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-11298

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 31 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a list of any initiatives for which funding distribution has been paused while the Emergency Budget Review is completed, in light of reports in The Scotsman on 16 September 2022 that Creative Scotland was told by ministers that, in relation to the Youth Music Initiative for 2022-23, “all government portfolios have been asked to identify remaining non-contracted spend in 2022/23” and “to defer issuing contracts indefinitely”.

An update was provided to Parliament and the Finance and the Public Administration Committee on 7 September in relation to the Emergency Budget Review. This set out over £500 million of savings in order mitigate the impact of the cost crisis, to meet increased costs arising from public sector pay and unprecedented levels of inflation, and to support our Ukraine response.

As the majority of our spend cannot be changed at this stage of the financial year due to contractual and legal commitments, there are limited options to make savings. With a largely fixed budget, intervention to support those who need most help and manage the nation’s budget will be difficult without impacting further on planned spend and on programmes.

The Scottish Government had previously informed Parliament that a statement setting out an Emergency Budget Review, in relation to the 2022-23 Scottish Budget, was planned for the week commencing 24 October. However, following the unprecedented uncertainty and instability brought about by the UK Government in recent weeks, on 25 October I announced that the outcome of the Emergency Budget Review would be deferred until after the UK Government fiscal statement which was, at that time, scheduled for 31 October. On 26 October, the UK Government delayed its fiscal statement and independent forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility until 17 November. As such, it is prudent to review the timing for the Emergency Budget Review. The Scottish Parliament will be kept informed regarding the timing of the statement.

Question reference: S6O-01448

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to support the museum and gallery sector during the cost of living crisis.

Question reference: S6T-00904

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 October 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland's report, Ending the exclusion: Care, treatment and support for people with mental ill health and problem substance use in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-01434

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring the availability of affordable housing, including for students at Scottish universities.

Question reference: S6T-00841

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is responding to the report, Drug-related Deaths in Scotland in 2021, which was published on 28 July 2022.

Question reference: S6W-10130

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have used the Never Use Alone phone line, run by the charity We Are With You, since its launch, and, of those, how many have been referred to (a) drug treatment services and (b) other forms of support.

From November 2021 to 1 July 2022, and from the 3 areas used in the initial pilot (Glasgow and North and South Ayrshire), there have been:

•102 calls to the line in total - 38 were outside opening hours, 24 chose to hang up before speaking with an advisor.

•40 calls were answered

•23 of these calls resulted in a supervised consumption, (70% injected or smoked heroin, 20% injected or smoked cocaine).

•None of the calls required the intervention of emergency services

Everyone who accessed the service was offered a link to drug treatment services. All of those who used the supervised consumption element of the phone line were already engaged with drug treatment services.

Everyone who called the service was offered postal naloxone and injecting equipment provision (IEP). Postal naloxone was requested by 8% of people who called the phone line and this was provided in every case.

Referrals were also made to: mental health support (3%); homelessness/housing support (3%); other support (13%). Foodbank information was also supplied to 10% of callers .

Question reference: S6W-10131

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what advice and support the Never Use Alone phone line, run by the charity We Are With You, provides.

The Never Use Alone phone line is a number that an individual can call when they are about to use drugs alone. The staff will ask for some basic information before the person uses, including: what you want to be called; the number you are calling from, so the operator can call back if cut-off; an exact location and how emergency service could gain access; and what substance the individual is about to take. If that individual stops responding after they have taken the substance, the operator will notify emergency services of the location and possible overdose, so a medical professional can get to them as quickly as possible.

Additional information provided through the service includes: details about local drug services, including injecting equipment provision and information about accessing same-day prescribing; information about postal naloxone (provided through Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol); and other support services such as mental health and housing. All callers are treated with respect and in a non-judgmental way.

The dedicated WAWY service co-ordinator has also conducted awareness raising, information and harm reduction sessions with a range of Alcohol and Drug Partnership services, prevention and overdose response teams, residential treatment services, homelessness services, needle exchanges and recovery cafes. These have taken place all across Glasgow, Paisley and the Ayrshires.

Question reference: S6W-10208

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the 1,330 drug-related deaths recorded in 2021, in how many of these cases were toxicology results outstanding after (a) one month (b) three months (c) six months (d) nine months, (e) 12 months and (f) 15 months, broken down by (i) alcohol and drug partnership and (ii) NHS board.

All toxicology results relating to drugs-related deaths recorded in 2021 were reported within 9 months of receipt of the sample, with 2 cases being reported within one month; 1,313 cases within 1 to 3 months; 9 cases within 3 to 6 months; and one case within 6 to 9 months. There were no results outstanding after 9 months. Cases are recorded by Procurator Fiscal Area. The incidence of the cases have been mapped on to NHS Boards and Alcohol & Drugs Partnerships areas as set out in the following table.

No. of cases reported within 1 month of receipt	No. of cases reported within 3 months of receipt	No. of cases reported within 3 to 6 months of receipt	No. of cases reported within 6 to 9 months of receipt	Procurator Fiscal Area	Alcohol & Drugs Partnerships	NHS Board
	29			Ayr	South Ayrshire	NHS Ayrshire & Arran
	1			Campbeltown	Argyll & Bute	NHS Highland
	32			Dumbarton	West Dunbartonshire	NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
1	33	1		Dumfries	Dumfries & Galloway	NHS Dumfries & Galloway
	64			Dundee	Dundee City	NHS Tayside
	4			Dunoon	Argyll & Bute	NHS Highland
	169	4	1	Edinburgh	City of Edinburgh	NHS Lothian
	81			Falkirk	Falkirk	NHS Forth Valley
	20			Forfar	Angus	NHS Tayside
	78			Glasgow Central West (A) Division	Glasgow City	NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
	186			Glasgow East (E) Division	Glasgow City	NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
	110	2		Glasgow South (G) Division	Glasgow City	NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
	15			Greenock	Inverclyde	NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
	158			Hamilton	South Lanarkshire	NHS Lanarkshire
	11			Jedburgh	Borders	NHS Borders
	85			Kirkcaldy	Fife	NHS Fife
	89			Kilmarnock	East Ayrshire	NHS Ayrshire & Arran
	44			Livingston	West Lothian	NHS Lothian
	3	1		Oban	Argyll & Bute	NHS Highland
1	60	1		Paisley	Renfrewshire	NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
	21			Perth	Perth & Kinross	NHS Tayside
	10			Selkirk	Borders	NHS Borders
	10			Stranraer	Dumfries & Galloway	NHS Borders
2	1,313	9	1	Total

Question reference: S6O-01161

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is responding to the findings of the evaluation of the Small Business Bonus Scheme that it commissioned, which was carried out by the Fraser of Allander Institute.

Question reference: S6O-01099

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with the Levenmouth Rail Link, including the planned reopening date.