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-23235

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Scottish Medicines Consortium methodologies remain fit for purpose in the assessment of gene-edited precision medicines where a single treatment may have lifelong benefit.

In Scotland, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) appraises the clinical and cost-effectiveness of newly licensed medicines. The SMC has a transparent and robust process that is fully described on its website. It is worth noting that any SMC appraisal is undertaken independently of Scottish Ministers and is based on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a medicine at a population level.

The SMC’s process allows companies to present a cost-effectiveness case which sets out the predicted health benefits of their treatment (including one-off treatments) over a person’s lifetime, and the SMC’s assessments follow standard methodology for such calculations. In addition, in the assessment of innovative medicines for rare conditions (including gene-edited precision medicines where a single treatment may have lifelong benefit), the SMC process involves additional flexibilities as outlined on its website. By way of an example, in 2021, the SMC was the first health technology appraisal body in the UK to accept a one-off gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy.

Question reference: S6W-23234

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what factors and processes aim to ensure that NHS patients have equal access to innovative medicines, including one-off gene-edited treatments for debilitating inherited conditions.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) provides advice to NHS Scotland on a ‘once for Scotland’ basis about the value for patients of newly licensed medicines, including innovative cell and gene therapies such as one-off gene-edited treatments for debilitating inherited conditions.

For example, in 2021, the SMC was the first health technology appraisal body in the UK to accept a gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy. This ensures that NHS patients have equal access to innovative medicines that are clinically and cost-effective. The SMC has a transparent and robust process that is fully described on its website.

Question reference: S6W-23174

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB) on 5 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what advice was provided to MSPs and staff regarding the existence of a quarantine box for incoming emails, in addition to their inbox and junk mail.

The Quarantine mailbox provides a holding area for email messages that are automatically identified as potentially harmful (e.g., potential phishing and malware messages).

The IT Helpdesk initially sent out emails to all users to raise awareness of the Junk and Quarantine storage areas when it was introduced and most recently in 2020. Since then, the screens at the BIT Engagement desk at Holyrood have been used to remind Members about the existence of the Quarantine area, and staff have been available to offer advice and assistance on accessing the folder.

Staff in the BIT Office are currently investigating a means of more actively alerting Members and other users of the email system to any quarantined email messages. The alerts will take the form of a weekly roundup email reminding users to release or delete items as appropriate.

Once testing has been completed further communications will be issued by the IT Helpdesk.

Question reference: S6O-02840

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding the maximum time that a family should be expected to wait for a post-mortem report following the death of a loved one.

Question reference: S6F-02554

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Autumn Statement.

Question reference: S6O-02758

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what impact UK Government annual financial settlements have on its ability to undertake long-term financial planning.

Question reference: S6W-22294

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 15 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for Discretionary Funds to be released to colleges by the Student Awards Agency Scotland to enable this to be used to support students who are facing hardship.

Question reference: S6W-22220

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) it and (b) local authorities will save from a reduction in employer contributions to the Strathclyde Pension Fund.

The Scottish Government will not directly save money as a result of the reduction to employer contribution rates to the Strathclyde Pension Fund. Instead, it is the individual employers, including local authorities, who will save.

The amount each scheme employer will save will depend on their pensionable pay-bill and the employer pension contribution rate they are required to pay. These rates have not yet been set for employers outside of the Main Employer Group (MEG) (the 12 local authorities participating in the Fund and arm’s length external organisations).

In very broad terms, the Strathclyde Pension Fund has estimated the overall financial impact on employer contributions in the MEG, to be a £366m saving in years 1 and 2, and £51m p.a. thereafter.

Question reference: S6W-22135

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21281 by Dorothy Bain on 21 September 2023, what its position is on whether a wait of five months for a family to receive a post-mortem report is acceptable.

Bereaved families should not have to wait to receive final confirmation of the cause of death and it is imperative that information about their loved one is provided as soon as possible. As the Lord Advocate noted in her response to S6W-21281, there have been delays in reporting post-mortem results, which is unacceptable. She also recognised that collaborative work has been done to resolve the delays, and that significant progress is expected within the next few weeks.

The Lord Advocate has responsibility for the investigation of all sudden, suspicious, accidental and unexplained deaths in Scotland – including providing bereaved families with the final confirmation of the cause of death of a loved one following receipt of the post mortem report. The Lord Advocate set out her position on post-mortem toxicology delays in her answer to question S6W-21281.

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-22010

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to standardise governance processes across the NHS to improve efficiency, reduce duplication and encourage innovation, and, if so, when it will do so.

The Blueprint for Good Governance in NHS Scotland has been adopted by all NHS Boards. The second edition, published in December 2022, places more emphasis on the delivery mechanisms and the need to apply a continuous improvement approach to reviewing governance arrangements. Support for innovation and the role of NHS Boards in delivering this is a key component of the Blueprint.

To provide assurance on implementation of the Blueprint, all NHS Boards will complete an annual self-assessment, the outcome of which will be used to create Board Governance Development Plans. Plans will be used by NHS Boards to refine and improve their governance processes and the Scottish Government will look at key themes and national lessons to support further development of our approach to governance.