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-25131

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Lesley Thomson on 23 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24432 by Michael Matheson on 25 February 2015, whether it will publish the Lord Advocate’s guidance to prosecutors.

The approach taken and the factors to be considered by all prosecutors in any case are outlined in the Prosecution Code which is published at:

http://www.copfs.gov.uk/publications/prosecution-policy-and-guidance.

In relation to victims of human trafficking the Lord Advocate has already published a set of draft instructions for prosecutors which are intended to satisfy the terms of section 7 of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Bill. These draft instructions are available from the Justice Committee website and outline the robust position that will be taken by prosecutors, namely that where it is established that someone is a credible victim of human trafficking they shall not be prosecuted for any offences they are compelled to commit as a result of their trafficked status.

The instructions also explain the process which should be followed by a prosecutor in considering such a case including the factors which should be taken in to account, the agencies which should be contacted for assistance and the requirement to refer all cases to the National Lead Prosecutor for Human Trafficking.

Any comments which are received regarding these draft instructions will be taken in to consideration by the Lord Advocate prior to the publication of the final version.

Question reference: S4T-00987

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 March 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there has been a reported 300% rise in the number of NHS patients treated in private hospitals.

Question reference: S4W-24856

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 23 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Live Active Exercise Referral Scheme is a national programme; whether there has been a reduction in funding for the scheme and, if so, on what basis and whether it has considered the impact on deprived areas; for what reason there has been a reduction in service in certain areas, and which deprived areas are affected by these reductions.

Question reference: S4W-24850

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether referrals to the Centre for Integrative Care in Glasgow have ceased and, if so, (a) for what reason and (b) what alternative provisions are being made for the centre’s service users.

Question reference: S4T-00954

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 March 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to suspend the use of transvaginal mesh implants since the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing called for this on 17 June 2014.

Question reference: S4W-24467

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 26 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many deaths by suicide have been recorded in psychiatric units in each of the last five years and how many have led to the holding of a fatal accident inquiry, broken down by NHS board.

Every suicide is a tragedy that has a far reaching impact on family, friends and the community long after a person has died. The annual report of the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicides and Homicides by People with Mental Illness (July 2014) indicates that there are on average 18 in-patient suicides per year in Scotland. The number of in-patient suicides has fluctuated with no overall trend between 2002 and 2011. The information is not broken down to NHS board level, as to do so would risk identifying individual patients. The information available does not enable us to identify psychiatric units as the specific location of the completed suicide.

Fatal Accident Inquiries into deaths by suicide, where the person was not in legal custody at the time of their death, are held at the discretion of the Lord Advocate. Information from the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit indicates that from April 2011, there have been no Fatal Accident Inquiries into deaths by suicide which occurred in psychiatric units.

Question reference: S4W-24469

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 26 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many deaths by suicide have been recorded in each of the last five years, also broken down by (a) age, (b) gender and (c) local authority area.

Question reference: S4W-24461

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) psychiatric and (b) other consultant posts there are, and how many are (i) filled and (ii) vacant, broken down by NHS board.

Numbers of (a) psychiatric and (b) other consultant posts and how many are (i) filled and (ii) vacant, broken down by NHS boards, are detailed below. Table 1 provides details of the number of psychiatric consultant posts, including staff in post and vacancies; and table 2 provides details of the number of other consultant posts, including staff in post and vacancies.

Table 1: Whole time equivalent establishment, staff in post and vacancies for consultants in psychiatric specialities at 30 September 2014^1,2

NHS Board	Establishment	Staff in post	Vacancies
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	29.5	29.5	-
NHS Borders	11.7	10.7	1.0
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	13.4	12.4	1.0
NHS Fife	32.5	30.5	2.0
NHS Forth Valley	21.6	21.6	-
NHS Grampian	59.4	56.4	3.0
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	163.0	151.0	12.0
NHS Highland	24.3	19.6	4.7
NHS Lanarkshire	52.7	52.7	-
NHS Lothian	88.1	79.0	9.1
NHS Orkney	-	-	-
NHS Shetland	3.0	1.0	2.0
NHS Tayside	60	57.5	2.5
NHS Western Isles	2.0	2.0	-
National Waiting Times Centre	-	-	-
NHS 24	-	-	-
NHS Education for Scotland	-	-	-
NHS Health Improvement Scotland	-	-	-
NHS Health Scotland	-	-	-
NHS National Services Scotland	-	-	-
Scottish Ambulance Service	-	-	-
State Hospital	11.5	11.5	-
Scotland	572.5	535.2	37.3

Source: Scottish Workforce Information Standard System (SWISS), ISD Scotland

Table 2: Whole time equivalent establishment, staff in post and vacancies for consultants in other specialties at 30 September 2014^1,2,3

NHS Board	Establishment	Staff in post	Vacancies
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	241.3	221.9	19.4
NHS Borders	93.7	86.7	7.0
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	112.8	93.8	19.0
NHS Fife	245.1	197.0	48.1
NHS Forth Valley	192.0	186.4	5.6
NHS Grampian	477.3	433.3	44.0
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	1,294.5	1,241.7	52.8
NHS Highland	214.3	194.3	20.0
NHS Lanarkshire	391.6	368.6	23.0
NHS Lothian	788.3	764.2	24.1
NHS Orkney	13.5	10.5	3.0
NHS Shetland	11.6	10.6	1.0
NHS Tayside	441.5	424.5	17.0
NHS Western Isles	18.0	12.0	6.0
National Waiting Times Centre	72.4	69.4	3.0
NHS 24	1.5	1.5	-
NHS Education for Scotland	7.5	7.5	-
NHS Health Improvement Scotland	7.0	1.0	6.0
NHS Health Scotland	3.0	3.0	-
NHS National Services Scotland	29.7	26.7	3.0
Scottish Ambulance Service	1.0	1.0	-
State Hospital	-	-	-
Scotland	4,657.5	4,355.5	302.0

Source: Scottish Workforce Information Standard System (SWISS), ISD Scotland

Notes:

1. The total establishment is the sum of all staff in post plus any vacancies.

2. The symbol ‘-’ signifies where a figure is nil.

3. The information in table 2 is for all consultants excluding those who have a psychiatric specialty

Further information on vacancies can be found in the medical trend table on the workforce statistics website at:

https://isdscotland.scot.nhs.uk/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2014-12-02/Medical_Trend_S2014.xlsm

Further information on consultant specialties can be found in the HCHS by specialty table on the workforce statistics website at:

https://isdscotland.scot.nhs.uk/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2014-12-02/HCHS_by_specialty_S2014.xlsm

Further information on the statistics, including information on how the data are collected and notes to aid interpretation, is given in the ‘FAQs’ section of the workforce statistics website at: www.isdscotland.org/workforce

Question reference: S4W-24432

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many suspected or confirmed survivors of trafficking have been (a) arrested, (b) charged and (c) reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service on suspicion of committing a crime in each year since April 2009; what the (i) offence and (ii) outcome was, also broken down by (A) age, (B) gender and (C) nationality, and what information it has on (1) the nature of the trafficking and (2) how many convictions or sentences have been subject to appeal.

The Scottish Government does not hold the requested information.

In his letter of 21 January 2013 to the Convener of the European and External Relations Committee, the Lord Advocate explained the system which prosecutors must follow when it is identified that a person accused of a crime may be a victim of human trafficking. The Lord Advocate's guidance requires prosecutors in these circumstances to instruct further inquiries into whether the individual may have been trafficked. Where there is credible evidence that the crime was committed by the individual as a direct consequence of his or her trafficked status, there is a presumption not to prosecute. Where, in the interests of justice, it is decided to proceed with prosecution, this decision must be reviewed by the National Lead Prosecutor for Human Trafficking. The Lord Advocate's letter confirmed that these measures are compatible with Article 8 of the EU Directive on combating and preventing trafficking of human beings.

In line with the terms of Article 8, final decisions about prosecution in all circumstances are a matter for the Lord Advocate.

Question reference: S4W-24430

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases raised with the NHSScotland Confidential Alert Line concerned A&E.

There is no requirement for a caller to the National Confidential Alert Line to provide personal information such as their name or work location. This is to give confidence to callers who wish to raise their concerns confidentially. This information is therefore not held by the Scottish Government.

The purpose of the line is to provide an additional level of support to NHSScotland staff who have any doubt about how or whether to whistleblow. The service also provides a safe space where staff can discuss any concerns they may have about patient safety or malpractice, and, where appropriate, have those concerns passed to the appropriate health board or appropriate regulator.