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-25509

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in its 2016-17 Programme for Government to recruit up to 250 community link workers to work in GP surgeries by the end of the parliamentary session, whether it will confirm how many have been recruited to date, also broken down by the number recruited by health and social care partnerships.

As at September 2019, we know there are 112 Community Link Workers now in post. Based on current returns we assess that we remain on track to meet the 250 commitment by 2021-22.

The current breakdown of numbers are:

Health Board	Health and Social Care Partnership	Community Link Worker #
Ayrshire & Arran	North Ayrshire	6
Ayrshire & Arran	East Ayrshire	3
Ayrshire & Arran	South Ayrshire	4
Grampian	Aberdeen City	19
Grampian	Moray	8
Greater Glasgow & Clyde	Glasgow City	17
Greater Glasgow & Clyde	Inverclyde	7
Greater Glasgow & Clyde	Renfrewshire	15
Lothian	East Lothian	3
Lothian	Edinburgh City	16
Lothian	Midlothian	10
Orkney	Orkney Islands	2
Shetland	Shetland	2

Question reference: S5W-25508

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25091 by Jeane Freeman on 18 September 2019, how many of the additional 268 mental health worker recruits are community link workers.

For the development of Action 15 of the Mental Health Strategy, Community Link Workers were discounted for inclusion in this funding stream. This is because we also committed to delivering 250 Community Link Workers over the life of this Parliament.

As part of the Reporting Framework for Action 15 therefore, Community Link Workers are currently not listed as being recruited for through this commitment.

The member is aware however that in respect of delivering 250 Community Link Workers, good progress is being made in this regard and as of September 2019, there are 112 of them now in post.

Question reference: S5W-25513

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5M-23922 by Clare Haughey on 2 July 2019, in light of the minister's comment that "planning around the workforce is evolving and can change for a variety of reasons", whether it its target to recruit 800 additional mental health workers by the end of the session remains in place.

As of 1 July 2019, 268 additional mental health workers have already been recruited under this commitment.

Through the quarterly reporting framework agreed with Integration Authorities, we continue to gather information about local planning to ensure over 800 additional mental health workers are in place by 2022.

The next quarterly update will be available in November 2019. This information will also be published on the Scottish Government website via the following link: https://www.gov.scot/publications/mental-health-workers-quarterly-performance-reports/

Question reference: S5W-25512

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 3 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what qualifications are required to become a (a) community link worker, (b) school counsellor and (c) school nurse.

While there are no specific qualifications required, Community Links Workers must have the appropriate skills to help patients to navigate and engage with wider community services, therefore helping to improve patient health and well-being, tackling health inequalities and reducing pressure on general practice. Community Link Workers will have experience of working with communities and third sector organisations.

School counsellors funded through the 2018 Programme for Government commitment require training and qualification to a national professional standard, such as British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland (COSCA).

Qualified School Nurses are educated at MSc degree level with an academic award of Post Graduate Diploma and on successful completion are eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse – School Nurse.

Question reference: S5W-25055

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when section 29 of the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Act 2019 will come into effect.

The Scottish Government is planning for commencement of the reforms to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 under Part 2 of the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Act 2019, ("the 2019 Act").

In order for implementation of the reforms to reduce the disclosure periods under Part 2 of the 2019 Act, which includes section 29, the content of certificates issued by Disclosure Scotland will need to change to reflect the new disclosure periods. Scottish Government justice officials are working closely with Disclosure Scotland on implementation planning and a commencement date will be announced in due course.

Question reference: S5O-03607

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the new agricultural tenancy legislation is having on the number of farm tenancies.

Question reference: S5W-25091

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20711 by Clare Haughey on 8 January 2019, whether it will provide an update regarding how many of the 800 additional mental health workers that it committed to recruiting in its mental health strategy have been appointed to date.

Based on the information received from the Integration Authorities in respect of the third quarterly update on Action 15, 268 additional mental health workers have been recruited as of 1 July 2019.

The settings these workers are based in are as follows: A&E (51), Custody Suites (3.50), GP Settings (99), prisons (12) and Other Settings, (102.50).

The fourth quarterly update will be available in November 2019. This information will also be published on the Scottish Government website via the following link: https://www.gov.scot/publications/mental-health-workers-quarterly-performance-reports/ .

Question reference: S5F-03500

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2019

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government will take in response to the sectarian disorder in Glasgow at the weekend.

Question reference: S5W-24584

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 20 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what recent communication it has had with (a) third sector organisations and (b) integration joint boards regarding providing care and support to people with MS.

The Scottish Government works closely with third sector organisations to raise awareness of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and improve the support and care for those living with MS in Scotland.

During MS Awareness Week 2019 (22-29 April) the Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing visited the Revive MS therapy centre in Glasgow and spoke with a number of staff members and service users. The Minister also attended a Parliamentary reception on 23 April 2019 hosted by the MS Society and George Adam MSP to mark MS Awareness Week and to acknowledge the importance of research to the MS community.

On 24 April 2019, the Minister spoke at a Members Business debate about MS that welcomed the MS Society’s commitment to funding research into new treatments and a greater understanding of the causes of MS.

We are currently in the final stages of developing Scotland’s first National Action Plan on Neurological Conditions, which will be published later this year. Over the next five years we will work with the neurological community and partners, including integration joint boards and third sector organisations, to drive improvements for people with neurological conditions, including MS, to enable them to access the care and support they need to live their life well on their own terms.

Question reference: S5W-24304

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 30 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the current waiting times are for multiple sclerosis treatment following diagnosis.

This information is not held centrally as we do not collect information on diagnosis for outpatient appointments within national returns. The member can obtain this information by contacting individual Health Boards.

Last year the Scottish Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Register reported that in 2017, 75% of people received contact from an MS specialist nurse within 10 working days of their diagnosis. This is an increase of 11 percentage points on 2016, and 25 percentage points since this Government established the register in 2010.

Additionally, once a referral was received by the MS Specialist Nurse, 97% of patients were contacted within 10 working days, an improvement of 3 percentage points on 2016. This is welcome but we want to continue to improve, and are supporting NHS Boards to deliver better care for people living with MS across Scotland.