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-28018

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 18 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27514 by Ivan McKee on 30 May 2024, whether it will outline the savings made from the 10% reduction made to chief executive pay, and which posts these savings were achieved from.

Over the last 5 years (from 2019 to date) there have been 26 new Chief Executive appointments in public bodies directly covered by the public sector pay policy. To date, 20 posts have been filled and 6 are currently pending. The policy expectation to apply a 10% reduction on outgoing Chief Executive remuneration packages has delivered an estimated saving of over £325,000 to the public purse at the time of appointment.

The cumulative saving over the last 5 years is higher than £325,000 as the saving for each post is recurring year on year, although the amount will diminish each year as the new incumbents progress up their pay ranges.

This policy expectation is predicated on the ability to fill the post with a suitable candidate having regard to external market levels, value for money and recruitment and retention issues.When considering the level of reduction, the whole remuneration package (salary, pay range, non-consolidated performance payment, notice period and any other non-salary rewards) is taken into account. All remuneration packages are assessed to ensure they are an appropriate use of public resources to deliver the public services needed.

Over the last 5 years, savings have been made in connection with the following Chief Executive posts.

Bord Gaidhlig na h-Alba

Care Inspectorate

Children's Hearings Scotland

Crown Estate Scotland

Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd

Highlands and Islands Enterprise

National Museums of Scotland

Police Investigations and Review Commissioner

Risk Management Authority

Scottish Canals

Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission

Scottish Enterprise

Scottish Environment Protection Agency

Scottish Funding Councils*

Scottish Rail Holdings Ltd*

Scottish Social Services Council*

sportscotland

Visit Scotland*

Water Industry Commission for Scotland*

* recruitment currently ongoing

Question reference: S6W-28004

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to (a) the First Minister's National Advisory Council on Women and Girls 2024 Report and (b) reported concerns that a lack of urgency, coherence and accountability on the part of the Scottish Government has prevented the implementation of all previous recommendations of the advisory council.

We are grateful to the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls and the Empowering Women Panel for the considerable work they put into the 2024 report. The Scottish Government is committed to working with the Council and Panel to meet our shared goal of greater equality for women and girls. We welcome the report are giving it our full consideration before responding formally to the Council.

While we recognise progress has been made in this area, there is much more to do. I met with the co-chairs of the NACWG recently and discussed how we can best make that progress. I look forward to carrying on that discussion and taking forward any actions required.

Question reference: S6W-27420

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government on what date its Statistics Public Benefit and Privacy Panel (SPBPP) reportedly granted a request by the University of Strathclyde to access data gathered from 134,0000 children in the Health and Wellbeing Census, and whether it will provide any documentation that shows for what reason any such request was granted, in light of the Information Commissioner's Office advice to the Scottish Government in August 2023 that the arrangements for processing the data did not meet requirements of Article 4(5) of the UK GDPR around pseudonymisation, and Article 25 around Data Protection by Design and Default, which created "serious risks" and put children at risk of "potential harms".

The Scottish Government has a robust process in place when it receives access requests to its data for statistics and research purposes: Scottish Government statistics: request our data - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

This web page includes a list of projects that have been approved by the Statistics Public Benefit and Privacy Panel (SPBPP).

The request by the University of Strathclyde to access data gathered in the 2021-22 Health and Wellbeing Census did not progress to final approval and as such this data access request does not feature in the list of approved projects.

Question reference: S6W-28005

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will implement a Scottish version of the UK Government's national school breakfast club programme, specifically with a view to tackling child poverty.

The Scottish Government is committed to developing plans to deliver free breakfasts to all primary and special school children.

Breakfasts are being provided across Scotland by a range of service providers including public, private and third sector. We are working with Local Authorities and key stakeholders to better understand and map existing provision. This work is ongoing and alongside learning from other approaches across the UK, will inform the development of a delivery strategy for breakfast provision, including how a future offer can support the Government's mission to eradicate child poverty.

Question reference: S6W-28036

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many bursaries are available in 2024-25 as part of the teaching bursary scheme.

Question reference: S6W-28039

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 18 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the publication of a "progress report on delivery" of the recommendations that are set out in the paper, Investor Panel: Scottish Government Response to Investor Panel Recommendations.

Question reference: S6W-27569

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 18 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to amending Regulation 15 of the Civil Legal Aid (Scotland) Regulations 2002 to (a) broaden the scope of legal aid to include community groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and (b) ensure that legal aid is available in public interest litigation on environmental matters, in order to comply with access to justice requirements under Article 9(4) of the Aarhus Convention, before the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee’s deadline of 1 October 2024.

The Scottish Government is committed to strengthening compliance with the requirements of the Aarhus Convention. We also remain committed to retaining a demand-led and sustainable system of legal aid, with legal aid funding to remain available to support individuals with the most need. Legal aid can be made available, at present, to individuals whose litigation engages matters of wider public interest, provided it can be demonstrated to the Scottish Legal Aid Board that the outcome of the case will have a direct tangible benefit to them. Our “Vision for Justice in Scotland: three year delivery plan” contains an action to engage with key stakeholders to inform and shape future legislative proposals in relation to the reform of legal aid. Discussions on legal aid reform will take place this year and will include environmental stakeholders.

Question reference: S6W-28096

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 18 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what training packages are in place for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in relation to environmental (a) legislation and (b) crime.

Question reference: S6W-28090

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported data published by the British Medical Association Scotland showing that the top five NHS boards with the highest number of GP vacancies per 100,000 population are within the Highlands and Islands region.

The British Medical Association has used data from the latest General Practice Workforce Survey , published by NHS Education Scotland in December 2023, which collects data on vacancies throughout the year. This report notes data quality concerns over vacancy status and advises caution when referring to vacancy rates published from the survey, which are likely an overestimation. It further suggests that the particularly high vacancy rates for island boards are unlikely to be an accurate reflection of the current staffing situation.

Improving recruitment and retention of GPs and other doctors is vital in all localities, including rural and island areas. The Scottish Government provides a range of supports to the GP workforce, including a rural specific graduate entry medical degree (ScotGEM), Golden Hello payments for harder to fill posts mostly in remote and rural areas, as well as bursaries for GP Speciality Training aimed at attracting GPs to work in rural Scotland. NHS Education for Scotland (NES) also provide a Rural GP Fellowship for those interested in working in general practice in rural and island Boards.

The Scottish Government funds the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care which focuses on recruitment and retention, education and training, research and evaluation, leadership and good practice.

We will publish a Remote and Rural Workforce Recruitment Strategy by the end of 2024.

Question reference: S6W-28075

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any benefits to (a) public expenditure and (b) patients’ wellbeing of an increase in the deployment of combined cataract and glaucoma procedures.

The Scottish Government is committed to fully harnessing the potential of research-proven technological and scientific innovations through their rapid national adoption. The Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway, led by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery and drawing on the expertise of NHS National Services Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Public Health Scotland, and NHS Education for Scotland, has been established to provide a once for Scotland approach to:

• identifying innovations the Scottish Government should consider for national adoption within the NHS through a quarterly horizon scan report

• producing robust value cases around clinical and financial impact

• their national adoption at pace, if approved

The ANIA pathway is governed by an Innovation Design Authority (IDA). This brings together senior Scottish Government and NHS leadership to support improved partnership working, provide system leadership and take joint decisions on the progression of innovations through ANIA stage gates.

Combined cataract and glaucoma procedures will be considered through the ANIA pathway. Scottish Ministers would then consider investment in this programme following any recommendation by the IDA.