Questions and answers

Question reference: S4W-25298

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 April 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4F-02714 by Nicola Sturgeon on 2 April 2015 (Official Report, c.17), how much of the money will be allocated to (a) judicial, (b) frontline and (c) other services.

Decisions about the allocation of the additional £20 million will be taken in discussion with key statutory and third sector partners, with a clear focus on improving support and protection for victims, prevention and reducing the risk of harm. Decisions about the final allocation of money to (a) judicial, (b) frontline and (c) other services have not been finalised.

As set out by the First Minister, the additional funding will help to: support additional fiscals, court staff and judiciary to assist the efficient processing of cases through the courts; widen access to advocacy, support and legal services for the victims of crime, including domestic abuse and sexual offences; explore an expansion to innovative initiatives such as the Caledonian System, which work with men convicted of domestic abuse, and improve education and information resources to help increase public understanding of these crimes.

Question reference: S4O-04286

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to the film and arts sectors in Shetland.

Question reference: S4W-25222

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 April 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 29 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements it has made for prenatal screening in Argyll and Bute until Autumn 2016, and what plans it has for staff to travel to patients to conduct scans.

It is of paramount importance that women receive safe and effective services during pregnancy. The Scottish Government welcomes NHS Highland’s announcement that the antenatal screening services in Argyll and Bute, which provide women with routine scans, will be implemented from the autumn of 2016. NHS Highland has looked at the feasibility of providing interim locum cover and has had discussions with neighbouring boards about temporary support for the local service, but these options have not been possible to date due to pressures on the availability of trained sonographers that are currently being experienced across Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-25299

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 April 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 29 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reintroducing ringfencing for coordinator posts funded by the Violence Against Women Fund.

Question reference: S4W-25054

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 22 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much CalMac Ferries Ltd, or its successor, will pay each year to sub-lease the MV Loch Seaforth, and for how many years.

Question reference: S4W-25048

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that there is low morale among Scottish Ambulance Service North Division staff due to poor management.

The Scottish Ambulance Service is developing an implementation plan for the five priorities set out in the 2020 Workforce Implementation Framework in line with ‘Everyone Matters’ which will be monitored by the service’s Staff Governance Committee. Actions around this include those listed below, all of which will assist in strengthening the Service’s workforce resilience both nationally and divisionally.

Continuing to embed NHS Scotland values as part of ongoing organisational development;

Developing frontline leadership and management capacity and capability across the service;

Developing talent management and effective succession planning;

Ensuring the service has the right mix of skills and resources to effectively contribute in an integrated health and social care system and robust staff governance and Partnership arrangements.

Question reference: S4W-25049

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that Scottish Ambulance Service North Division has had to use retained crews in order to deal with shortages of trained staff and how it will it ensure that the division has sufficient resources.

Question reference: S4W-25047

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 17 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that Scottish Ambulance Service North Division has sufficient resources to meet demand in (a) Shetland and (b) Orkney.

The Scottish Government works in partnership with the Scottish Ambulance Service and has recently agreed its Local Delivery Plan for 2015-16 which sets out how services be delivered in that year including working with NHS boards against the strategic priorities identified in Everyone Matters: 2020 Workforce Vision.

This administration has provided the Scottish Ambulance Service with the highest level of resource funding the service has ever had with a resource budget of £212.1 million and £10.1 million capital funding in 2015-16. Scottish Ambulance staffing is up nearly 10 per cent under this administration.

The Scottish Ambulance Service is implementing a comprehensive action plan in Shetland and Orkney to ensure the islands are resourced and managed efficiently and effectively. Measures include upskilling staff and working in partnership with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in developing a shared facility in Lerwick, and with the health boards in regular liaison meetings to ensure any issues are quickly mitigated.

A second vehicle was introduced onto Shetland in 2010 where the service introduced their ‘retained ambulance staff’ scheme. Retained staff help paramedic staff be best utilised and assist the service during on-call periods.

Shetland received an additional member of staff in 2013 taking the substantive complement up to seven, plus two relief members of staff.

The service is working with partners developing an integrated approach to health and social care whilst jointly monitoring patient demand to mitigate against the recruitment and retention challenges experienced in North Division.

Question reference: S4W-25026

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24780 by Shona Robison on 19 March 2015, what the (a) highest and (b) lowest number of bed occupancies was at Ospadal Uibhist agus Bharraigh [Uist and Barra Hospital] in Benbecula in each week in 2014.

Information on weekly occupied beds and occupancy rates is not held centrally. Monthly information is available and the following table shows average number of occupied beds for Uist and Barra Hospital, NHS Highland between January and September 2014.

Occupied beds for Uist and Barra Hospital, by month.

	January 2014	February 2014	March 2014	April 2014	May 2014	June 2014	July 2014	August 2014	September 2014
Average Occupied Beds	16.4	21.6	16.9	13.6	15.6	13.4	12.8	12.4	10.7

Source: Information Services Division Scotland, ISD(S)1

Question reference: S4W-25057

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 2 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24213 by Derek Mackay on 11 February 2015, whether it will provide an update of the cost of the alterations to the (a) Stornoway and (b) Ullapool harbour facilities in order to the meet the requirements of the MV Loch Seaforth, and from what sources the money was drawn.

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