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-00529

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients in the NHS Ayrshire and Arran area were discharged when it was not fit to do so in each year since 2017-18.

Question reference: S6W-00576

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been recorded on the palliative care register in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area.

This information is not collected centrally on a national palliative care register, however, under the Primary Medical Services (Directed Enhanced Services) (Scotland) Directions 2018, Health Boards should each have a local Palliative Care Scheme in place to ensure that patients within their areas who reach the last days of their life receive appropriate high quality care. Health Boards are responsible for contracting with GP practices in their areas to assess patients appropriately.

Question reference: S6W-00568

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it uses to determine whether countries are listed as (a) red, (b) amber or (c) green on its international travel and managed isolation regime.

Decisions on the risk rating for individual countries is made on the basis of assessments by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, using a methodology endorsed by the four UK Chief Medical Officers. This takes into account incidence and test positivity, presence of variants of concern, and capability for genomic surveillance in that country, to reach a red, amber or green rating. The travel regulations are devolved public health measures, but we work with the other nations of the UK to come to a consistent view wherever we can.

For example, the recent decision to move Portugal onto the amber list was not one taken lightly. However it was necessary following evidence of rising incidence and higher test positivity than in Scotland. It also showed a strain of the Delta variant with an additional mutation that could mean vaccine resistance. It is therefore vital that we regularly review this data and take the right decisions for Scotland, in order to limit importation of the virus and not reverse progress with the vaccine rollout.

Question reference: S6W-00577

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider changing its COVID-19 regulations regarding the docking of UK cruise ships to enable passengers to embark and disembark in areas at protection level 2 or lower so that they have the same freedoms as people travelling between Scotland and England via plane, train or bus.

The Scottish Government has fully considered all of the suggestions made by stakeholders alongside all current data, scientific evidence and clinical advice available to us. Based on this assessment, subject to the relevant guidance being in place, our recommendation is that cruise restart when all of Scotland reaches Level 1.

While we would have been keen to provide a date, we need to work with the data available and any date would have been subject to review. This decision has been informed by the combination of risks that exist with both cruises and within the wider travel context, such as: the current trajectory of Covid infections and the unknowns around the new Delta variant, the close-proximity form of leisure that cruises offer that has high risk of uncontained rapid transmission, and, the opportunities to spread Covid through multiple stops in different levels around Scotland. These are only some of the risks, and although some of them could be mitigated through good protocols, it is the compound effect of all the risks involved which has led to this decision.

We are committed to reviewing restrictions every 3 weeks as part of the phased national easing through the Levels. The next review point is scheduled ahead of the planned easing of restrictions from 28 June. Our aim is to enable a restart to cruise as quickly and safely as possible and we are keen to continue to work with the sector on any required guidance ahead of this date.

Question reference: S6W-00572

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the NHS Board Performance Escalation Framework and the NHS boards that are currently escalated.

Prior to the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic, there were six Health Boards in Scotland who had been escalated to Stage 3 or above within the NHS Boards Performance Escalation Framework. This is the stage at which Boards are considered to require a higher level of support and oversight, from Scottish Government and/or other senior external support.

Boards can be escalated for a number of different reasons and can have more than one status, reflecting their individual positions. Reasons for escalation include:

Financial position and financial management
Operational Delivery/Performance
Governance, leadership and culture
Quality and safety

The six escalated Boards escalated were as follows:

NHS Ayrshire and Arran
NHS Borders
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
NHS Lothian
NHS Highland
NHS Tayside

Following a recent review of escalated Boards by the Health and Social Care Management Board, and despite the challenges of responding to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the majority of Boards were found to have demonstrated sufficient improvement in relation to the issues which had led to their escalation to justify a reduction in their escalation status. The following table shows the changes which have now been made.

Board	Current Stage after Review	Previous Stage (date)	Primary Factors Influencing Escalation
NHS Ayrshire & Arran	3	3 (July 2018)	Financial position and management
NHS Borders	3	4 (Nov 2018)	Financial position and management;
NHS Borders	2	4 (Nov 2018)	Governance and leadership
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde	4	4 (Nov 19/Jan 20)	QEUH & RHC (Infection control and related issues)
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde	2	4 (Nov 19/Jan 20)	Performance and Service Delivery – including strengthening management capability and capacity
NHS Highland	3	4 (Nov 2018)	Financial position and financial management; Governance, leadership and culture Mental Health Performance
NHS Lothian	1	4 (Sept 2019)	Royal Hospital for Children and Young People
	2	3 (July 2019)	Performance and Service Delivery:
	3	3 (July 2019)	Mental Health Performance
NHS Tayside	3	4 (Feb 2019)	Mental Health Performance
NHS Tayside	2	4 (Feb 2019)	Financial position and financial management and governance and leadership

Scottish Government officials will continue to closely monitor Board performance during this challenging period. Those Boards who remain at Stage 3 or above will continue to receive enhanced support and scrutiny of progress against their plans for improvement.

Question reference: S6O-00034

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the appointment of the new Makar.

Question reference: S6O-00047

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to raise the age of criminal responsibility to the international minimum.

Question reference: S6O-00041

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the presumption against short sentences has had on the number of people who are sent to jail for assaulting emergency workers.

Question reference: S6O-00046

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many projects have been funded by the CashBack for Communities programme in East Lothian since the initiative was launched.

Question reference: S6O-00043

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to tackle violence against women, particularly in relation to prostitution and purchasers of sex.