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-27291

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 20 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) longest and (b) shortest wait time for chronic pain treatment has been in each year since 2017.

Data on how long patients wait to attend their first appointment at a pain clinic/pain psychology service based on the 18 weeks referral to treatment (RTT) standard is provided by NHS Boards each quarter. A quarterly NHS Information Services Division (ISD) publication includes waiting times on the number of patients seen within and over 18 weeks for a first appointment. The median wait times (weeks) is also published. From these NHS Board returns, the longest and shortest wait times can be determined.

The following tables have been provided by ISD, and show the longest and shortest wait time for a first appointment/assessment at a pain clinic/service.

Table 1 – Longest and shortest wait time (in weeks) for a first appointment/assessment at a pain clinic/service for each year 2017 – 2019 for NHSScotland.

Year	Longest wait (weeks)	Shortest wait (weeks)
2017	76	1
2018	94	1
2019	75	1

Table 2 – Longest and shortest wait time (in weeks) from receipt of referral for a first appointment/assessment at a pain psychology service for each year 2017 – 2019 for NHSScotland.

Year	Longest wait (weeks)	Shortest wait (weeks)
2017	38	1
2018	82	1
2019	76	1

Question reference: S5O-04160

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support tourism in the Highlands.

Question reference: S5W-27289

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Waiting Times Improvement Plan funding was allocated to chronic pain services in 2019-20.

Question reference: S5O-04152

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the salmon industry following Brexit.

Question reference: S5W-26969

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on developing the proposed flyover for Kessock Bridge.

The grade separation of the A9/A82 Longman Roundabout is being taken forward as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment within the £315 million Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal.

Design work on improving the well-known traffic bottleneck at Longman is progressing well. Following appointment of a design consultant in August 2017 the options under consideration were presented to the public at exhibitions on 29 and 30 May 2018 with the preferred option being presented at further exhibitions on 25 and 26 June 2019 as part of Transport Scotland’s on-going regular programme of engagement.

The detailed development and assessment of the preferred option, including the development of proposals for non-motorised users, is well underway as we look to publish draft Orders for the scheme later this year for formal comment. Progress thereafter will depend on the representation received to the published draft Orders.

Delivery of the scheme itself can only commence if it is approved under the relevant statutory procedures and thereafter a timetable for its progress can be set.

Question reference: S5O-04033

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with finding a new location for The Ironworks music venue in Inverness.

Question reference: S5O-04002

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for a new women's community integration unit in the Highlands and Islands.

Question reference: S5W-26537

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Highland has requested funding to set up a compensation scheme for former victims of bullying and harassment.

No. NHS Highland has, however, advised the Scottish Government that it approved the principles underpinning the launch of a healing process for current and former staff.

The Health Secretary has been very clear that she expects NHS Highland to consider all complaints by current employees, as well as former employees who have lost their job or felt compelled to leave their employment. Ms Freeman has also been clear that this must be done on a case by case basis, taking into account each individual's needs – a s recommended in the Sturrock report.

NHS Highland has confirmed it will review any such claims fairly and act on professional advice – including settlement, alternative dispute resolution and/or proceeding to a formal hearing to determine the outcome.

The Health Secretary is monitoring the application of these commitments closely to ensure her expectations are met. She also intends to spend time with the board and staff again in the new year and hopes to meet again with the whistleblowers group.

Question reference: S5W-26505

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5T-01888 by Jeane Freeman on 19 November 2019 (Official Report, c. 7), what proportion of the £33 million allocated for radiotherapy will be received by each NHS board.

Radiotherapy is delivered through Scotland’s five specialist cancer centres in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Inverness and Aberdeen. As a direct result of the Cancer Strategy funding to each of these centres, they have all been able to procure the most up-to-date Linear Accelerators (linacs) which, along with strategy investments in workforce, now means that modern radiotherapy techniques are delivered across all these centres. New linacs are procured as existing ones expire so centres’ funding for lincas will vary year on year. Scotland is the only country in the UK to invest in such a rolling refresh programme. The figures requested by the member are shown in the following table.

	2016 - 17	2017 - 18	2018 - 19	2019 - 20
Radiotherapy Replacement Programme - Glasgow	2.809	5.34	5.952	3.967
Radiotherapy Replacement Programme – Edinburgh	0.12	0.6	4.534	1.022
Radiotherapy Replacement Programme – Inverness		2.652	4.959	0.75
Radiotherapy Replacement Programme – Dundee	1.302	0.406	0.766	3.625
Radiotherapy Replacement Programme – Aberdeen		0.6
	4.231	9.598	16.211	9.364

Question reference: S5T-01923

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to research suggesting that one in 10 children will be deprived of warmth or fresh food this Christmas.