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-24287

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 5 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the NHS in England and Wales regarding best practice treatment for eating disorders.

Question reference: S5W-24288

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 5 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a national strategy for eating disorders.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans to introduce a national strategy for eating disorders. However we are firmly committed to further improving the support available for people living with an eating disorder in Scotland.

During Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2019 we announced that there will be Scottish-specific Guidelines on the management and treatment of eating disorders, which will be produced by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). These new guidelines will take into account and focus on the cultural and geographical make up of Scotland. Previous guidelines have not considered the specific needs of Scotland in the same way. When the SIGN guidelines are published, we will have a Scotland-specific blueprint for the treatment of eating disorders which we will expect to be carefully followed.

Our ten year Mental Health Strategy contained a specific action to fund a digital peer support service to support young people with an eating disorder. This is delivered by NHS Lothian and Beat. It was relaunched during Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2019 to include the addition of a telephone coaching service for parents and carers.

Through this funding, NHS Lothian and Beat also developed the Cared website. This award winning website provides information about eating disorders in an innovative way to those with an eating disorder and their family and friends.

Question reference: S5W-24289

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 5 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that each NHS board makes available intensive treatment beds for people with eating disorders.

Question reference: S5W-24292

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 5 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the eating disorder charity, BEAT, and what the outcomes were.

The Minister for Mental Health formally met a number of eating disorder stakeholders, including Beat, on 15 March 2018 at a roundtable meeting. A range of issues were discussed such as the formation of an eating disorders Managed Clinical Network, the needs of people with comorbid diabetes and eating disorders, and the expansion of training on eating disorders for clinicians.

Beat attended a Children and Young People’s Mental Health Taskforce meeting on 28 February 2019 to present their work to Taskforce members.

Additionally, the Scottish Government worked with Beat and NHS Lothian during Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2019 to relaunch the digital peer support service which supports young people with an eating disorder, and a telephone coaching service for parents and carers of those with an eating disorder.

Question reference: S5W-24290

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 5 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the closure of the ANNETT service, what funding it is providing to NHS Lothian to support people who have eating disorders.

Question reference: S5W-24291

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 5 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a treatment time guarantee for eating disorder diagnosis and treatment.

Treatment for Eating Disorders are not currently recorded within the Treatment Time Guarantee (TTG). This is because patients accessing these services are likely to undertake psychological therapy and significant counselling as part of their treatment. This would be carried out on an outpatient basis and it is unlikely the treatment would be completed within 12 weeks.

The Scottish Government is clear in our engagement with NHS Boards that patients should be assessed according to their clinical need. Our expectation is that those who need immediate treatment, whether for an eating disorder or for any condition or disorder requiring access to mental health services, will receive that care quickly. The answer to PQ S5W-24288 on 5 August 2019 lays out the Scottish Government’s commitment to introduce Scotland-specific clinical guidelines for Eating Disorders. We will expect the Guidelines to be carefully followed.

Question reference: S5O-03454

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 26 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of tax flight since the introduction of the new income tax rates.

Question reference: S5W-22611

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve access to (a) breast augmentation, (b) facial feminisation surgery and (c) other treatments at gender identity clinics.

NHS National Services Scotland’s National Services Division (NSD) commission and manage National Managed Clinical Networks (NMCNs) in Scotland, which aim to foster improved standards and quality in healthcare.

These NMCNs include the National Gender Identity Clinical Network Scotland (NGICNS), a network of clinicians and others with an interest in the treatment and support offered to trans people and those distressed or concerned about their experience of their gender, including clarifying issues around access to surgery for trans people.

The NGICNS work with the Scottish Gender Reassignment Protocol and have requested that this be reviewed in light of a Scottish Public Health Network publication on the topic and changes to international standards due in 2020, and this request is now being taken forward.

Question reference: S5W-23041

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-22666 by Michael Matheson on 7 May 2019, which set out the rail sector's contribution to the economy, what estimate it has made of this contribution if trains ran on time.

The previous report referred to in question S5W-22666 estimated the economic contribution of rail in Scotland in 2016. The Scottish Government has continued its significant investment programme for Scotland’s Railways. This has seen the introduction of new infrastructure, increased new and electric trains delivering more services and more seats for passengers. This programme of investment will continue, and a subsequent review of the economic benefits realised through these initiatives will be scheduled, at a time yet to be determined. Any future report’s will take into account all relevant factors which contribute to the running of the railway.

Question reference: S5O-03274

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recently released NASUWT survey on teachers’ mental health.