Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-39055

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports deer management in (a) lowland and (b) semi-rural areas.

Question reference: S6W-38501

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of waiting times for individuals seeking elective surgery for hernias within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

We know many people are still waiting too long and this is not good enough. We are determined do more and our Budget will provide a record £21.7 billion for health and social care. More than £106 million additional funding has been allocated to Health Boards to help tackle the longest waits for procedures and operations, including more than £5 million targeted funding for General Surgery (the speciality that covers hernia operations).

Question reference: S6W-38499

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the current average wait time is for individuals seeking elective surgery for hernias within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) uses the national waiting times data mart to collect electronic patient records covering the waits that patients experience waiting for treatment as an inpatient or day case under the Treatment Time Guarantee. This data source can be used routinely to identify the specialty of treatment. However, although the records are designed to collect coded information on the procedure that is planned for the patient, this information is often either incomplete, lacking in essential detail and/or its accuracy cannot be assured. In addition, for patients who have completed their wait the procedures that was planned may not always reflect the procedure actually performed after they were admitted for treatment. The latter is not captured through the national data mart. Consequently, PHS is not currently able to report accurately on waiting times to this level of detail.

More detailed information on the procedures that is planned or undertaken for a patient will be held locally by NHS boards.

Question reference: S6W-38500

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed waiting times for hernia operations with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Ministers and Scottish Government officials regularly meet with the leadership of all NHS Boards to provide support and scrutiny whilst reinforcing national priorities, including further action to reduce waiting times.

In addition, the Scottish Government commissioned the ‘National Planned Care Team’ – part of the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) - to support both scheduled and unscheduled service delivery, meeting with all Health Boards either monthly, bimonthly, quarterly or as needed.

The National Planned Care Team supports NHS Boards to address their waiting times through engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, and supports various strategies to reduce the number and length of waits, minimise clinical risk, and ensure capacity is maximised.

Scottish Government officials and the National Planned Care Team meet monthly with Chief Operating Officers and/or Acute Directors from all mainland Health Boards to review performance and delivery across all Planned Care specialities, including General Surgery (the speciality that covers hernia operations).

Question reference: S6W-37611

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether local authorities have the power to prescribe or restrict the type of vehicular traffic that can use a particular road.

Roads Authorities in Scotland, such as local authorities and Transport Scotland can, under existing legislation, restrict the type of vehicular traffic that can be used on roads within their remit.

The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 allows for the making of Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) for specific reasons and these can have various types of restrictions such as access restrictions, time-limited restrictions or vehicle class based restrictions.

It is for each Road Authority to ensure their TROs are appropriate and fit for purpose.

Question reference: S6W-37612

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it or its relevant agencies have the power to prescribe or restrict the type of vehicular traffic that can use a particular road.

Roads Authorities in Scotland, such as local authorities and Transport Scotland can, under existing legislation, restrict the type of vehicular traffic that can be used on roads within their remit.

The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 allows for the making of Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) for specific reasons and these can have various types of restrictions such as access restrictions, time-limited restrictions or vehicle class based restrictions.

It is for each Road Authority to ensure their TROs are appropriate and fit for purpose.

Question reference: S6W-37261

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted any analysis of the appropriate level of payment for Funeral Support Payment since its introduction in 2019.

The Funeral Support Payment helps towards funeral costs, it is not intended to cover the full cost of a funeral.

There is a statutory duty to uprate the payment annually in line with inflation, unlike the UK Government equivalent which does not increase annually.

The Scottish Government published the Funeral Support Payment evaluation in July 2022, which found that the payment reduced the need for people to borrow money to arrange a funeral.

We are committed to continually improving Scottish benefits and last year made improvements to the payment, further supporting bereaved people.

Question reference: S6W-36943

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards operate their own shingles vaccination programme, and how it is ensuring equitable access to the vaccine across all NHS boards.

All Health Boards in Scotland have the responsibility for delivering the shingles vaccination programme and have operational flexibility to reflect local needs.

Each year, individuals become eligible for vaccination depending on their age on 1 September. Boards can decide when it is most suitable to deliver this effectively alongside other immunisation programmes.

The Chief Medical Officer publishes advice for health professionals which includes the programme eligibility, priority and asks Health Boards to include an element of proactive inclusion work to reduce health inequalities. He also asks for a particular focus on underserved communities; this might include people living in the areas of highest deprivation and certain ethnicities who may experience lower vaccine uptake.

Question reference: S6W-36942

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for eligible NHS patients to receive the shingles vaccine.

The Shingles vaccination programme was first introduced in Scotland in 2013. In 2023, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended the use of a new two-course vaccine and the expansion of the age cohorts to protect individuals at an earlier age. They recommended a phased implementation over ten years. Currently, individuals who are age 65 and 70, over age 50 with a severely weakened immune system and people with certain health conditions are eligible for two doses of shingles vaccine. The second dose is usually offered between 2 and 12 months after the first. Eligible individuals will be contacted by their local NHS Immunisation team. Most Immunisation teams begin inviting patients forward from January onwards.

In due course, those who reach age 60 or 65 years during the period 1 September 2028 to 31 August 2033 will become eligible from 1 September in the relevant year.

Question reference: S6W-36944

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent research suggesting that the shingles vaccine might reduce the risk of dementia by up to 20%, whether it plans to (a) expand or (b) accelerate the rollout of the vaccine.

Recent research suggests vaccination for shingles with the live attenuated herpes zoster vaccine (Zostavax®) could be linked to a reduction in the risk of developing dementia.

In the UK, Zostavax®, a live vaccine, was routinely offered to those eligible for the NHS shingles programme and not contraindicated to the vaccine.

In February 2019, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommended that Shingrix® a non-live vaccine, should replace Zostavax® in the routine programme and since 1 September 2023, all newly eligible individuals have been offered the non-live shingles vaccine Shingrix®.

Chamber and committees