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-25548

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 9 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-19904 by Joe FitzPatrick on 22 November 2018, what progress it has made on implementing a national identification system to access defibrillators through the British Heart Foundation National Defibrillator Network project.

Scotland’s Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) Strategy recognises the importance of Public Access Defibrillator’s (PADs) and aims to have effective arrangements in place to ensure they are mapped, maintained and accessible to the public.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) have worked in partnership to develop ‘The Circuit’ National Defibrillator Network and this is now live in Scotland.

The Circuit aims to integrate with ambulance dispatch and be able to map the location of PADs across the UK. It has integrated with the existing SAS PADs database linked to Call Handling that had already been in operation in Scotland. This enables SAS call handlers to direct a caller at the location of a cardiac arrest to a PAD when one is nearby. The SAS continues to work with partners on engagement and marketing campaigns to encourage PAD registration on The Circuit.

Question reference: S5W-25554

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether its work developing its draft Falls and Fractures Strategy was done in tandem with its National Transport Strategy in order to ensure a joined-up approach.

Question reference: S5F-03628

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 October 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2019

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5W-25528

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 4 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the introduction of large print ballot papers, and whether it will take action to ensure that all polling places will offer these.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting ideas that may reduce barriers to voting. Following the Electoral Reform public consultation, which took place in 2018, workshops with people with sight loss have taken place to explore how accessibility to elections can be improved. A number of ideas have emerged that are currently under active consideration.

Large print ballot papers are an option which could be taken forward. They do have the disadvantage of potentially jeopardising the secrecy of the vote but this would need to be more fully explored.

Under existing election rules, Returning Officers must equip polling stations with at least one enlarged sample copy of the ballot paper for display at the station and at least one enlarged hand-held sample copy of the ballot paper for the assistance of voters who are partially sighted. Returning Officers are also required to provide a device, the “tactile voting instrument”, which is designed to enable voters who are blind or partially-sighted to vote without any need for assistance from the presiding officer or any companion.

The Scottish Government will share plans for innovation to improve access to voting for those with sight loss once further engagement with stakeholders has taken place.

Question reference: S5W-25393

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 3 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what survey it has carried out of its staff regarding mental health in the workplace and the availability of mental health support.

The Scottish Government conducts an annual People Survey to obtain views from staff on the experience of working in the Scottish Government. It contains questions about wellbeing and mental health, and questions that align to the Health and Safety Executive's stress management tool. Monthly conversations are an important part of the overall performance management process and line managers should cover wellbeing and resilience, both within and outwith the workplace, during these discussions. Internally Scottish Government staff can access mental health support through the Counselling and Wellbeing service, the HR Professional Advice and Wellbeing Team, the Occupational Health and Safety Team, and the Trade Unions. Flexible working and special leave policies are part of the wider support offer for staff along with access to a Mental Health staff network. External support is available via the Employee Assistance Programme, and the Charity for Civil Servants. We consider evidence from these internal surveys alongside external evidence and research.

Question reference: S5W-25394

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 1 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what support it offers to professional bodies seeking to carry out sector-wide staff surveys regarding mental health.

Question reference: S5W-25288

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 26 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the LLB (accelerated) qualification is not considered a postgraduate degree when it requires the holding of an undergraduate degree.

The LLB is an undergraduate degree that sits at either Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 9 for an Ordinary degree, or SCQF Level 10 for an Honours degree. When postgraduate programmes are developed they are required to meet the level descriptors at SCQF 11 or above. Applicants to the accelerated LLB programme are required to hold a first degree to ensure they can demonstrate their ability to cope with the demands of an undergraduate degree condensed into two years.

Question reference: S5W-25289

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 26 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons the Career Development Loan ended.

The Professional and Career Development Loan (PCDL) Scheme was managed and operated by the UK Government in partnership with the Co-Operative Bank. The decision not to re-procure for new PCDL contracts was a decision solely for the UK Government.

The Scottish Government however responded to the closure of the scheme by extending the eligibility criteria of the current postgraduate support package to include Research Masters courses from academic year 2019-20. Students on Research Masters courses are eligible to apply for a tuition fee loan of up to £5,500 and a living cost loan of up to £4,500 (for full-time students) across the duration of their study.

Question reference: S5W-24960

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what guidelines there are for police officers taking statements, and what rights a person has to amend their statement.

When taking statements, officers follow the guidelines set out within Police Scotland’s Case Reporting Standard Operating Procedure and their Reports and Statement Writing Guide. Police Scotland have advised that these documents are publicly available on their website.

Police Scotland have also advised that if someone wants to provide an update to officers, having previously given a statement, they should contact the police, who will take an additional statement referencing the previous one.

Question reference: S5W-24961

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reform how complaints about police officers are dealt with.

The Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issues in Relation to Policing, commissioned by the Lord Advocate and previous Cabinet Secretary, and led by Dame Elish Angiolini, is ongoing.

Dame Elish published a detailed preliminary report containing 30 recommendations on 21 June and we are working closely with key partners and stakeholders to fully consider her findings.

Dame Elish will be continuing her engagement during the second phase of the Review with a view to producing a final report and further recommendations later in 2020.