- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the care sector, in light of reported comments from the Chief Executive of Scottish Care that "the bottom will fall out of the sector in three months".
Answer
The Scottish Government understand the level of concern Dr Donald Macaskill has for the challenges currently being faced by the Social Care sector within Scotland
We are particularly concerned about the impact of the decisions taken by the UK Government, most notably the increase in employers National Insurance Contributions, as well as changes to the social care visa system and salary threshold levels. These decisions place serious financial strain on social care services, that so many people across Scotland rely on.
The Scottish Government has increased investment into our Health & Social Care Sector, the 2025-26 Budget provides funding of £21.7 billion for Health and Social Care - an uplift exceeding consequentials and taking funding to record levels. This budget will have a continued focus on reform and improvement in our services, driving efficiency and changing how we deliver our services to improve quality and access.
We are continuing to invest in health and social care services, with almost 2.2 billion invested in social care and integration – exceeding our commitment to increase funding by 25% by almost £350 million.
We are providing an additional £125 million to support delivery of the pay uplift to a minimum of £12.60 per hour for adult social care workers as well as £5.9 million of investment into Care Inspectorate and £13.4 million into the Independent Living Fund.
Despite substantial funding increases, significant challenge remains – prevention, early intervention and reform remain critical to delivering an effective, efficient and sustainable health and social care system. Scottish Government officials have estimated that the social care sector alone face additional costs of more than £84m as a result of the increase in Employer National Insurance Contributions.
The Scottish Government and COSLA continue to raise this issue with the UK Government and request that funding is provided to cover the full cost of these changes for public services and those commissioned services that deliver critical services such as social care.
While we continue to engage with the UK Government on this matter, Scottish Government officials are undertaking a programme of work to understand and respond to the current financial viability pressures in the sector and the impact that this change will have. This has included engaging with local leaders through the Collaborative Response and Assurance Group(CRAG), as well as monthly roundtables and weekly meetings with partners including Scottish Care.
That work is ongoing, and the Scottish Government is committed to working closely with partners to identify the pro-active steps that can be taken to mitigate these impacts and protect services.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the support that it is giving to NHS Grampian, in light of the NHS board's reported ongoing financial difficulties.
Answer
NHS Grampian were escalated to Level 3 of the NHS Support and Intervention Escalation Framework in January 2025 for financial management and position. The Scottish Government are providing specific tailored support to NHS Grampian in order to help stabilise the financial position. Alongside additional cost improvement programmes, the support package includes a dedicated financial support lead within Scottish Government who frequently meets NHS Grampian Executives challenge their financial position and trajectories and ensure the Board is on track to meet financial improvement milestones.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35620 by Neil Gray on 20 March 2025, whether it will provide details of the work that Healthcare Improvement Scotland is undertaking to standardise the reporting of incidents of rape and sexual assault in hospitals and on the NHS estate, and when these changes will be implemented.
Answer
Health Improvement Scotland are working with all NHS boards and partner organisations to standardise the reporting of adverse events, and have developed a national framework which was published in February 2025.
This also includes a standard review process through the development of a national Significant Adverse Event Review template with associated guidance and national learning summary. The category of violence and aggression (which includes instances of sexual violence) is a priority category.
The safety of staff and patients is the responsibility of the individual Health Board. We expect Health Boards to make every effort to keep staff, patients and service users safe and to report incidents to the police where appropriate.
The courts have extensive powers to deal robustly with sexual offending. All instances of such behaviour should be reported and escalated to Police Scotland as quickly as possible for consideration of necessary action.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the board's reported financial situation, what its position is on how NHS Grampian will repay its reported loan from it of £92.2 million.
Answer
NHS Grampian are escalated to Level 3 of the NHS Support and Intervention Escalation Framework for financial management and position and the Board continue to receive tailored support from the Scottish Government.
Outstanding brokerage must be repaid to Scottish Government once an NHS Board has returned to financial sustainability. At present, Scottish Government are working with NHS Grampian to secure a credible path to balance, and outstanding brokerage will be recovered once this has been achieved
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with local residents regarding concerns in relation to reports of a goat cull being carried out by Oxygen Conservation, and what assurances have been sought that the existing population will be maintained albeit at lower levels.
Answer
As set out in my answer to S6W-35250 on 5 March 2025, as the landowners, it is for Oxygen Conservation Limited to consider how any reduction in the feral goat population should be achieved in practice. I understand that the landowner is not calling for eradication of the feral goats and that all future herbivore management will be informed by monitoring the species.
To address concerns on this issue, Oxygen Conservation have produced a question and answer document as well as a newsletter which has been circulated to all local residents.
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: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
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Current Status:
Initiated by the Scottish Government.
Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress to establish the public inquiry into the investigation of Emma Caldwell's murder.
Answer
Last year, I announced that there would be a judge-led, statutory Public Inquiry into the investigation of Emma Caldwell's murder in 2005.
I can now confirm that Lord Scott, a current Senator of the College of Justice, has agreed to chair the Public Inquiry. I am pleased that someone of Lord Scott’s experience and legal standing will chair this important inquiry.
I have a statutory obligation to consult Lord Scott on the terms of reference for the Inquiry. I met with him earlier this week and we will meet again in due course to discuss the terms of reference and timescales for the Inquiry’s formal setting up date.
It is also my intention to share terms of reference with the family of Emma Caldwell and other interested parties to hear their views on the Inquiry’s remit. I will provide a further update to Parliament in due course.
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what further consideration it has given to the protected status for feral goats in the Eskdale area, in light of media and public interest, including the reported gathering of 4,000 signatures by campaigners.
Answer
As set out in my answer to S6W-35250 on 5 March 2025, the Scottish Government does not intend to provide feral goats with protected status. Feral goats are a non-native species and it is an offence to release any non-native species without a licence from NatureScot.
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: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any progress on the funding model for the Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme in its current iteration, following its decision not to “call in” the scheme for ministerial inquiry.
Answer
Under the Flood Risk Management Act when valid objections are raised to a proposed flood protection scheme Scottish Ministers decide whether it should be ‘called in’ to a public local inquiry or considered through a local authority local hearing.
Scottish Ministers have decided the next steps in the process for the Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme should be undertaken locally.
Should Falkirk Council confirm the scheme in its current form and wish to access Scottish Government funding, it will be necessary to demonstrate that the scheme, in whole or phased elements, are value for money, and assessed against other flood protection schemes across Scotland.
- Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further detail on the approach it is taking to consider the recommendations set out in the independent report, Review of Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender, also known as the Sullivan Review.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2025
- Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure everyone living and working in Scotland lives in accommodation that meets an adequate standard.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2025
