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-17192

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 26 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership talks will have on (a) public policy and (b) the NHS in Scotland; what its position is on the talks; whether it has discussed them with the UK Government, and, if so, what specific areas it has discussed.

Scottish Government welcomes the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks and is maintaining close contact with the negotiations and ensuring that our views are fed into the UK Government Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which leads the UK input into the council.

Negotiations are at an early stage and EU member states are still considering priorities. We have looked carefully at the initial assessments prepared by the European Commission and the UK Government, which show a considerable net economic benefit for the EU. As the negotiations continue it will be important to consider what benefits can be derived for Scotland.

In England the role of competition in the delivery of healthcare has increased with the private sector having a greater role in providing NHS-funded healthcare. Some commentators suggest that this may open up the NHS to further commercialisation under the TTIP. The position in Scotland is quite different. The Scottish Government has always protected, and will continue to protect, the NHS in Scotland from privatisation. The Scottish Government’s commitment to the people of Scotland is for a publicly funded health service providing care free at the point of delivery.

The UK will remain fully engaged in the negotiations and Scottish Ministers will take a close interest.

Question reference: S4O-02454

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the quality of careers guidance provision in schools.

Question reference: S4W-16811

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on formalising links between Skills Development Scotland and DWP Job Centre Plus.

Partnership agreements are in place between Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and DWP Job Centre Plus at both national and regional/district levels. SDS and DWP have also collaborated in a number of areas, including PACE local partnerships, the Integrated Employment and Skills project and the Local Employability Partnerships. SDS also receives data from DWP through the SDS-led Opportunities for All Data Hub. The Government welcomes such collaboration and is engaging with a range of stakeholders on how employment services might be delivered under constitutional reform. The role of SDS and DWP will be considered as part of this work.

Question reference: S4W-16809

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether there have been discussions regarding Skills Development Scotland formally merging with DWP Job Centre Plus and, if so, what the outcomes were.

Question reference: S4F-01577

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2013

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to improve the quality of residential care for older people.

Question reference: S4W-16780

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 12 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether school leavers who have been offered (a) higher and (b) further education places in 2013-14 are eligible for training opportunities through the Employability Fund before commencing their studies and, if so, whether the training providers can subsequently claim progression payments when the courses start.

Access to the Employability Fund is subject to an individual satisfying specific eligibility criteria. Referral organisations are responsible for undertaking an assessment of the needs of the individual to ensure that entry to the Employability Fund is appropriate and that support is provided at the correct stage of the strategic skills pipeline. In instances where it is known that an individual intends to take up a place of further or higher education, this would not fit with the eligibility criteria, spirit or agreed referral arrangements of the Employability Fund. Skills Development Scotland will investigate any allegations of misuse of the fund.

Question reference: S4W-16487

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 19 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it is giving to GPs on how to deal with requests for information in relation to appeals for benefit claimants in light of changes to the welfare system.

The Scottish Government supports the role of GPs in contributing to the welfare assessment process and this is reflected contractually in both our General and Primary Medical Services Regulations. GPs have a statutory obligation, negotiated on a UK basis, to provide information to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and those agencies acting on its behalf, in relation to medical certificates and assessments used to determine entitlements to benefits. Where individuals appealing against being found fit for work, have sought additional medical evidence from their GP, this is outwith the contractual arrangements for GPs. The Scottish Government shares the concerns that GPs have about the additional strain on workload this is creating and has written to DWP on two occasions to reinforce these concerns.

Question reference: S4W-16057

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the use of the competitive dialogue process that it uses in its procurement process.

Question reference: S4W-16298

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 2 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many private sector jobs have been advertised on the NHS jobs portal since this practice was introduced.

Question reference: S4W-16300

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 2 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what income has been derived from advertising private sector jobs on the NHS jobs portal since this practice was introduced.