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: S5W-00946

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 14 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on (a) its doubling of the number of motor neurone disease (MND) specialist nurses and (b) research that it is funding to find a cure for MND.

I am delighted to confirm that the Scottish Government have delivered on the pledge to double the number of motor neurone disease (MND) clinical specialist nurses. Their number has increased from 5.6 whole time equivalent (WTE) to 12.9 WTE. MND specialist nurses have been paid centrally since April 2015.

The Scottish Government supports medical research aimed at better understanding of neurodegenerative diseases including MND, with the goal of developing effective new treatments and diagnostic approaches. Through the Chief Scientist Office, the Scottish Government is currently co-funding a clinical academic fellowship with the charities MND Scotland and the MND Association. This project, which is due to report in 2018, is using state of the art techniques to improve knowledge of how to best diagnose patients and to predict survival, thereby optimising the care patients receive.

In addition, the Scottish Government has committed to funding three PhD studentships in MND. Discussions to identify key areas of research needed in MND are planned to help ensure these studentships have the maximum impact. These discussions will shape the research calls and inform funding requirements.

Question reference: S4O-05662

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the potential impact on education in Scotland of the UK withdrawing from the EU.

Question reference: S4T-01351

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 March 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to mark International Women’s Day.

Question reference: S4W-30254

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2016
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 3 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in meeting the target of ensuring that ministerial public appointments are more diverse and reflective of the population, as set out in its Equality Outcomes and Mainstreaming Report 2015.

In 2015, Scottish Ministers appointed more women than men, on merit, to positions on the boards of Scotland’s public bodies. 54% of those appointed under the process regulated by the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland were women, representing a significant step forward in progress towards our aim of achieving broader diversity in Scotland’s leadership, and an historic first for Scotland. Statistics for appointments made in 2015 and an analysis is available from 3 March 2016 at: www.appointed-for-scotland.org.

Question reference: S4W-30015

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 2 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that people who have had gender reassignment can have their new gender reflected in their medical records.

Question reference: S4T-01323

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 February 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the announcement of a referendum on membership of the EU on 23 June 2016.

Question reference: S4O-05577

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 February 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what support the justice system gives to people with autism.

Question reference: S4W-29532

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 9 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it works with (a) the NHS and (b) local authorities to support young people experiencing mental health illnesses.

We want to drive improvements in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and are committed to working with NHS health boards and their partners to ensure that young people of any age get access to high quality mental health services. That is why we introduced the CAMHS HEAT referral to treatment waiting times target.

The Quality, Efficiency and Support Team (QuEST) at the Scottish Government commissions, supports and leads a number of national programmes to support improvement in the quality, efficiency and value of healthcare within NHS Scotland. QuEST mental health colleagues, in collaboration with policy leads, are continuing to provide support to NHS boards to improve data collection and deliver service improvements which are sustainable.

From 2014 to 2016 the Scottish Government has announced an additional
£150 million over a five year period for mental health. On 12 January 2016 the First Minister announced that £54.1 million of that will be used to improve access to mental health services which includes CAMHS.

The Scottish Government provides funding and strategic direction for NHS boards. It is the responsibility of NHS boards as commissioners of services to engage with local authorities and other services to ensure they meet the needs of their local population.

Question reference: S4W-29536

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what training it provides to teachers regarding mental health issues.

The Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) Act (Scotland) 2007 places a number of duties on local education authorities including ensuring that schools are health promoting. This includes promoting physical, social, mental and emotional wellbeing by supporting pupils to make positive lifestyle choices in relation to their health and wellbeing.

All adults who work in schools have a responsibility to support and develop mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing. It is for the local authority and schools to decide how to develop their own approaches to ensure staff have the appropriate skills to implement Curriculum for Excellence, based on local needs and circumstances.

Education Scotland, in partnership with NHS Health Scotland, has developed a five year strategic plan which will roll out ‘Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid' training nationally in secondary school communities. This will complement the range of initiatives and approaches to support mental health and mental wellbeing that local authorities already have in place. The first five local authorities have completed training (West Dunbartonshire, North Ayrshire, Clackmannanshire, North Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire). The main objectives were as follows:

Those undertaking the training (identified members of secondary school staff and partners) will develop the knowledge, skills and confidence required to approach and give initial help to children and young people experiencing mental health problems;

A greater number of pupils experiencing mental health problems will receive initial support when needed; and

Support for learners from the most deprived areas and from particular vulnerable groups. Local authorities will be able to target support to the school communities that need it most (support will be organised in such a way as to complement existing mental health and mental wellbeing training and initiatives within the local authority).

Question reference: S4W-29533

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 5 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise awareness of mental health illnesses (a) among young people and (b) in schools.

Awareness of child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS) in schools has been improved by, amongst other things, our commitment to encouraging the establishment of explicit links between schools and CAMHS specialists as well as the development of a web-based toolkit (http://handsonscotland.co.uk) aimed at improving the confidence of teachers and others in responding to the mental health needs of children.

The Curriculum for Excellence details a series of statements, called experiences and outcomes, which describe the expectations for learning and progression in all areas of the curriculum. Health and wellbeing is now a curricular area in its own right, with a distinct set of experiences and outcomes. Included here are statements on social, emotional and mental health and wellbeing, which are the responsibility of all school staff. Everyone within each learning community, whatever their contact with children and young people may be, shares the responsibility for creating a positive ethos and climate of respect and trust – one in which everyone can make a positive contribution to the wellbeing of each individual within the school and the wider community. More information on health and wellbeing in Curriculum for Excellence can be found on the Education Scotland website at http://bit.ly/IXWwUd.

Most CAMHS teams will visit schools to talk to pupils and staff about mental health. There are also a number of free resources available to schools such as www.depressioninteenagers.com and www.stressandanxietyinteenagers.com and NHS Lothian have worked with their local authority library service to produce health reading lists. The full list of reading material can be found at