Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-29896

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to address the reportedly increased number of cancelled operations in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde since March 2020.

During the pandemic, and beginning in March 2020, routine planned operations were paused to allow our NHS to focus on patients with COVID-19 and to minimise transmission of the virus.

As services have remobilised, the number of patients listed for surgery has increased, therefore the number of cancelled operations increased in parallel.

The latest data for NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde shows that in July 2024, of all cancelled planned operations, just 1.6% were cancelled for capacity reasons, down from 2.1% in July 2021, while 5.7% were cancelled either by the patient or for clinical reasons.

We have also seen planned activity in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde rise from 4,238 in July 2021 to 4,798 in July 2024 – a 13.2% increase.

When a patient’s operation is cancelled, I expect NHS Boards to liaise with patients to find a suitable date as quickly as possible in order to ensure disruption to the patient is kept the minimum.

Question reference: S6W-29895

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to address any misuse of off-road vehicles in Glasgow.

Safety is a paramount priority and the Scottish Government fully supports Police Scotland and its partners in dealing with illegal use and misuse of off-road vehicles.

Enforcement is a matter for Police Scotland and local policing teams are best placed to identify where misuse is causing public concern and ensuring those areas can be prioritised to prevent future incidents. Police Scotland have previously outlined work within local policing divisions that raises awareness about the dangers of the misuse of these vehicles and we encourage local authorities to continue to work with Police Scotland to address this issue.

Within Glasgow, there are a range of initiatives being pursued by Police Scotland working closely with partners including Glasgow City Council. This includes nine officers within the Greater Glasgow Division who are trained with off-road motorbike capability and can access hard to reach local areas and open spaces. The local division also promotes social media messaging promoting legal use of these vehicles.

Question reference: S6W-29610

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 20 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many listed buildings in Glasgow are considered to be "at risk", and what plans it has to allocate funding for their preservation and restoration.

The owner of any property, listed or otherwise is responsible for the repair and maintenance of their property. There is a Buildings at Risk Register online, hosted by Historic Environment Scotland at Welcome to Buildings at Risk Register | Buildings at Risk Register. This site provides information on properties of architectural or historic merit that are considered to be at risk, including listings by planning authority area. The Glasgow Planning authority currently list 143 properties.

Questions regarding Historic Environment Scotland’s day-to-day operational matters, such as their Grant programme and awards, are best answered by Historic Environment Scotland.

I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to her question in writing.

Question reference: S6W-29894

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS staff have been hired in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in each year since 2020 to date.

Question reference: S6O-03756

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to boost confidence in the retail sector.

Question reference: S6O-03736

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage teacher retention during the current academic year.

Question reference: S6W-28881

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 14 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many epilepsy specialist nurses there have been in each NHS board in each of the past two years.

Question reference: S6W-27945

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its proposals on restricting promotions of foods high in fat, salt or sugar, what assessment it has made of the potential impact that the proposed restrictions will have on the food and drink industry in Scotland, in light of reports that the industry is facing challenges due to regulatory burdens that increase the cost of doing business, the delay to the proposed Deposit Return Scheme, and uncertainty about the future of extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes.

The public consultation on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt closed on 21 May 2024. A partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) was published alongside the consultation, setting out the rationale for Government intervention and welcoming feedback on the expected impact on businesses of proposals. Consultation responses including feedback on the BRIA are now being analysed.

The consultation was run in parallel with an extensive and inclusive programme of stakeholder engagement. We will continue to engage with business, including the food and drink industry in Scotland, to finalise the BRIA.

In addition work continues with the independent Regulatory Review Group (RRG) to support Scottish Ministers in improving the regulatory environment for businesses and their involvement in the process. This work includes scrutiny of proposals to restrict the promotion of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt.

Question reference: S6W-27944

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its proposals on restricting promotions of foods high in fat, salt or sugar, what assessment it has made of any unintended consequences of potentially introducing different restrictions to those that are already in place in England, including regarding any increase in bureaucracy and cost, in light of the acknowledgement in the Partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment of the "inter-connected food environment in the UK".

The public consultation on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt closed on 21 May 2024. A partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) was published alongside the consultation, setting out the rationale for Government intervention and welcoming feedback on the expected impact on businesses of proposals. Consultation responses including feedback on the BRIA are now being analysed.

The consultation was run in parallel with an extensive and inclusive programme of stakeholder engagement. We will continue to engage with stakeholders to finalise the BRIA and further develop a full suite of impact assessments that will be used in the decision making process to help inform the final policy.

Question reference: S6O-03623

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre about the future of its redevelopment project.

Chamber and committees