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-26944

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many EU students have come to study in Scotland as part of the Erasmus+ programme since its inception.

Question reference: S5W-26946

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Scottish universities have received through the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme in the last five years.

Scotland continues to perform relatively well compared with other UK nations, Scottish organisations have competitively won almost 687 million from Horizon 2020, since the programmes launch in January 2014 up to December 2019, this reflects our research excellence and international outlook in Scotland.

Scotland’s higher education institutions continue to attract the majority of funds in Scotland, securing almost 75% (around 515 million) of the total funds awarded.

Scottish organisations are eligible to continue to fully participate in Horizon 2020 for the duration of the programme.

Question reference: S5O-04051

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 23 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making to ensure that people with advanced dementia receive the health and nursing care that they require, as set out in the Alzheimer Scotland report, Delivering Fair Dementia Care for People with Advanced Dementia.

The Scottish Government welcomed Alzheimer Scotland’s Fair Dementia Care report.

The healthcare needs of people with dementia are of course provided free by the NHS.

We are working with partners to work to reform adult social care, launched in the summer and we are considering Alzheimer Scotland’s recommendations on social care charging as part of the work. Their report also calls for more consistency and transparency on social care charging and the adult social care reform programme is also addressing those issues.

We have increased our investment in social care support and integration of health and social care to more than £700 million in 2019-20– an increase of 29%, up from £550 million, in 2018-19.

We continue to support improvements in the quality of dementia care, and a consultation on a 4th National Dementia Strategy will take place in 2020.

Question reference: S5O-04077

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the UK Government proceeding to take the UK out of the EU on 31 January through the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill, despite the decision by the Scottish Parliament and the other devolved legislatures not to consent to the Bill.

Question reference: S5W-27018

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 January 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Infrastructure Commission for Scotland.

I am pleased to tell colleagues that the Infrastructure Commission for Scotland published its first report to Government on Scotland’s infrastructure ambitions and priorities on 20 January 2020. The report is now available at: https://infrastructurecommission.scot/page/key-findings-report

I am grateful to the Commission for the work and engagement it has undertaken to date. This is an important report and, as such, the Scottish Government is taking the necessary time to consider and reflect on its detailed recommendations carefully.

Advice from the Commission will help to shape our future investment in Scotland’s infrastructure, recognising the long term objectives of this Government to deliver an inclusive and net zero emissions economy.

Later this year, I will publish the Government’s next Infrastructure Investment Plan – focusing on three, core, long-term outcomes of inclusive economic growth, tackling the global climate emergency, and building sustainable places.

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work and I intend to link the Infrastructure Investment Plan and Capital Spending Review and develop a coherent, strategic collaborative and outcomes-focused approach that responds to the recommendations of the Commission and helps achieve our National Performance Outcomes.

The Infrastructure Commission will report again in mid-2020 with further advice on the delivery of infrastructure, including the potential role of a Scottish National Infrastructure Company. We look forward to further advice from the Commission in the coming months.

Question reference: S5O-04007

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider specific measures for parole in "no body" murder cases.

Question reference: S5O-03966

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the timing of the block grant settlement.

Question reference: S5O-03909

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Fairtrade road signs are deemed not appropriate because of their advertising nature when tourist information signs promoting private businesses are allowed.

Question reference: S5O-03809

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Liam McArthur on 21 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body for what reason its guidance on Members' publications restricts their issue within three months of an election, when the standard period at the UK Parliament is six weeks.

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body does not follow the UK Parliament rules given that at Westminster MPs have restrictions on what they are permitted to publish using parliamentary funds including newsletters. Whereas the SPCB’s publications policy allows MSPs to issue annual reports and newsletters. It is therefore felt that it is more prudent to prohibit the issue of such publications for a longer period prior to a UK general election.

Question reference: S5W-26039

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2019
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jeane Freeman on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the NHS National Services Scotland report on the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences: Review of Fire Systems, Electrical Systems and Medical Gas Installations.

Today I have published the second and final part of a review into compliance of all building systems at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences. Please find attached a copy of the report: https://www.gov.scot/publications/nhs-lothian-royal-hospital-children-young
-people-department-clinical-neurosciences-review-fire-systems-electrical-
systems-medical-gas-installations/

Following my commission when the move was halted in July, the latest NHS National Services Scotland report focuses on fire systems, electrical systems and medical gases. This document is supplementary to the NSS report published on 11 September 2019. The findings of this report have identified remedial work required within fire and electrical systems prior to occupation and also identified opportunities for improvement activity. We continue to work to the previously announced timeline.

NHS Lothian have today published a response setting out a programme of activity to address the findings in the NSS report following an assessment of the work to be completed. A wider action plan bringing together actions of both reports will follow in due course. Please find a link to the NHS Lothian response: NHS Lothian's Response Document

In my statement to Parliament on Wednesday 11 September, I set out the steps that would be taken to strengthen the management and assurance arrangements for completing all of the outstanding works necessary to open the facility, this includes taking forward the actions identified in both NHS National Services Scotland Reports.

The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People Oversight Board is in place and has overall responsibility for ensuring the completion of the works and the hospital opening, reporting directly to me as Cabinet Secretary. The Oversight Board is chaired by the Chief Nursing Officer and includes senior figures from Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates, NHS National Services Scotland, Scottish Futures Trust and NHS Lothian.

Mary Morgan has been appointed Senior Programme Director, effective from 16 September, and will report directly to this Scottish Government. In this role, she has responsibility for the actions to ensure the facility is fit for occupation and will oversee the action plan to deliver a safe and complaint site for the new Edinburgh Hospital for Children and Young people and DCN.