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-34442

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers have been signed off work as a result of having been attacked in school in each local authority area in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-34444

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on supply teachers in primary schools in each local authority area in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-34446

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many exit interviews have taken place for teachers leaving the profession in each local authority area in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-34441

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers have been signed off work due to mental ill health in each local authority area in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-34454

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the independent schools sector regarding the impact of the implementation of VAT on school lunches.

Scottish Government officials have continued to engage with the Scottish Council of Independent Schools and Local Authorities on the impact of the removal of the VAT exemption for independent school fees on independent schools, their pupils, families and the state sector in Scotland.

I am advised that the independent sector has not to date raised school lunches as an issue with Scottish Government, however my officials remain open to discussions with the sector on any matters of concern. HMRC wrote to all Scottish independent schools in October 2024 to provide the following UK Government guidance on charging and reclaiming VAT on goods, services and payments. This included school meals: Charging and reclaiming VAT on goods and services related to private school fees - GOV.UK

As this is a UK Government policy, it is the responsibility of the UK Government to engage fully and clearly communicate the impacts of changes for Scottish independent schools, to support them through the VAT registration process and ensure they fully understand their new VAT liabilities.

Question reference: S6W-34445

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on supply teachers in secondary schools in each local authority area in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-34447

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents of whistleblowing have taken place in each public service organisation in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-34438

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30844 by Jenni Minto on 14 November 2024, when it will provide an update to Parliament on progress towards its goal of eliminating the hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Progress towards eliminating hepatitis C (HCV) in Scotland is monitored by Public Health Scotland (PHS). PHS’s latest HCV surveillance report, published in January 2025, described progress as “hugely encouraging”. The number of deaths and cases of severe disease reduced by over 65% between 2015 and 2022, with the vast majority of those diagnosed (89%) having cleared their infection through treatment (exceeding the World Health Organization’s target of 80%).

However, the latest report only includes data up to 2023/24, so it is too early to say conclusively whether every indictor for HCV elimination has been reached. Work continues across key sectors to ensure we achieve and sustain elimination. I will provide a further update to Parliament once we have a fuller picture of our position and next steps post-March 2025.

Question reference: S6W-34439

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what innovative approaches it is considering to identify undiagnosed individuals living with hepatitis C.

The most recent surveillance report from Public Health Scotland indicates that the number of people tested for hepatitis C (HCV) antibody in Scotland in 2023 had surpassed pre-pandemic levels in almost all settings. Nonetheless, detecting more infections is a priority and we are focused on testing and treating more people, wherever they are, as we continue to push towards elimination of the virus.

Current work includes ensuring that opt-out testing is optimised in drug services and prisons, and considering the results of a recent Scottish Government-funded prison-based Hepatitis Intense Test and Treat (HITT) initiative in NHS Lothian. We are also reviewing the outcomes of opt-out blood borne virus testing pilots in Scottish emergency departments to determine whether further roll-out of this model would be effective.

Question reference: S6W-34440

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with industry partners to identify undiagnosed individuals living with hepatitis C.

The Scottish Government does not currently have any formal arrangements with industry partners to identify undiagnosed individuals living with hepatitis C. However we are aware of local community testing initiatives that have been developed and delivered with industry, such as the STEP C Free project in Forth Valley and work with the Hepatitis C Trust in Glasgow. We are happy to encourage innovative evidence-based approaches and support dissemination of learning from such initiatives through forums such as the Scottish Health Protection Network groups and our ongoing Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus local area visits.