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: S5O-02301

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 August 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what impact 10 more years of austerity could have on public services in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-18088

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what appeal mechanism is in place if a public sector body awards a large industrial infrastructure project but does not acknowledge the statutory guidance throughout the tender stage of the contract by adhering to industry-wide applicable collective agreements, as defined by the Fair Work Convention.

Question reference: S5W-17812

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 29 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many adverse incidents relating to patients implanted with mesh to treat conditions other than pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence have been recorded by each NHS board in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S5W-18085

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether public sector bodies awarding contracts for large industrial infrastructure construction projects must comply with regulation 46 of Public Procure Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 as part of the criteria when the successful bidder secures the contract.

Question reference: S5W-18209

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 29 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how long after a minister has a meeting should it take for this to be published on the ministerial diaries page on its website.

Question reference: S5W-17854

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 22 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have died prematurely in each of the last five years from diseases where inactivity is a major contributory factor.

The numbers of premature deaths in Scotland in the last five years from the five diseases defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as having some relation to physical inactivity are shown in the following table.

Deaths before the age of 75, by cause, 2013 to 2017

	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
Diabetes mellitus	279	309	276	373	383
Malignant neoplasm of colon	369	351	369	399	367
Malignant neoplasm of breast	567	541	537	529	528
Ischaemic heart diseases	2,630	2,472	2,566	2,552	2,580
Other heart diseases	490	541	557	552	593

Physical inactivity is one contributory factor amongst others to these diseases. Research conducted in 2012 estimated that physical inactivity contributed to 2,565 deaths per annum in Scotland, based on the estimated contribution of physical inactivity to each of these diseases.

The Scottish Government recently published our Active Scotland Delivery Plan which aims to cut physical inactivity in adults and teenagers by 15% by 2030 using wide-ranging approaches including active travel funding, support for both formal sports and informal physical activity, and partnership working across the transport, education, health and planning sectors.

The Plan contains 90 actions including development of community sports hubs in the most deprived areas; more opportunities for pupils to participate in sport before, during and after school; support and development for helping people move from school sport to clubs; increased funding for cycle and walking paths; promoting good practice to ensure children have safe places to play; and addressing barriers to women and girls participating.

Scotland is one of the first countries to publish a national action plan following the World Health Organisation’s global plan on physical activity.

Question reference: S5W-17811

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 21 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance (a) it has issued to and (b) has been issued by NHS boards regarding the use of mesh in procedures other than for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence.

Question reference: S5W-17810

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what research it (a) has undertaken and (b) is aware of regarding mesh and its impact on patients receiving treatment for conditions other than pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence.

The Scottish Government has not directly carried out research in relation to non-transvaginal use of surgical mesh. However, it is aware of evidence considered by other bodies, as referred to in the answer given to S5W-17813 on 13 August 2018.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Question reference: S5W-17814

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 16 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) its and (b) the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland's response is to the UK Government's Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review and any impact that its findings will have on the use of mesh in medical procedures in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-17848

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of GPs routinely do six-week postnatal checks that include abdominal muscles, prolapse inspections and advice on returning to exercise.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

The Scottish Government expects clinicians to assess and treat patients appropriately in accordance with evidence-based clinical practice guidance from the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). NICE guidelines on Postnatal care up to ‎8 weeks after birth advise women should be asked about their health and wellbeing and that of their baby by healthcare professionals at each postnatal check. This should include asking women about their experience of common physical health problems. Any symptoms reported by the woman or identified through clinical observations should be assessed.

The latest publication of Ready Steady Baby offers new mothers advice on staying active. It recommends that women build some form of exercise into their day gradually such as taking their baby out in the pram. It promotes that exercise can improve the wellbeing of both mum and baby.

Midwives would routinely discuss physical and emotional health and wellbeing with women in antenatal and postnatal care, including advice on perineal/wound hygiene and give pelvic floor/other exercise information after giving birth.