Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-36427

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 11 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many baby boxes have been issued in the NHS (a) Dumfries and Galloway and (b) Borders area since (i) their introduction and (ii) 31 March 2024.

Scotland’s universal Baby Box programme opened for registration on 15 June 2017, and delivery of Baby Boxes nationwide began on 15 August 2017 for all babies born and resident in Scotland.

The total number of Baby Boxes issued since the introduction of the Baby Box programme up to 31 March 2025 is 335,775.

The Scottish Government records the number of Baby Boxes distributed by Health Board areas. Since the start of the programme the following number of Baby Boxes have been distributed in NHS Dumfries and Galloway and NHS Borders:

Health Board	15 August 2017 to 31 March 2025	31 March 2024 – 31 March 2025
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	7,916	869
NHS Borders	5,948	689

Question reference: S6W-36145

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jim Fairlie on 21 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on publication of the UK Pesticides National Actional Plan.

The UK Pesticides National Action Plan (NAP) was published on 21 March 2025.

The NAP is a UK-wide document which sets out the shared ambition of the Scottish Government, Defra, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. It aims to minimise the risks and impacts of pesticides to human health and the environment, while ensuring that our land managers in the agriculture, horticulture and amenity sector have effective tools to manage pests and pesticide resistance.

Supporting uptake of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is central to the actions set out in the NAP. This includes targeting use of conventional chemical pesticides to when environmentally and economically justified. It also includes equipping pesticide users with the knowledge and support needed to adopt a range of sustainable crop protection practices, including innovative precision application technologies, to continue to reduce the use of conventional chemical pesticides whilst retaining the ability to address the crop protection challenges arising from climate change. The NAP also commits to improving and supporting compliance with regulations to ensure that pesticides are used safely.

Measuring progress is a key commitment of the NAP and as such sets the first domestic reduction target for pesticides in the UK, with an aim of reducing a suite of representative pesticide load indicators by 10% by 2030. The target is designed to measure progress against reducing environmental pressure from pesticides, rather than representing a simple usage reduction target. This reduces the potential for unintended consequences, which could risk the removal of important tools for farmers, growers and other land managers. The NAP sets a target for the arable sector, using data from the existing pesticide usage surveys, but also acknowledges that we want to improve our understanding of the nature of pesticide use in the amenity and amateur sectors in future.

We welcome publication of this plan, which commits us to measuring our progress over the next five years, and we look forward to working with stakeholders during the implementation of these actions.

The plan can be viewed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-pesticides-national-action-plan-2025.

Question reference: S6O-04411

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the new deal for agriculture and its agricultural support schemes will aim to support the dairy sector.

Question reference: S6W-35349

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Neil Gray on 3 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the Scottish Hospital’s Inquiry’s investigations into the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Edinburgh.

The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry concluded its hearings on the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Edinburgh (RHYCP/DCN) last summer. Today, the Chair of the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, Lord Brodie, published his interim report. I would like to thank Lord Brodie and all the members of the Inquiry for their dedication in delivering this report and I am extremely grateful to the many witnesses, especially patients and families, who have provided evidence to the Inquiry’s hearings. I welcome the progress made by the Inquiry in delivering this report. In line with the requirements of the Inquiries Act 2005, the report has been laid in Parliament.

The report totals more than 370 pages and makes 11 recommendations. It is now important that the Scottish Government takes the time to reflect on the findings of the report and to consider and respond to each of its recommendations. Subject to the agreement of Parliament, I will make a statement to Parliament on the report soon.

The Scottish Government also recognises that this report does not represent the conclusion of the Inquiry. Its investigations into the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow (QEUH) continue with further hearings due to start in May 2025. It is vital that the work of the Inquiry continues so that patients, families and all those affected have the answers that they deserve.

Question reference: S6O-04398

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support increased levels of sport and physical activity in Dumfries and Galloway.

Question reference: S6W-34984

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 26 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, what discussions it has had with the Eskdalemuir Working Group, in light of the publication of the Ministry of Defence report, Consultation on the Ministry of Defence's approach to safeguarding the Eskdalemuir Seismological Array, and when the group will next meet.

The Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) consultation on its proposals regarding its approach to safeguarding the Eskdalemuir Seismological Array closed on 20 December 2024. The MOD is currently reviewing the consultation responses.

The Eskdalemuir Working Group (EWG) receive a verbal update from the MOD on the timescales for completion of the review process at each EWG meeting. The next EWG meeting is scheduled for 1 April 2025.

Question reference: S6W-34985

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 26 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to extend the planning exclusion zone at the Eskdalemuir Seismological Array beyond 10km to allow additional generational capacity, as suggested by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) report, Consultation on the Ministry of Defence's approach to safeguarding the Eskdalemuir Seismological Array, and which of its departments is leading engagement with the MoD on this issue.

The Scottish Government is committed to working with the UK Government, including the Ministry of Defence, with the aim of developing a solution that opens up the possibility of onshore wind deployment in the Eskdalemuir area whilst ensuring the protection of the seismological array. Any such development would be subject to the normal consenting consideration process.

The Onshore Electricity Policy Unit leads on Eskdalemuir related matters for the Scottish Government. Discussions within the Eskdalemuir Working Group are ongoing, with the Scottish Government aiming to publish a consultation on new draft Eskdalemuir guidance in due course.

Before any Scottish Government guidance is put out to public consultation, a series of related work packages must be completed and then approved by the Ministry of Defence.

Question reference: S6W-35115

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Neil Gray on 20 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress and impact of the £30 million allocated in 2024-25 to reduce NHS waiting times.

NHS Boards have exceeded the commitment to deliver 64,000 appointments and procedures in 2024-25, funded through our additional investment of £30 million to drive action to address the longest waits.

To the end of January 2025, Boards are reporting delivery of 75,500 appointments and procedures, as follows:

Over 9,800 of 12,000 new outpatient appointments;
almost 9,200 of 12,000 surgeries delivered;
and almost 56,500 diagnostic procedures delivered, exceeding the original plan to deliver 40,000 by 41%.

Funding was targeted in specialties including Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, Urology, Diagnostics and Cancer. Since April 2024, Scottish Government has been closely monitoring progress and impact and will continue to do so until the end of March 2025.

Across Scotland, the latest published data in the PHS Stage of Treatment Statistics show that, between April 2024 and September 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, there has been an 8.3% increase in activity for inpatient/daycase procedures and 2.5% increase for new outpatients appointments. While the activity through the additional investment cannot be directly attributed to the increased activity, we are confident that has supported increased throughput.

The targeted funding has also helped reduce the total national diagnostics waiting list size. Between April 2024 and September 2024 imaging list size reduced by 7.5% and scopes by 7.3%.

At Board level, we have seen significant percentage reductions in waiting times across a number of specialities where funding has been targeted, as set out in the following table:

NHS Board	Speciality	Activity Type	% change between ongoing waits April to end Sept 2024
Ayrshire & Arran	Imaging	Diagnostics	-35.2%
Fife	Imaging	Diagnostics	-44.3%
Forth Valley	Imaging	Diagnostics	-22.9%
Golden Jubilee National Hospital	Imaging	Diagnostics	-16.7%
Grampian	Imaging	Diagnostics	-34.3%
Highland	Imaging	Diagnostics	-6.0%
Lanarkshire	Imaging	Diagnostics	-7.3%
Tayside	Imaging	Diagnostics	-11.4%
Borders	Scopes	Diagnostics	-19.0%
Greater Glasgow & Clyde	Scopes	Diagnostics	-26.7%
Grampian	Scopes	Diagnostics	-9.0%
Highland	Scopes	Diagnostics	-6.5%
Lanarkshire	Scopes	Diagnostics	-16.1%
Tayside	Scopes	Diagnostics	-8.6%
Lanarkshire	Ophthalmology	Inpatient / Daycase	-14.9%
Shetland	Ophthalmology	Inpatient / Daycase	-35.5%
Fife	Orthopaedics	Inpatient / Daycase	-5.2%
Greater Glasgow & Clyde	Orthopaedics	Inpatient / Daycase	-0.4%
Highland	Orthopaedics	Inpatient / Daycase	-6.2%
Lanarkshire	Orthopaedics	Inpatient / Daycase	-9.3%
Lothian	Orthopaedics	Inpatient / Daycase	-7.6%
Forth Valley	Urology	Inpatient / Daycase	-22.4%
Lothian	Urology	Inpatient / Daycase	-12.7%
Highland	ENT	Inpatient / Daycase	-19.0%
Lothian	General Surgery	Inpatient / Daycase	-9.8%
Highland	Gynaecology	New Outpatients	-9.6%
Highland	Orthopaedics	New Outpatients	-8.5%

Following the budget announcement in December 2024 to invest a further £200 million to reduce waiting and support reductions in delayed discharge, we will continue to build on progress to ensure that no one is waiting over 52 weeks by March 2026.

Question reference: S6O-04350

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the announcement by Creative Scotland that it will provide multi-year funding to deliver cultural and creative programmes.

Question reference: S6W-34774

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 7 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making with supporting farmers and crofters to deliver its Vision for Agriculture.

Today the First Minister will outline a £20m package of support to assist in implementing transformational change required to deliver its Vision for Scottish Agriculture. This will provide:

capital funding to support investment in equipment and measures aimed at driving efficiency and supporting nature and climate friendly farming;
innovative food and drink investment; and,
funding for Lidar surveys.

Proposals for the Agricultural Transformation Programme continue to be developed, 70% funding has already been confirmed for Tiers 1 and 2 of the future farming support framework. Within the two tiers, 70% of funding will be devoted to Tier 1 and 30% to Tier 2.

Chamber and committees