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-08882

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2017
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the introduction of drug driving limits in Scotland.

I can advise that the Scottish Government intends to bring forward before the end of 2017 the necessary secondary legislation to introduce drug driving limits in Scotland.

This legislation will provide for specific limits for a range of drugs and will provide for commencement of drug driving limits in 2019. This timing will allow for criminal justice agencies such as Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to make the necessary preparations for the introduction of drug driving limits. This includes making arrangements for the introduction of necessary testing equipment.

Question reference: S5W-08432

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 13 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how Education Scotland inspectors evaluate the quality and impact of habilitation provision in ensuring that the needs of visually impaired pupils are met.

Education Scotland inspections of schools and services evaluate how well the needs of all children and young people are being met, including those with visual impairment. Using a range of quality indicators Inspectors routinely evaluate how well schools and services plan for children and young people with additional support needs and how schools and services take account of statutory guidance and codes of practice.

Question reference: S5W-08434

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 13 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it will embed into education, the standards and care pathways of the visual impairment network for children and young people, including the standard that every child diagnosed with a sight impairment will receive an assessment by a qualified habilitation specialist.

The Visual Impairment Network for Children and Young People (VINCYP) standards and care pathways were distributed widely across schools and services. In addition, information was disseminated through other events and practitioner networks such as the Scottish Association of Visual Impairment Educators (SAVIE). Practitioners are well informed about the standards and there is an expectation that they are embedded into practices to support visually impaired children and young people. It is for VINCYP to encourage the use of their standards.

Question reference: S5W-08433

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 13 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when its working group will commence work on habilitation provision recommendations contained in the Education and Culture Committee's 10th Report, 2015 (Session 4), Attainment of pupils with a sensory impairment.

The Scottish Government welcomed the Education Committee inquiry into the attainment of pupils with sensory impairment. In response the Scottish Government set up a Short Life Working Group to respond to the Committee’s recommendations. A plan which sets out actions to deliver against all of the recommendations was developed and we are confident of delivering against each.

A number of the actions to deliver the recommendations have already been completed and we are actively considering with key stakeholders the activities and actions required to deliver on the remaining recommendations by December 2018.

Question reference: S5W-08769

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 April 2017
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Shona Robison on 11 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it will consult on proposals to enshrine safe NHS staffing in law, starting with the nursing and midwifery workload and workforce planning tools.

We are launching a formal consultation on legislative proposals on 12 April 2017. The consultation paper seeks views on proposals to introduce legislation that would require organisations providing health and social care to apply evidence based approaches to nursing and midwifery workload and workforce planning as there is already a validated framework, methodology and suite of planning tools that are mandated for use in NHS Scotland as part of Local Delivery Planning. However, the consultation proposes that this approach could be extended to other staff groups and care settings when methodologies are developed.

The consultation will run from 12 April to 5 July 2017. During this period, we plan to hold regional and other engagement events across Scotland in order to gather as many views as possible, including from practitioners and the public.

The consultation can be accessed through the following link: https://consult.scotland.gov.uk/nursing-and-midwifery/safe-and-effective-staffing-in-health-care-setting.

Question reference: S5W-08352

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 30 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging fair work in the private nursery sector.

We will promote Fair Work practices across the Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) sector. As part of this we want to see all childcare workers delivering the funded entitlement, across all sectors, paid at least the Living Wage from the introduction of the entitlement to 1140 hours in 2020.

Our Financial Review of Early Learning and Childcare, published in September 2016, found that 80% of practitioners and 50% of supervisors in private and third sector ELC settings, who deliver funded entitlement, are paid below the Living Wage.

That is why we will invest £50 million to extend payment of the Living Wage to all childcare staff delivering the funded entitlement in private and third sector nurseries, by the end of this Parliament.

We will work with local authorities and delivery partners through our new Service Models Working Group to progress this commitment.

Question reference: S5O-00838

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to boost the economy and create jobs in Coatbridge and Chryston.

Question reference: S5O-00806

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of the findings in the report, Shifting the Curve, that people in minority ethnic groups are often the most disadvantaged and can face additional barriers when trying to get out of poverty.

Question reference: S5W-07402

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing a returnable deposit scheme on cans and bottles in order to reduce littering and increase recycling.

Question reference: S5W-07544

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist nurses there are caring for people with multiple sclerosis in (a) Lanarkshire and (b) Scotland, and whether it will consider increasing these numbers.

Information on the number of specialist nurses who are responsible for the delivery of Multiple Sclerosis care is published by ISD Scotland and is available at the following link:-

https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2016-12-06/Clinical_Nurse_Specialists_S2016.xls

From our additional investment of £2.5 million in specialist nursing and care, NHS Boards were asked to employ additional clinical nurse specialists by 31 December 2015. NHS Boards are responsible for determining how best to target this general investment and specialisms have included Rheumatology, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s Disease and Paediatric Allergy. NHS Lanarkshire also elected to recruit specialist nurses in the fields of Perinatal Mental Health and Care of Older People.