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-17733

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 9 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of meetings and discussions held between ministers and officials and (a) Planning Democracy and (b) Planning Aid Scotland in the last five years, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S5W-17737

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Member's meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport and the Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities on 19 June 2018, whether it can confirm that NHS inpatients will have guaranteed free access to a range of period products in all NHS board areas, and when this policy change will take effect from.

The Chief Nursing Officer has written to NHS Board Executive Nurse Directors to remind NHS Boards that sanitary products should be provided for all patients who need them, and that this is a fundamental aspect of their care.

The Scottish Government is clear that access to free sanitary products for patients in hospitals supports equality, dignity and rights for those who menstruate. Executive Nurse Directors are therefore expected to ensure that appropriate stocks of sanitary products are held either on wards or close by and that they are made available to patients when required. Patients should not be expected to rely on taking supplies into hospital with them or have to buy supplies from hospital shops.

Question reference: S5W-17738

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 1 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what recent meetings the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning has held with trades unions and what was discussed.

Question reference: S5W-17331

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 29 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report by Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, Computer Says No.

Question reference: S5W-17332

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 29 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on carrying out a large-scale pilot of cervical screening self-sampling.

The Scottish Government takes advice from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent expert advisory group which advises Ministers and the NHS in the four UK countries about all aspects of screening policy.

The UK NSC are currently reviewing the evidence for HPV self-sampling as an additional test to address non-attendance within the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. We await recommendations from the UK NSC and will carefully consider in due course.

Question reference: S5F-02481

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 June 2018

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to support the Jo Cox Foundation initiative, the Great Get Together.

Question reference: S5W-16981

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 13 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making with the refresh of the Alcohol Framework, and by what date the updated framework will be published.

Changing Scotland’s Relationship with Alcohol : A Framework for Action was published in 2009 and many of its original measures have been completed. These include the introduction of our world first minimum unit pricing policy, a lower drink drive limit, improved substance misuse education and our nationwide alcohol brief intervention programme.

A refresh of our Alcohol Framework will be published later this year and will focus on embedding and building on the progress we have made in tackling alcohol-related harm. This forms part of a suite of public health strategies being published this year including tobacco control, physical activity, diet and obesity and our new alcohol & drug treatment strategy.

Question reference: S5W-16881

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has undertaken on how the condition of pavements, footpaths and roads impacts on the confidence and mobility of older people.

The Scottish Government is committed to working with local government to help improve the condition and safety of roads and footpaths in Scotland for all road users, including older people.

Ipsos Mori gathers road user’s views in the ‘Perceptions of the Trunk Road Network in Scotland’ survey on behalf of Transport Scotland. This includes questions relating to general satisfaction with condition of road surfaces and footways. In addition, specific questions are asked regarding satisfaction with the availability of footways, pedestrian crossing points, dropped kerbs and the provision of lighting on footways. In 2017, the majority of respondents were satisfied with all these aspects.

The results of these surveys support the overall Customer Care objective for the Trunk Road Network in Transport Scotland’s Performance Management Framework. In addition, the results inform where changes in budget allocations may help to achieve the desired performance.

Overall, Transport Scotland’s budget for maintenance of the trunk road network has increased by around £65 million to £433 million for 2018/19. Transport Scotland’s operating companies also have a contractual obligation to inspect the trunk road network at 7-day intervals to identify any defects that require prompt attention (Category 1 defects) because they present, or could present, an immediate hazard to road users.

In addition, walked detailed footway/cycleway inspections are also carried out at regular intervals (with frequencies based on the level of usage of the footway/cycleway). The surface of roads is also subject to an annual detailed inspection.

Transport Scotland also seeks to ensure that the design, construction, operation and maintenance of our trunk road infrastructure create an environment which can be used by everyone regardless of age or disability. In partnership with our colleagues in the Roads for All Forum, which includes representatives from a range of accessibility and disability groups, we have focused on delivering a trunk road network accessible to all. To this end we have set aside £2 million within the current financial year specifically to address barriers to accessibility on the trunk road network.

Question reference: S5W-16879

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 6 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to the Scottish Older People's Assembly in each financial year since 2007.

Question reference: S5O-02185

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 6 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking through its International Development Fund to promote menstrual justice abroad.

The Scottish Government is supportive of efforts to educate and promote women and girls' health and hygiene, including menstrual hygiene. Our International Development Fund and Climate Justice Fund have supported a number of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene projects. We are currently funding a nearly £1.4 million project with Scottish Water in Rwanda delivered by WaterAid. This includes directly supporting ten schools through the provision of inclusive toilets with menstrual hygiene management rooms, serving as a demonstration of best practice in the provision of inclusive sanitation services in schools.