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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 9475 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-29147

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will encourage Tradebe to honour its reported pledge to process clinical waste in Scotland rather than transporting it to Wales.

Question reference: S6F-03298

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2024

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to reports that newly qualified nurses are unable to find employment in the NHS despite there being over 3,300 whole-time equivalent unfilled nursing and midwifery vacancies.

Question reference: S6W-29167

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many whole-time equivalent anaesthetists have (a) been employed and (b) retired or left the profession, in each year since 2019.

The information requested on how many whole-time equivalent anaesthetists have been employed in each year since 2019 can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (Employment over time tab, anaesthetics consultants).

The information requested on how many whole-time equivalent anaesthetists have left the profession, in each year since 2019 can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (Turnover tab).

The requested information on how many whole-time equivalent anaesthetists have retired in each year since 2019 is not centrally available.

Question reference: S6W-28676

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 27 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27595 by Kate Forbes on 30 May 2024, whether its special advisers are now subject to the Scottish Ministerial Code, and, if this is not the case, when it plans to extend the application of the Scottish Ministerial Code to special advisers.

As noted in the answer to parliamentary question S6W-27596 on 30 May 2024, the Scottish Ministerial Code only applies to Scottish Ministers and does not apply to special advisers, who are bound by the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. The Scottish Government has no plans to extend the application of the Ministerial Code to special advisers.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6W-28870

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many people are affected, on a day-to-day basis, by thrombosis and related conditions, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) age group.

Question reference: S6W-28871

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much money NHS Scotland has spent treating people affected by thrombosis and related conditions, broken down by NHS board, from 2004 to the most recent available data.

Question reference: S6W-28872

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been spent to raise awareness of thrombosis, in each year since 2018, also broken down by NHS board.

Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does hold the information on how much each NHS board spends on raising awareness of thrombosis.

Although the Scottish Government has not funded a national awareness raising campaign for thrombosis in recent years, in December 2023, Scottish Government social media health channels ran a series of online awareness-raising messages on the risks and symptoms of DVT.

In addition, the guidance available to the general public on NHS Inform on deep vein thrombosis is reviewed regularly to ensure it is up to date, with the most recent update taking place in July 2024.

To support clinicians, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) are responsible for publishing new rapid guidelines, with SIGN 122 and SIGN 163(specifically in relation to the prevention and management of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and VTE in patients with COVID-19 respectively) both being available.

SIGN supports the implementation of these guidelines by; raising awareness; networking with national projects and clinical networks; and developing implementation support tools and resources alongside specific guidelines.

The Scottish Government have no current plans run a national awareness campaign for thrombosis, however we are engaging with stakeholders and intend to mark World Thrombosis Day in October via social media channels.

Question reference: S6W-28674

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 26 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on any proposals to make legislative reforms in relation to MSPs’ privilege when speaking in the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-28926

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the immediate stabilisation of ill or premature babies born at University Hospital Wishaw or within the NHS Lanarkshire area, following the reported proposal to downgrade Wishaw’s Neonatal Unit from level 3 to level 2.

The expectation is that the mothers in threatened extreme preterm labour, or those whose babies will require surgery, will be identified antenatally and will birth in the maternity unit alongside the NICU. The Scottish Perinatal Network has published guidance on in-utero obstetric transfer in these circumstances.

Local Neonatal Units (LNU’s) will continue to deliver intensive care and care for babies from 27+0 weeks that need stabilisation and treatment, and both nursing staff and medical staff will continue to have experience in delivering these aspects of intensive care. We have asked Regional Chief Executives to consider arrangements for ongoing professional development of staff where required within their Regional Implementation Plans.

Question reference: S6W-28928

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will guarantee that there will be no deterioration of neonatal clinical outcomes following the proposed reconfiguration of services outlined in The Best Start: A Five-Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland.

Evidence shows that the very smallest and sickest babies, including those born extremely premature (less than 27 weeks gestation), do best when they are cared for in larger specialist neonatal units which look after a lot of these babies, and have the right staff and services available on site to give them the very best care.

The Best Start report recommended that we move to three of these units in Scotland, to meet the needs of our population, and neonatal experts then went through a rigorous process to decide on the three NICUs.

It is important that we ensure that all babies born in Scotland receive the best and most up to date care, provided by appropriately trained staff. Outcomes in all units will be monitored following the changes, and we are developing plans for long term evaluation of outcomes of the package of changes outlined in The Best Start.