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: S5W-26738

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been paid back to (a) it and (b) each of its agencies each year from fines levied on the operators of private prisons for breach of contract.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

I refer the member to the answers provided for S5W-26118 on 14 November 2019 and S5W-26341 on 26 November 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Question reference: S5W-26733

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it will respond to the independent review of the policing of the miners' strike in Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-04011

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will establish a mesh-injured women’s fund.

Question reference: S5W-26648

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what progress there has been on implementing the results of the report into investigating deaths in custody; what work the oversight group has carried out, and when the group will report.

I announced on 7 November 2019 that an independent expert review of the handling of deaths in prison custody is to be established. It will identify areas for improvement to ensure appropriate and transparent arrangements are in place in the immediate aftermath of deaths in Scottish prisons.

The review is being led by Wendy Sinclair-Gieben, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland with additional expertise and assurance provided to her by Professor Nancy Loucks, Chief Executive of Families Outside, a national charity which works on behalf of families affected by imprisonment and will also have input from a human rights expert which is under consideration.

Initial preparations for the review process are underway and the review is expected to report in the Summer of 2020.

Question reference: S5W-26515

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 17 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the ongoing issues in Scotland, what its response is to the recent ruling in the Australian courts against Johnson & Johnson in favour of over 1,500 mesh-injured women.

Question reference: S5W-26584

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 17 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the recently-appointed Chair of the Scottish National Investment Bank had been the Chief Executive of Martin Currie Investment Management Limited and Martin Currie Inc, when they were fined £8.6 million by financial regulators in 2012.

The Selection Panel, which oversaw the appointment of the Chair of the Scottish National Investment Bank on behalf of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work, were aware of the Financial Conduct Authority investigation of Martin Currie Investment Management Limited and was satisfied that the issue had been properly dealt with.

Mr Watt raised this at interview as an example of acting to defend reputational risk. That Martin Currie self-reported this matter to the FCA and assisted in the investigation is reflected in the in the FCA report, as are the management actions that were taken to address the issues.

Question reference: S5W-26585

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 16 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Scotland-based companies relocating abroad to so-called tax havens.

The Scottish Government has taken a firm stance against tax avoidance activity wherever it has the power to do so and our anti-avoidance position is intrinsic to the Scottish approach to taxation.

The majority of tax powers, however, remain reserved to Westminster. We believe that these should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament so that key fiscal decisions that affect the people of Scotland can be made here.

Question reference: S5W-26583

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 13 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence it carried out prior to appointing the Chair of the Scottish National Investment Bank.

The appointment of the Chair of the Scottish National Investment Bank followed the Ethical Standards Commissioner’s Code of Practice for Ministerial and Public Appointments, which includes due diligence practices. The Code ensures that an open, transparent and fair process to secure the best possible field of candidates is undertaken.

The Code requires that a Fit and Proper Person test be undertaken, this test was completed satisfactorily.

Question reference: S5W-26543

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 11 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce 12 weeks maternity leave for all (a) its employees and (b) workers in devolved public bodies.

Staff employed by the Scottish Government are entitled to 52 weeks maternity leave regardless of length of service. Where staff satisfy eligibility criteria for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) they are also entitled to contractual maternity pay of 27 weeks at full pay.This is then followed by SMP for 12 weeks.

The terms and conditions of employment used by non-departmental public bodies are matters for bodies themselves, unless specified by the body’s founding legislation. Non-departmental public bodies are required to operate within the framework set by the Scottish Public Finance Manual, relevant employment and equalities legislation and the Scottish Government’s Public Sector Pay Policy.

Question reference: S5W-26294

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 27 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason pharmacies are reportedly running out of flu vaccine supplies, and what action it is taking in response.

Since 2016, flu vaccines for NHS use have been centrally procured by NHS National Procurement and distributed direct to GP Practices. Community pharmacies are not involved in purchasing vaccines on behalf of the NHS.

Some community pharmacies may offer flu vaccinations on a private basis to patients who are not eligible for the NHS vaccination. This is a business decision for each community pharmacy owner and as this is a private service, they are entirely responsible for the procurement and administering of flu vaccinations.

A small number of community pharmacies are piloting the provision of the adult flu vaccine in NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde to eligible patients as part of the Vaccination Transformation Programme. However, vaccines for those pilots are provided by the local health board and there are no issues with supply.