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-16491

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) pharmacists, (b) pharmacy technicians, (c) advanced nursing practitioners, (d) advanced paramedics, (e) mental health workers, (f) musculoskeletal physiotherapists and (g) community link workers have been recruited since 1 April 2022.

The requested information on how many pharmacists and pharmacy technicians have been recruited since 1 April 2022 can be found on the following link: Pharmacy report 2022 | Turas Data Intelligence (nhs.scot)

The requested information on how many (c) advanced nursing practitioners and (e) mental health workers have been recruited since 1 April 2022 can be found on the following links:

Advanced nurse practitioners: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (LoSD (only N&M) & AHP) tab

Psychiatric specialty consultants and mental health nurses: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (consultant and nursing & midwifery drop downs)

Child and Adolescent Mental health Services: 07 March 2023 CAMHS | Turas Data Intelligence (nhs.scot)

The requested information on how many advanced paramedics, musculoskeletal physiotherapists and community link workers have been recruited since 1 April 2022 is not centrally held.

Information on how many paramedics and physiotherapists have been recruited since 1 April 2022 can be found on the following link:

NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (allied health professional drop down)

Question reference: S6W-16656

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many overseas trips members of the Cabinet were invited to in 2022.

Question reference: S6W-16922

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people Social Security Scotland has written to in order to let them know that they (a) are entitled to and (b) will receive a Winter Heating Payment.

As at 31 March, almost 400,000 low income households had automatically received £50 in Winter Heating Payments to support them with their energy bills for this winter. All will have received a letter explaining their entitlement to the benefit.

Information on payments for Winter Heating Payment will be included within Official Statistics that will be published on 6 June 2023. These will be available on Social Security Scotland’s statistics publication page at:

https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/about/statistics/social-security-scotland-statistics-publications

Question reference: S6W-16857

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people are currently still to be transferred from the Personal Independence Payment to the Adult Disability Payment, and what its position is on whether the target of full case transfer by 2025 is still achievable.

As of January 2023, there were around 319,000 people in Scotland receiving Personal Independence Payment according to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Case transfer is a joint programme with the Department for Work and Pensions. We are relying on DWP to provide us with the right information at the right time and our top priority is maintaining a transfer that is both safe and secure. We continue to aim to complete case transfer for all people in Scotland who receive disability and carer benefits by the end of 2025.

Question reference: S6W-16421

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister's election pledge to hold an anti-poverty summit, whether it will provide details of the proposed (a) date and (b) invitees of the summit.

The First Minister will convene an anti-poverty summit on 3 May 2023 to help guide future action to tackle poverty and inequality in Scotland.

Those invited include experts, anti-poverty campaigners, people with lived experience, representatives from the third sector, local government and business, as well as cross-party representatives of the Scottish Parliament.

The names of guests who have accepted an invitation to attend events hosted by Scottish Ministers are routinely published. This information will be made available in due course at: www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/ .

Question reference: S6W-16765

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve the safety of white collar boxing events in Scotland, and whether it has considered proposals for all unlicensed white collar boxing events to comply with Boxing Scotland’s minimum criteria for such events.

The Scottish Government places great importance on the safety, wellbeing and welfare of everyone taking part in sport.

We have met with Boxing Scotland to discuss their proposals around minimum criteria for white collar boxing events.

It is the responsibility of individual boxing event organisers, and any other contact sports, to ensure that they have the appropriate procedures in places to protect the wellbeing of those taking part in their events.

We strongly urge all boxing event organisers to work with Boxing Scotland to ensure that robust measures and protocols are in place to reduce the risk of serious injury and protect the safety of those who take part.

Question reference: S6W-16891

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations made in the Independent Forensic Mental Health Review: final report.

Question reference: S6W-16763

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, following the announcement in August 2022 that the next ScotRail fares increase would be postponed by two months to March 2023, when it expects to announce the new fare prices.

The Scottish Government took the decision last year to freeze ScotRail fares as part of a suite of measures to tackle the ongoing cost of living crisis. More broadly the Scottish Government has committed to pilot the removal of ScotRail peak fares on all ScotRail routes from October this year.

This initiative will operate over a six-month period, following which the Scottish Government will carefully consider its impact and the long-term sustainability of such a proposition.

The Scottish Government is considering future fare options whilst taking account of the extremely challenging fiscal climate facing both rail passengers and funders and I expect to provide an update on this in due course.

Question reference: S6W-16427

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to S6W-15909 by Humza Yousaf 27 March 2023, whether it will announce the date by which the project to upgrade the ventilation system in Ward 16 will be completed.

Question reference: S6W-16602

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide its latest expected completion dates for all National Treatment Centres that are currently being built.