- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 21 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many GP practices in the NHS Lothian area used locums in each of the last three years.
Answer
Practices that responded to the biennial Primary Care Workforce Survey in 2015 and 2017 were asked if practices needed to recruit a locum/sessional GP during the years ending, 31 August 2015 and 31 August 2017 respectively. The responses are as follows.
- In 2015, (97%) of the 72 responding practices in the NHS Lothian area replied saying that they had used locums/sessional GPs.
- In 2017, (94%) of the 106 responding practices in the NHS Lothian area replied saying that they had used locums/sessional GPs.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 21 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report in The Times on 8 March 2018 that there is "a culture of neglect" at Tippethill Hospital; whether it was aware of these allegations prior to the report and, if so, (a) when it was informed and (b) whether the families of patients have been informed of NHS Lothian's position, and whether it will make public the findings of any investigation.
Answer
The Scottish Government is not automatically notified of whistle blowing incidents. The Health & Social Care Partnership has operational responsibility for the Community Hospital and worked in partnership with NHS Lothian from the outset of the complaints being made early last year.
We are very grateful to the Whistleblowers for raising their concerns.
We have discussed the issues with the Partnership. The issues were addressed immediately and seriously following the complaints being raised, including an independent multi-disciplinary review process leading to the report and an action plan. We are reassured that those actions have been taken and that the Partnership has kept families informed. We also understand that the student placements have resumed and a new Chief Nurse was recently appointed.
Decisions on the use made of the report are for NHS Lothian and the Health & Social Care Partnership to make.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Derek Mackay on 16 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many of its departments or agencies issued their staff travel advice on 28 February or 1 or 2 March 2018; how many urged their staff not to travel but advised them they would still be paid; when any advice was issued, and whether it will publish this advice.
Answer
The Scottish Government issued a number of staff communications over the period 28 February to 2 March in relation to the extreme weather which advised staff to keep up to date with weather warnings from the Met Office for their area and to follow Police Scotland travel advice.
From the onset of the adverse weather, our staff were advised to consider alternative working arrangements such as working from home or working from another building if feasible. All staff were reminded on 27 and 28 February of our Disruption to Work guidance, which confirms staff will be credited (and therefore paid) their standard working hours in relation to an exceptional unplanned disruption to work if they are:
unable to travel to work,
unable to work from home,
advised to leave work early; or
had their shift cancelled
This was confirmed in subsequent staff communications also.
It is for each individual employer to determine what communications to issue to their employees. However, our staff communications were issued to a number of other bodies (listed in the following table) to make them aware of the approach taken in the Scottish Government.
Accountant in Bankruptcy | Historic Environment Scotland | Poverty and Inequality Commission | Scottish Law Commission |
Boundary Commission for Scotland | Independent Living Fund (Scotland) | Registers of Scotland | Scottish Parliament |
British Irish Council | Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland | Revenue Scotland | Scottish Prison Service |
Care Inspectorate (SCSWIS) | Judicial Complaints Reviewer | Risk Management Authority | Scottish Public Pensions Agency |
Children's Hearings Scotland | National Records of Scotland | Scotland Office | Scottish Public Services Ombudsman |
Community Justice Scotland | Office for the Scottish Charity Regulator | Scottish Children's Reporter Administration | Student Awards Agency for Scotland |
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service | Office of the Advocate General | Scottish Courts and Tribunal Services | Transport Scotland |
Disclosure Scotland | Office of the Scottish Road Works Commissioner | Scottish Fiscal Commission | Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) |
Edinburgh Trams Inquiry | Parole Scotland | Scottish Housing Regulator | Volunteer Development Scotland |
Education Scotland | Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrance | Scottish Human Rights Commission | |
Food Standards Scotland | Race Equality Framework Advisor | Scottish Child Abuse Enquiry | |
Forestry Commission | Police Investigations and Review Commissioner | Scottish Land Commission | |
Copies of the staff messages that were issued between the 27 February to 2 March 2018 are placed in the Parliaments Reference Centre (Bib number 59593).
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Derek Mackay on 16 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent bad weather, what advice was issued by its departments or agencies from 28 February to 2 March 2018 to employees or contractors regarding deliveries of goods relating to Scottish Government contracts.
Answer
The Scottish Government issued clear and consistent advice throughout the period of adverse weather, explaining that everyone should follow Police Scotland travel advice. The Scottish Business Resilience Centre also issued separate travel advice to industry and trade bodies, including the haulage and transport sector. We would fully expect Scottish Government contractors to have followed that advice.
The advice issued to Scottish Government employees is set out in the answer to question S5W-15047 on 16 March 2018
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 .
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 13 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will urgently publish the reported 25 areas of disagreement between the Scottish Government and UK Government in relation to the EU withdrawal bill.
Answer
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 13 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many of its departments or agencies, including their contractors, had HGV vehicles on the road on 28 February or 1 or 2 March 2018.
Answer
The Scottish Government has two Directorates that have an HGV; The Marine Scotland HGV was not on the road on 28 February or 1 or 2 March 2018. The ARE Stud Farm HGV was out on 2 March. It left Inverness at 1300 and travelled west to Uig, Skye and then by ferry to Lochmaddy, returning the following day. None of the journey was within the boundaries of the red or amber alerts. As the ARE HGV carries livestock, the team consults the Met Office, Traffic Scotland, and the Calmac port prior to the journey and they have a contingency plan in place.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 13 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many women in each NHS board area have been given an Essure contraceptive implant, and how many have subsequently reported health concerns, which they suspected could be related to the implant.
Answer
According to Health Board records, just under 700 women received an Essure contraceptive implant from four Health Boards in
Scotland, though no Health Board now offers the device following its withdrawal
from market. Whilst for confidentiality reasons a precise number cannot be
stated, fewer than five adverse events relating to the device have been
submitted to NHS Scotland's Incident Reporting and Investigation Centre.
Patients who suspect they have suffered a complication are encouraged to report
it, and should never hesitate to discuss any concerns they have with their GP.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 7 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprentices it employs, broken down by location.
Answer
As of 27 February 2018 the Scottish Government employs 160 Modern Apprentices.
We do not record Modern Apprentices location as they, and other staff, may work within specific Scottish Government Departments and Agencies, but are based in different locations across the country at different times.
The number of Modern Apprentices employed by Department or Agency is set out in the following table.
Director-General Constitution and External Affairs | 3 |
Director-General Economy | 24 |
Director-General Education, Communities and Justice | 18 |
Director-General Health and Social Care | 6 |
Director-General Organisational Development and Operations | 50 |
Director-General Scottish Exchequer | 3 |
Disclosure Scotland | 3 |
Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland | 1 |
National Records of Scotland | 3 |
Office of the Advocate General | 2 |
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) | 1 |
Parole Board for Scotland | 1 |
Scottish Public Pensions Agency | 10 |
Student Awards Agency for Scotland | 27 |
Transport Scotland | 8 |
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by James Wolffe QC on 6 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprentices are employed in the (a) Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service and (b) Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, broken down by location.
Answer
(a) SCTS currently employ 5 members of staff on a Modern Apprentice programme, at the following locations.
Location | Headcount |
Headquarters | 3 |
Office of the Public Guardian | 1 |
Forfar Sheriff and Justice of the Peace Courts | 1 |
Total | 5 |
(b) COPFS currently employ 24 members of staff on a Modern Apprentice programme. They are employed at the following locations.
Location | Headcount |
Aberdeen | 4 |
Dumbarton | 1 |
Dundee | 1 |
Edinburgh | 5 |
Glasgow | 5 |
Inverness | 3 |
Jedburgh | 1 |
Paisley | 4 |
Total | 24 |
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 6 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Essure contraceptive implant has been withdrawn from the market at any time and, if so, (a) on what dates, (b) for what reason and (c) how many women underwent the procedure for an implant during this time.
Answer
In August 2017 Bayer announced that Essure's CE mark had been temporarily suspended, stressing that this development was unrelated to product safety or quality. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) subsequently announced, in September 2017, that Bayer had withdrawn the Essure contraceptive device from the European market. The MHRA stated that Bayer had taken the decision for commercial reasons.
www.gov.uk/government/news/mhra-statement-on-essure-devices
It is understood that fewer than five women received the implant shortly after withdrawal of the CE mark though, for reasons of patient confidentiality, an exact number cannot be given. The women concerned, some of whom had already begun preparatory treatment, gave consent after being made aware of the withdrawal of the product's CE mark and were given an option to choose alternative methods.