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: S6W-22176

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much NHS Scotland has spent on administration in each year since 2012, also broken down by NHS board.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. However, it is published annually by Public Health Services (PHS) in their ‘Scottish Health Service Costs’ report. The NHSScotland and Board level data from 19-20 to 21-22 can be viewed online at: Scottish health service costs - High-level costs summary 2021 to 2022 - Scottish health service costs - Publications - Public Health Scotland .

Data from 2012 – 18-19 can be viewed online at: Latest Publications | ISD Scotland (under the topic: ‘Finance’).

Question reference: S6W-22219

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of any discussions that its Nordic Office has had with Norwegian Government (a) ministers and (b) officials, regarding any potential impact on its climate targets of the development of Rosebank oilfield, since 1 January 2021.

The Scottish Government’s Nordic Office was officially opened in August 2022. Based in the British Embassy in Copenhagen, it has a regional remit covering the Nordic countries, including Norway.

Scottish Government officials based in the Nordic Office have not engaged in any discussions with Norwegian Government ministers or officials regarding the Rosebank oilfield.

Collaboration with our Nordic partners on North Sea renewable energy policy – including offshore wind, CCUS, and hydrogen – is a key area of activity for the Nordic Office, with recent Ministerial visits to the region having focussed on offshore wind and port infrastructure in particular.

Question reference: S6W-22011

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to tools other than the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) as a measure for widening access to higher education.

The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) is currently the national measure of progress on widening access to higher education, as was recommended by the Commission on Widening Access in its final report, A Blueprint for Fairness, in 2016.

Higher education institutions currently use a range of criteria to identify widening access students, but we recognise that there may be other suitable measures to work alongside SIMD.

Scottish Government has established an Access Data Short-life Working Group to consider proposals and to investigate other widening access measures and data sources. The group’s membership comprises a range of stakeholders, including Colleges Scotland, Universities Scotland, Scottish Funding Council, and further and higher education institutions. The group is due to report to Ministers this autumn.

Question reference: S6W-22015

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much investment it has allocated to the recruitment of education welfare officers in each year since 2016, broken down by local authority area.

It is a matter for local authorities to decide how much funding they allocate to specific services. The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

Information on the number of hours of support staff provision per week, including home-school link workers, provided by each local authority is available at School support staff statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . Figures are available from 2017.

Question reference: S6W-22217

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it was made aware of any discussions between the UK and Norwegian governments regarding Rosebank oilfield, as it relates to any potential impact on its climate targets, through (a) the intergovernmental council, (b) communication from the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, (c) communication from the UK Secretary of State for Scotland, (d) communication from the UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and (e) communication from the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade.

The Scottish Government has not been made aware of any discussions between the UK and Norwegian Governments regarding the Rosebank oilfield.

Oil and gas licensing processes are currently reserved to the UK Government. Scottish Ministers have repeatedly called for reform of these processes, to ensure compatibility with climate commitments and we will continue to look for further opportunities to make the case for reform.

Question reference: S6W-22099

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle racist incidents in the NHS.

There is no place for racism in the NHS and in Scottish society as a whole.

We have been clear to Health Boards that incidents of racial harassment must be taken seriously and fully investigated. In 2020 we launched the national NHSScotland Bullying and Harassment Policy to support staff affected by these issues. This includes information on sources of confidential advice and support.

We have also been clear that all instances of violent and aggressive behaviour, including hate crime, should be recorded and if it is a serious incident, then it should be escalated it to the Police, as quickly as possible.

The Scottish Government has a programme of work underway to integrate anti-racist/anti-discriminatory approaches and develop networks of allies across the NHS. We established the NHS ethnic minority forum in 2021 to amplify the voices of ethnic minority staff across the health service and tackle issues of systemic racism. We are working with the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights to develop anti-racist training resources for staff, by 2024. We are also working with NHS Chairs and Chief Executives to ensure they have anti-racist and wider equality objectives, including meaningful action on diversity and inclusion.

Question reference: S6T-01602

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the extreme delays reportedly being encountered by users of the A9 north of Dunkeld due to SGN gas pipe replacement works.

Question reference: S6T-01599

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to resolve industrial action in schools.

Question reference: S6F-02498

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2023

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to increase public awareness of firework safety ahead of Bonfire Night.

Question reference: S6F-02497

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2023

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on waiting times for post-cancer breast reconstruction surgery.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

Chamber and committees

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