 2013
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-02492 by Alex Neil on 10 October 2013 (Official Report, c. 23561), whether it will provide an update on how many additional (a) accident and emergency consultants and (b) nurses each NHS board has recruited under the unscheduled care action plan.
Answer
The following tables provide updated data on the number of additional accident and emergency consultants and nurses that have been recruited under the unscheduled care action plan so far.
Consultants:
| NHS Board | A&E Consultants (WTE) |
| Borders | 1 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 0.85 |
| Forth Valley | 2 |
| Grampian | 1.5 |
| Greater Glasgow and Clyde | 3 |
| Highland | 1 |
| Lanarkshire | 1 |
| Lothian | 5 |
| Tayside | 3 |
| TOTAL | 18.35 |
Nurses
| NHS Board | A&E Nurses (WTE) |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 20 |
| Borders | 6.1 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 1 |
| Fife | 6 |
| Grampian | 5.3 |
| Greater Glasgow and Clyde | 3.2 |
| Lanarkshire | 5.24 |
| TOTAL | 46.84 |
