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-21343

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address recently reported safety concerns in the accident and emergency department in Dr Gray's Hospital.

Question reference: S6W-20889

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 20 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that its recent statutory guidance on Scotland's Guiding Principles on the Environment is embedded in the process of developing a new agricultural policy framework.

The Scottish Government is committed to upholding high standards of environmental protection. The statutory guidance on Scotland’s Guiding Principles on the Environment will help ensure that these high standards are maintained through the policy development process. Once the duty to give due regard to the environmental principles comes into force later in the year, Ministers will be legally required to consider these principles in the development of new policies, including through the Strategic Environmental Assessment process. This requirement will encompass policies within the new agricultural policy framework. We have committed in our Programme for Government to ‘continue the Agricultural Reform Programme to produce more of our food sustainably, cut carbon emissions, and farm with nature, by increasing the uptake of carbon audits, soil testing, and biodiversity audits and funding to improve animal health’.

Question reference: S6W-21011

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in entering arrangements where a contingent liability arises, in addition to the requirements for reporting and seeking any necessary consent, what (a) cash provision within a departmental or agency budget is required to be made prior to any crystallisation of the liability and (b) the effect is on the measurement of Scottish public spending of any accounting provision made for future contingent liabilities.

Contingent liabilities are considered and approved in line with the guidance contained within the Scottish Public Finance Manual and in the Written Agreement between the Scottish Government and the Finance and Public Administration Committee. The Budget treatment applied is consistent with HMT’s Consolidated Budgeting Guidance:

Amounts for contingent liabilities are not included in the budget, nor recognised as actual liabilities on the Scottish Government’s balance sheet, but are instead disclosed in notes to their accounts.

The Scottish Government considers in the course of drawing up its budget whether any contingent liabilities are likely to crystallise and will make plans to absorb any such impact within the existing budget.

The recognition of a contingent liability does not in itself have an impact on Scottish Government’s public spending.

Question reference: S6W-21012

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, beyond the rules for the treatment of contingent liabilities specified in the Scottish Public Finance Manual, whether any requirement exists under the Fiscal Framework, or elsewhere, for the prior permission of the UK Treasury for novel or particularly large contingent liabilities to be entered into by the Scottish Government, and, if so, what cash limits exist for any specific arrangement, or the aggregate of any arrangements, in relation to which UK Treasury permission may be required.

The Scottish Government's contingent liabilities are considered and approved in line with the guidance contained within the Scottish Public Finance Manual and the Written Agreement between the Scottish Government and the Finance and Public Administration Committee.

There is no separate requirement for the prior permission of HM Treasury for novel or particularly large contingent liabilities for activities either within the Fiscal Framework or elsewhere.

Question reference: S6W-20719

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to join the National Dash Cam Safety Portal.

The project to introduce a pilot National Dashcam Safety Portal in Scotland is in the initial business case stage, with Police Scotland currently looking at the internal processing, handling and storage of digital images and how that best fits with current and projected processes. The initial implementation date for the project pilot was indicated as January 2023, however, Police Scotland has now stated that they are reviewing the project’s timings as part of their wider planning for 2023-24 and beyond.

My officials remain in discussion with Police Scotland on this matter and will meet with them again later in August as we look to progress this important road safety initiative.

Question reference: S6W-20720

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on joining the National Dash Cam Safety Portal.

Officials received a scoping paper from Police Scotland that outlines their programme for delivery, particularly on what they are looking to deliver and a detailed timescale. My officials met with Police Scotland on 13 July and during the meeting they discussed the development of the business case. The business case will look at the service design, delivery, organisation policy and life time management of the National Dashcam Safety Portal.

My officials remain in discussion with Police Scotland on this matter and will meet with them again later in August as we look to progress this important road safety initiative.

Question reference: S6W-19826

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to each NHS board for neurology treatment in each of the last five years, also broken down by condition.

Question reference: S6W-19800

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 31 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) practices and (b) dentists have (i) established new, (ii) expanded and (iii) purchased existing dental practices through the Scottish Dental Access Initiative since it was launched.

For the period 2007 to 2020 our records show the number of Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI) Grants made by NHS Boards as follows:

	Practice
Established a new practice	68
Expanded a practice	63
Purchased an existing practice	30

We are in the process of updating our records for the period following the interruption of the pandemic and will provide updated figures as soon as possible. There have been a number of practices interested in SDAI in recent weeks with applications expected to be submitted by Health Boards shortly.

Question reference: S6W-19799

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 31 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS boards currently have access to the Scottish Dental Access Initiative.

Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI) grants are currently available in certain areas within 12 NHS Boards, as follows:

NHS Borders;
NHS Dumfries and Galloway;
Dalmellington and Patna within NHS Ayrshire and Arran;
Auchtermuchty, Leslie, Newburgh and Tayport within NHS Fife;
Stirlingshire within NHS Forth Valley;
Banff, Fraserburgh, Huntly and Moray within NHS Grampian;
Inverclyde within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde;
NHS Highland;
NHS Orkney;
NHS Shetland;
Arbroath, Dundee, Forfar, Monifieth and Kinross within NHS Tayside; and
NHS Western Isles.

Question reference: S6W-19801

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 31 July 2023

Information on the number of dental students expected to graduate is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Scottish Government makes a recommendation on intake targets each year for Scottish dental schools but we do not hold information on students’ progress towards graduation. However, dentistry generally has a high completion rate and NHS Education for Scotland forecast data predicts around 160 graduates will enter into dental vocational training in 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26.