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-03933

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 12 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a protocol for ministerial responses to MSPs and, if so, what that is.

Question reference: S6W-03893

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the current level of uptake is of the flu vaccination in 2021, and what the uptake was in each of the two previous years.

Public Health Scotland's weekly respiratory report indicates that up to week 42 (week ending 24th October 2021) a total of 944,989 individuals, among different eligible cohorts, have received influenza vaccine. This season a combination of data recording systems has been used to generate the influenza vaccine uptake data as part of the Vaccine Transformation Programme (VTP) and the adoption of new systems for the scheduling, booking and recording of influenza vaccination. Thus, the data presented for season 2021-22 are not directly comparable to influenza vaccine uptake in previous seasons.

Although it is not possible to directly compare with previous seasons, the data indicated that the overall influenza vaccine uptake for Scotland in 2020-21 was higher than 2019-20 season in most eligible cohorts; notably for those aged 65 years and over with an overall uptake of 79.7 % compared to 74 % in the 2019-20.

Question reference: S6W-03894

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what public information action it has in place to encourage the uptake of the COVID-19 booster vaccine.

On the week commencing 25 October we launched booster campaign activity to support those aged between 60 and 69 and those 16+ with an ongoing health condition who have started to receive their COVID-19 Vaccine Booster appointments.

The main element of the media campaign which includes TV, Radio, Press, Digital and PR activity started 1 November with a generic call to action.

From 15 November, all media activity will direct target audiences to the appointment booking portal. This campaign is covering 91% of the adult population with an average opportunity to see/hear of 21.

The campaign was supported by a wide range of other communications and engagement activity to raise awareness and encourage uptake in the general population as well as specific groups.

Question reference: S6W-03895

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost is of training a medical student.

The cost of funding a Scottish domiciled student from entry to university through to graduation is set out in the first table. The cost of funding a student from the Rest of the UK (RUK) from entry to university through to graduation is set out in the second table.

ScotsDom	SFC	ACT*	SAAS	Total
Year 1	£6,936	£19,500	£1,820	£28,256
Year 2	£6,936	£19,500	£1,820	£28,256
Year 3	£15,592	£19,500	£1,820	£36,912
Year 4	£15,592	£19,500	£1,820	£36,912
Year 5	£15,592	£19,500	£1,820	£36,912
Total	£60,648	£97,500	£9,100	£167,248

RUK	SFC	ACT*	Total
Year 1	0	£19,500	£19,500
Year 2	0	£19,500	£19,500
Year 3	£8,162	£19,500	£27,662
Year 4	£8,162	£19,500	£27,662
Year 5	£8,162	£19,500	£27,662
Total	£24,486	£97,500	£121,986

*ACT – Additional Costs of Teaching (distributed to NHS Scotland Health Boards)

Question reference: S6W-03897

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional medical students it believes will be needed to resolve the reported staffing issues, and how much it believes it will cost to fill these places.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to ensuring a sustainable medical supply pipeline into the NHS. In response to overall UK undersupply of medical graduates, the Scottish Government has been expanding university medical school places since 2016 and has created 269 additional medical undergraduate places (a 32% increase over 2016 levels).

The recent Programme for Government also sets out a further commitment to increase medical school places by 100 per annum over the course of the Parliamentary term and to double the number of widening access places.

Question reference: S6W-03892

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has done of the cost of administering the COVID-19 booster vaccine by GP practices compared with health boards, and what the estimated costs were of both approaches.

Question reference: S6O-00407

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when it will make a decision regarding the level of MSP allowances for staff for 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-01602

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 11 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it plans to start the roll-out of the 2021-22 flu-immunisation programme, and how many people will be eligible for a free flu vaccination, broken down by eligible groups.

We are currently working with Public Health Scotland and Health Boards to plan and deliver the 2021-22 Seasonal Flu Vaccination Programme for the autumn.

We welcome the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation who have indicated that where possible, a COVID-19 vaccination booster programme could run synergistically with the flu vaccination programme. This allows for eligible cohorts to be offered both the flu vaccination and a COVID-19 booster at the same appointment and we are working closely with partners to align the programmes to achieve this where possible (taking into account the minimum 24 week gap required between a 2nd dose and booster).

In light of this advice, we have started this year’s programme on the 6 September aiming to vaccinate over 3 million people, with work completed to identify the eligible group populace. It began with rollout of the childhood and schools programme and Health & Social Care Workers were able to book appointments using the online portal from 21 September. Those age 70 years and over have been sent letters inviting them for vaccination and pregnant women are being offered through maternity services.

Those aged 60-69 years of age are being sent letters from late October inviting them for vaccination and an online self-booking portal is being developed for those aged 50 years and over and unpaid carers to allow people to book an appointment at a convenient time and location allowing greater flexibility during November and December in advance of the anticipated start of flu season.

Cohort	Eligible Population
65 and over-	1,101,519
Children aged 2-5 who cannot receive LAIV	877
Children Aged 2-5	168,209
Primary School Aged Children	421,295
Secondary School Age Children less than 18 years	336,125
Under 65 years old in an at-risk group	773,085
Pregnant women(with & without risk factors)	36,905
Health & social care staff	308,073
Unpaid and young carers	48,600
Independent NHS Contractors, (GP, dental and optometry practices, community pharmacists, laboratory staff working on COVID-19 testing) including support staff	72,919
Teachers, support staff, Prison staff and support staff operating the detention estate.	80,581
Prison population (Fluctuates daily – approximate figure provided. Population may also be included in cohorts above.)	7,500
50-54 not at risk	363,473
55-59 not at risk	356,254
60-64 not at risk	312,366
Total	4,387,781

Influenza vaccine data is published by Public Health Scotland and on the 28 October indicated that 944,989 eligible individuals have received their flu vaccine.

Question reference: S6W-03981

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 11 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when the winter flu period is anticipated to commence in 2021.

Most influenza infections typically occur in the winter months with a peak between December and March. Public Health Scotland produce a weekly report monitoring the surveillance of influenza infection which currently sits at baseline activity (week 42). The latest weekly report can be found here: Weekly national seasonal respiratory report - Week 42 2021 - Weekly national seasonal respiratory report - Publications - Public Health Scotland .

Question reference: S6W-03612

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 08 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 11 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether any reductions to care packages by local authorities will be halted in light of the additional funding of £62 million for unmet need in social care.

The health and social care system is currently experiencing significant pressures. We recognise that some people’s care services have been affected by this, and the impact this may have on them and their unpaid carers.

That is why an investment of more than £300 million for health and social care was announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care on 5 October 2021, including £62 million to address care at home pressures.

This funding will help to enhance capacity in care at home provision. It will help to increase social worker assessment capacity, fulfil unmet need, and deal with the current surge in demand and complexity of individual needs.