- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 20 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when the additional 600 beds for the Hospital at Home programme will be delivered, broken down by the number for each NHS board.
Answer
We are working with local systems as part of the annual planning process for 2025-26 to ensure any additional funding to expand Hospital at Home is targeted towards the areas that offer the greatest improvement to performance and patient care.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 20 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many Hospital at Home beds are currently provided.
Answer
Data published by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) showed that in September 2024, Older Adult’s Hospital at Home services provided the equivalent of 510 beds, similar to the size of Royal Alexandra Hospital and larger than University Hospital Wishaw.
Between July and September this year, Hospital at Home services for Older People grew by almost 14% compared to the same period in the previous year with over 4,000 patients managed by the service.
Hospital at Home capacity is in place across a range of other pathways such as Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy, Respiratory and Heart Failure. Published data is not currently available.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 19 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the reportedly significant detrimental economic impact of endometriosis on women, including in relation to employment and workplace support.
Answer
Within the Women’s Health Plan we committed to improve access for women to appropriate support, speedy diagnosis and best treatment for endometriosis across the public, private and third sector.
The NHSScotland Menopause and Menstrual Health Policy was launched on 31 October 2023 with supporting resources, including line managers, workplace adjustment guides, and signposting to more information on symptoms and conditions including endometriosis. These are intended for use more widely across a variety of employment sectors and are available on the National Wellbeing Hub, which is accessible to the public.
Self-employed women can access free and confidential advice and health support from Working Health Services Scotland which is a Scottish Government funded NHS service that provides advice for people who are self-employed or working in companies with 250 or less employees and have a health condition or injury which they feel is impacting on their work.
The health and wellbeing of women at work is a key element of fair work. We know that conditions such as endometriosis can limit women’s opportunities to do their job to the best of their ability, remain in work and progress in the same way men can.
As employment law is reserved, Scottish Government has no power to mandate employers across Scotland to provide specific support to women experiencing health conditions. Our role is to encourage employers to recognise and take action to reduce the barriers that some of their workers can face when entering, progressing and remaining in work. To that end, we promote fair work practices through mechanisms such as our Fair Work First approach to public funding and its accompanying Fair Work First Guidance which explicitly highlights to employers that offering quality flexible working arrangements is of particular benefit to women experiencing menstrual health issues or menopause while at work. Asking employers to offer flexible working from day one of employment has been a principle of Fair Work First since October 2021.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 19 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact of adopting ultra-high frequency electronic identification technology on the trade of Scottish cattle and beef with England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Answer
Scottish Ministers are considering all the available information on bovine EID and technology use across the UK. This includes the ScotEID pilot findings into UHF, the results and analysis of the consultation held on Cattle ID and Traceability earlier this year and ongoing close discussions with the livestock sector. All potential impacts, including those on trade, will be fully considered before a final decision is made.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 19 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise awareness of endometriosis among employers in rural and remote areas, where access to workplace support may be limited.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32178 on 19 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 19 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government's statement to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 23 January 2024, how much ScotWind funding was drawn down in each financial year from 2021-22 to 2024-25.
Answer
To date £96 million of ScotWind revenues have been utilised, all in 2022-23.
In the 2024-25 budget, £200 million of Scotwind funding was profiled, with a further £224 million added as part of the in-year autumn budget revision.
As indicated in the Scottish Budget, the total set aside in 2024-25 at present has now reduced to £160 million. Work is on-going to reduce this further, and a further update will be provided as part of the Spring Budget Revision in January.
Final decisions on drawing down ScotWind revenues will be made in March 2025.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 19 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, following the publication of the Heat in Buildings: progress report 2024, what action it is taking to strengthen the sources and quality of data on the number of (a) domestic and (b) non-domestic properties operating with zero emissions heating, including heat pumps, heat networks and electric heating.
Answer
Our progress report highlighted gaps in data that made reporting on some areas challenging, particularly heat networks and non-domestic properties.
Future reporting of heat network data will be improved through the introduction of a new GB-wide heat network authorisation and consumer protection regime. Ofgem have recently published Heat networks regulation: authorisation and regulatory oversight consultation which provides details on the registration and monitoring.
On non-domestic properties specifically, we continue to work with the Energy Saving Trust to improve reporting through further development of the Non-Domestic Analytics database. The database aims to provide a comprehensive resource on the non-domestic building stock in Scotland.
The data presented on domestic properties are comprehensive, being based on the Scottish Household Condition Survey (designated as Accredited Official Statistics). We will, however, continue to look for improvements in future reporting where possible.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 19 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether the funding announced in its Budget for Stranraer town centre is money that was originally committed to the town in 2011 as part of the regeneration of the former ferry terminal.
Answer
The Scottish Government has continued to engage with Dumfries & Galloway Council and the regeneration funding announced in the draft Scottish Budget will support the delivery of the community's ambitions for the regeneration of the town building on their Local Place Plan - Creating Stranraer.
Funding will be subject to the Scottish Budget being agreed by Parliament and final allocations being agreed by Ministers.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 19 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly only gave the Scottish Fiscal Commission an eight-day notice period of its plans regarding the future in Scotland of the two-child cap on benefits.
Answer
The Scottish Government keeps a range of measures under consideration as it develops and finalises its Budget. Final decisions are communicated with the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) as soon as is practicable. The Scottish Fiscal Commission is undertaking work to cost the proposal to mitigate the impact of the two-child cap in Scotland for 2026-27. The SFC plan to publish their supplementary costings on 7 January 2025.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 19 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly decided to freeze the funding for the national mission to reduce drug-related deaths and harms at £60 million in its draft Budget 2025-26.
Answer
The funding for Drugs and Alcohol in the 2025-26 draft budget is £80.9m. This includes £60m as part of our commitment to provide £250m in additional funding over 5 years to reduce drug deaths and improve the lives of people who use drugs and alcohol.
£19.1m has moved to baselined funding which ADPs have highlighted as important for sustainability and recruitment.
Overall funding for Alcohol and Drugs, including Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) has been maintained at the record levels set in 2023-24.
