- Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the effectiveness of Social Security Scotland.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025
- Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to prescribe medicines have been made under the Peer Approved Clinical System (PACS) Tier Two process in each NHS board in each year since the accompanying guidance was issued in March 2018.
Answer
There is a requirement for Health Boards to maintain accurate and up to date information on PACS Tier Two requests. The Scottish Government does not hold validated data on the number of PACS applications that Health Boards have received from clinicians. This information would need to be requested from Health Boards directly.
Health Boards are required to capture and share data as retrospective “in confidence” summary reports with the Scottish Government on a quarterly basis. The data received by Scottish Government is retained for internal management purposes only and is not formally validated.
Notably, the majority of collated PACS Tier Two requests are for fewer than five medicines; and data for numbers fewer than five are deemed to be patient identifiable and cannot be published.
- Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether its guidance on the Peer Approved Clinical System (PACS) issued to NHS boards in March 2018 remains valid, and what modifications to the guidance have been issued since that date.
Answer
Guidance on the Peer Approved Clinical System (PACS) Tier Two process was published on 29 March 2018. This guidance remains valid for all Health Boards in Scotland.
- Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances an application can be made to prescribe a medicine under the Peer Approved Clinical System (PACS) Tier (a) One and (b) Two process.
Answer
The Peer Approved Clinical System (PACS) Tier One process is designed to provide an opportunity for clinicians, on a case by case basis for individual patients, to request the use of a licensed ultra-orphan medicine that is not recommended by the Scottish Medicine Consortium (SMC).
The PACS Tier Two process is designed to provide an opportunity for clinicians, on a case by case basis for individual patients, to request the use of a licensed medicine (other than an ultra-orphan medicine) that:
- is a medicine for an indication that has been considered and not recommended by the SMC for routine use in NHS Scotland; or
- is a medicine accepted for restricted use by the SMC but the intended use is out with the SMC restrictions; or
- is a medicine which has been submitted to the SMC and is awaiting/undergoing evaluation.
- Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to prescribe medicines have been granted under the Peer Approved Clinical System (PACS) Tier Two process in each NHS board in each year since the accompanying guidance was issued in March 2018.
Answer
There is a requirement for Health Boards to maintain accurate and up to date information on PACS Tier Two requests and their outcomes. The Scottish Government does not hold validated data on the number of PACS applications that Health Boards have granted. This information would need to be requested from Health Boards directly.
Health Boards are required to capture and share data as retrospective “in confidence” summary reports with the Scottish Government on a quarterly basis. The data received by Scottish Government are retained for internal management purposes only and are not formally validated.
Notably, the majority of collated PACS Tier Two requests are for fewer than five medicines; and data for numbers fewer than five are deemed to be patient identifiable and cannot be published.
- Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) oversight is exercised and (b) data collection is undertaken by ministers regarding the Peer Approved Clinical System (PACS).
Answer
The Peer Approved Clinical System (PACS) decisions are clinical decisions taken independently of Ministers and Parliament and remain a matter for Health Boards.
There is a requirement for Health Boards to maintain accurate and up to date information on PACS Tier Two requests and their outcomes. Health Boards are required to capture and share data as retrospective in confidence summary reports with the Scottish Government on a quarterly basis. The data is retained for internal management purposes only and is not formally validated.
- Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the heritage sector to conserve historic sites.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2025
- Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, of the reported 513 residential rehabilitation beds in Scotland, how many are designated for (a) alcohol detoxification and (b) drug rehabilitation; also broken down by how many are currently occupied, and what the lowest occupancy rate was in the calendar year, 2024.
Answer
The residential rehabilitation bed capacity survey, published in November 2024, received responses from 25 residential rehabilitation facilities with bed capacity currently in operation that met the definition of residential rehabilitation developed by the Residential Rehabilitation Development Working Group. The bed capacity is not broken down into the number of alcohol detoxification or drug rehabilitation beds.
Facilities were asked to report on their maximum number of beds for residential rehabilitation treatment, and it should be noted that this is not the same as the number of beds occupied.
Unfortunately, the Scottish Government do not hold information on how many beds are currently occupied and what the lowest rate was in 2024. We have however responded to calls for more transparency and accountability by commissioning Public Health Scotland to develop a National Core Minimum Dataset which will form the basis for the monitoring of residential rehabilitation.
- Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 11 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how much from its 2025-26 budget has been allocated towards the potential purchase of Ardrossan Harbour.
Answer
Consideration of potential purchase of Ardrossan Harbour involves confidential commercial discussions between Peel Ports Group and CMAL. We are not able to share detail on potential costs at this point. An indicative allowance has been made within the wider Vessels and Piers line in table 8.06 of the Scottish Government Budget to support this should an agreement be reached. As indicated, any consideration on purchase is subject to a fair settlement being negotiated and due diligence undertaken.
- Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what upgrades are planned for the A82 in 2025-26.
Answer
From a trunk road maintenance perspective, the following upgrades are currently being planned for the A82 in the 2025-26 financial year:
Renton Rd U/B to Cardross Rd U/B – Structural Maintenance
- Lomond Gate roundabout to Barloan Toll roundabout NB & SB - Structural Maintenance
- A82 Dalnottar Int to Dumbarton Rd Jct NB - Structural Maintenance
- Between Dunglass roundabout and Dumbuck – Drainage improvements
- A82 Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit - New northbound layby
- A82 Glen Coe - Rock slope mitigation works
- A82 Grotaig - Rock slope mitigation works
- Glenurquhart Road, Inverness – Footway improvements
- Auch Estate - Edge strip hardening works
- Stoneymollan to Luss - Junction improvements
- Glen Falloch - Vehicle restraint upgrades
- Fort William to Spean Bridge - Vehicle restraint upgrades
- A82 Lomondgate Roundabout - upgraded road markings and localised widening
- A898/A82 interchange - Road safety measures identified from an investigation in 2024/25 will be programmed for construction.
- A82 Erskine to Dunglass - installation of an advanced direction sign (pending resolution of slope remediation works)
- A82 1110 Leagann Bridge - Concrete repair
- A82 1160 Ceannside Bridge – Re-waterproofing and concrete repairs
- A82 1390 Borlum Bridge – Re-waterproofing
- A82 615 C19 Auch 4 Culvert - Verge repair
- A82 500 Allt Fionne Ghlinne N Bridge – Parapet replacement
- A82 1080 W53 Loch Lochyside 2 Retaining Wall - Gabion repairs
- A82 240 Fruin Old Bridge - Scour repairs
The exact dates for the works are still to be confirmed as all schemes are in the process of being investigated.
