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-27829

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 18 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its 2018 publication, A healthier future: Scotland's diet and healthy weight delivery plan, what consultation has taken place on a pre-conception action plan to support women to start their pregnancy at a healthy weight.

Question reference: S5W-27787

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Liam McArthur on 17 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it plans to apply for Endometriosis Friendly Employer status from Endometriosis UK.

The SPCB recognises that Endometriosis can be debilitating for those affected, if not properly managed in the workplace. As part of our commitment to the wellbeing of SPCB staff we have recently updated our policy and guidance on Periods and the Menopause to provide anyone affected by Endometriosis with the support they need to manage their symptoms at work.

In addition to updating our policy and guidance for SPCB staff, the SPCB recently signed up to the Endometriosis Friendly Employer scheme and we look forward to working toward receiving Endometriosis Friendly Employer status from Endometriosis UK.

Question reference: S5W-27786

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 17 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to apply for Endometriosis Friendly Employer status from Endometriosis UK.

Question reference: S5W-27784

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the risk of the coronavirus, COVID-19, what action it is taking to ensure that rough sleepers have access to guidance and washing facilities.

The Scottish Government takes the health of everyone in Scotland extremely seriously. As we have repeatedly stated, washing hands is extremely important and if that is not possible, hand gels should be used. The main source of relevant medical advice for all remains the NHS Inform website .

We are working with all local authorities in Scotland, Health and Social Care Partnerships and frontline partners to ensure they are reviewing, updating where necessary and sharing their local resilience plans. Officials are communicating with them on a daily basis, as the situation develops, to ensure we are doing everything to protect staff, homeless people, including those who are particularly vulnerable, such as rough sleepers, those residing in temporary accommodation and those involved in street begging.

Properly communicating these plans ensures frontline staff are equipped with up to date advice that they can share with the vulnerable people they support and are empowered to take the necessary action when required. We continue to develop our plans as the situation changes and provide relevant advice for all vulnerable people, including those sleeping rough.

Question reference: S5W-27785

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the risk of the coronavirus, COVID-19, what information has been provided to (a) hostels and (b) services working with people who are homeless regarding (i) testing, (ii) self-isolating and (iii) hygiene precautions.

The main source of medical advice remains the NHS Inform website . This allows local frontline teams to take account of the latest advice and ensure that homeless people, and in particular those with multiple, complex needs are catered for and looked after. In addition, officials have provided additional advice and support to enable local authorities and their local partners to help develop robust continuity plans to take account of increased risk to vulnerable people.

Outreach staff at Simon Community in Glasgow, Streetwork in Edinburgh and Turning Point Scotland in Aberdeen have produced simple printed guides for service users and the street population based on the latest NHS Inform guidance and check in with them regularly to monitor signs and symptoms. All staff are aware of the signs and symptoms, the importance of handwashing and how to raise concerns and will advise service users of this information daily.

Question reference: S5O-04290

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-27649

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-24623, whether it will provide an update on discussions between its officials and Women’s Aid South Lanarkshire and East Renfrewshire, and what the outcome has been of these discussions.

In January 2020 the Scottish Government invited Women’s Aid South Lanarkshire and East Renfrewshire to put forward proposals for short term bridge funding for the continuation of the Children Experiencing Domestic Abuse Recovery (CEDAR) programme until June 2020. The organisation has indicated that they are unfortunately no longer in a position to submit any proposals due to staff shortages. The member will be aware that applications are now open for the Scottish Government’s Delivering Equally Safe Fund, and details have been shared with a range of organisations including Women’s Aid South Lanarkshire and East Renfrewshire.

Question reference: S5W-27680

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 9 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist heart failure nurses there are, broken down by NHS board.

The information requested on how many specialist heart failure nurses there are, broken down by NHS Board is not centrally held by ISD or NES.

Clinical Nurse Specialists are also involved in heart failure care. Due to data quality concerns, some NHS Boards have asked for their Clinical Nurse Specialist data not to be published while these issues are addressed.

ISD have advised that all historical CNS data, whilst approved by NHS Boards when it was published, should be treated with caution in light of the concerns reported to them by Boards.

Question reference: S5O-04256

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-27339

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 4 March 2020

To ask the Government for what reasons the recent paper, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), NHS Scotland National Service Specification, does not propose the introduction of the multi-agency assessment system for CAMHS that was recommended previously in Rejected Referrals Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

CAMHS already works within the context of a multi- agency system and the Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) model and principles. At the heart of the GIRFEC process is an assessment of need and creation of a single child’s plan. The meeting at which the joint (multi-agency and multi professional) plan is agreed is called The Child’s Plan meeting. Anyone involved with the child or young person can call a Child’s Plan meeting, and all relevant children’s services, and others, are involved.

In the context of CAMHS how it works in practice is that most children and young people are referred to CAMHS by a Named Person – this could be a Health Visitor or Teacher – who, based on their own assessment and knowledge of the young person’s needs, may make a ‘request for assistance’ to CAMHS where they cannot meet the child’s needs without others help and in doing so triggering a multi-agency assessment.

Where the child or young person is referred by a GP, then CAMHS should, with consent, inform and involve the Named Person, and include both the Named Person’s assessment of needs and a wider multi-agency assessment.