Chamber and committees

This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

The Review of ICT Infrastructure in the Public Sector in Scotland published in 2011, recommended that the public sector embrace an integrated approach to ICT procurement, apply effective oversight and governance to the procurement process and ensure Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) have appropriate access to public sector opportunities.

The Scottish Government strategic approach to ICT procurement is outlined in Scotland’s Digital Future: Delivery of Public Services which also includes a National Digital & ICT Portfolio Procurement Plan. A Central Government ICT Assurance Framework is also in place to ensure appropriate approvals and assurances are aligned to enable successful project delivery.

The Scottish Government has continued to deliver a number of national collaborative ICT procurement frameworks in areas such as ICT Hardware, Fixed Telephony and Digital & ICT Services. These frameworks are extensively utilised across the Scottish public sector. Another example of effective collaborative procurement has been the Scottish Wide Area Network (SWAN) Programme which has delivered a single public services network available for the use of any, and potentially all, public services organisations within Scotland; with aggregated demand delivering both cost and performance advantages.

Ensuring SMEs have access to public sector contract opportunities is a key objective. The Procurement Reform (Scotland ) Act 2014 and the Scottish Model of Procurement, are designed to make our public procurement contracts readily accessible to SMEs, many of which are currently providing high quality ICT products and services to the Scottish public sector.

The intention is to recruit a new research manager to be in post by March 2017 at the latest.

The research manager will not have their own research budget. As set out in updated Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework, published in September 2015, the role of the research manager will be to co-ordinate research across the Framework (including on HIV prevention); to support the NHS and other partners in accessing funding and grants from other sources; to collate and share evidence of what works; and to develop a research strategy for the Framework.

Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data shows that between 2011-12 and 2014-2015 there were 3,795 entrants to pre-clinical medicine in Scottish HEIs. 2,150 (60%) were from state schools, 850 (24%) were from independent schools, and 555 (16%) were from overseas.

Excluding overseas, 72% were from state schools.

Note: Percentage calculations are based on rounded data and exclude the 245 UK domiciles whose previous education establishment was unknown. Data rounded to nearest 5.

The information requested is held by NHS Boards. The Scottish Government does not hold the information centrally.

We do however know that the annual spend on agency medical locums in NHSScotland is £103 million. When compared to the NHS England overall spend of £3.3 billion for the year 2014-5 on Medical and Nursing agency, NHSScotland spends proportionately 1/3 of what is spent in England on medical and nursing agency staff at £127.5 million.

The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government.

The £1.3 million investment referred to in the 28 April 2014 news release was pump-prime funding provided to NHS boards in order to support Service Improvement Groups/Managed Clinical Networks for chronic pain. The allocations were based on an assessed proposal submitted by each Board, and funding was provided as follows:

The National Chronic Pain Improvement Group (NCPIG), a renamed version of the National Chronic Pain Steering Group (NCPSG), operated from December 2014 until March 2016. During this period, it held five meetings and one development day. The total cost for these events was £7,836.25 (this figure includes venue hire, catering, videoconference facilities, etc.).

The Ministerial Steering Group on Chronic Pain (MSG) has so far held four meetings since its inaugural conference in March 2015. The total cost of these meetings has been £111.66 (catering being the only expense incurred).

It is important to note that neither the NCPIG nor the MSG had or has their own budget, with all costs being paid for by the Scottish Government. Neither group had or has salaried employees, with admin and policy support being provided by Scottish Government officials as part of their duties.

In addition, an annual allocation was provided to NHS Dumfries and Galloway to cover several items and work associated with the group. This allocation of £13,073 was initially provided for the financial year 2014-15, but spanned the existence of both the NCPSG and the NCPIG. This allocation was to cover protected time for the NCPSG and NCPIG Chairs (an NHS D and G employee), and initially admin support for the NCPSG. When the group became the NCPIG, admin duties were passed to Scottish Government officials, with the corresponding allocation amount instead being used to support work on the national chronic pain website: (http://chronicpainscotland.org/).

A second, reduced allocation of £5,285 was given to NHS D and G for the 2015-16 financial year. Specific breakdowns of these allocations are not available centrally.

Finally, travel expenses for both groups were and are offered only to patient members, and the total reimbursement claimed so far is £10.80 (for the NCPIG). Any such expenses incurred by group members from the NHS, the third sector, the Scottish Government or the national officers (National Lead Clinician for Chronic Pain and National Chronic Pain Co-ordinator) would be covered by their own organisations as part of their wider operational costs.

Prior to April 2014, the National Chronic Pain Steering Group (NCPSG) was operated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS). The information requested for that period is not held centrally. The NCPSG also ended in November 2014, when it was renamed the National Chronic Pain Improvement Group (NCPIG).

During the period it was directly supported by the Scottish Government, the NCPSG held a total of two meetings. However, the costs for these meetings (venue hire, catering, videoconference facilities, etc.) were covered by NHS Dumfries & Galloway (NHS D&G) from an annual allocation granted by the Scottish Government to cover several items and work associated with the group. This included protected time for the NCPSG Chair (an NHS D&G employee), protected staff time for admin support and covering meeting costs. The allocation for the 2014-15 financial year was £13,073, but only a percentage of this is applicable to the NCPSG as the group was renamed. The rest of this allocation applies to the NCPIG, and I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01880 on 7 September 2016. 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. A specific breakdown of the £13,073 between the NCPSG and NCPIG, as well as individual meeting costs, is not available centrally.

It is important to note that the NCPSG did not have its own budget during the period it was directly supported by the Scottish Government. The NCPSG did not have any salaried employees, with policy support being provided by Scottish Government officials as part of their duties and other posts being held by NHS D&G staff, as outlined above.

Finally, travel expenses for the NCPSG during this period were only offered to patient members, and I understand that no claims were made. Any such expenses incurred by group members from the NHS, the third sector, the Scottish Government or the national officers (National Lead Clinician for Chronic Pain and National Chronic Pain Co-ordinator) would be covered by their own organisations as part of their wider operational costs.