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-22456

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 01 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kezia Dugdale on 24 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what its position is on committing to the Waste to Wealth campaign, which asks organisations to investigate finding innovative ways to minimise waste.

Question reference: S5W-22441

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 23 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment in the Health Improvement Scotland report, Cervical Screening: Report on the Scoping Engagement Exercise for the Revised Standards, that a way to improve uptake with younger women would be to involve the Young Scot scheme, and what plans it has to look into the further comment that education materials should be sent out to young people when they leave the scheme at age 25.

The Scottish Government welcomes the reference in the Health Improvement Scotland report increasing participation in the Scottish Cervical Screening Programme. This is a key objective for the Scottish Government and we are continuing to carry out a range of work to encourage women to attend their screening appointments. This includes a series of national marketing campaigns – the most recent of which particularly targeted younger women, where we know uptake is lower. My officials will explore the opportunities to engage with Young Scot to consider how we can build on this work.

We are also investing up to £5m of funding from the Cancer Strategy 'Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action' 2016 in our screening programmes, including cervical screening, to reduce inequalities and encourage participation, especially amongst those least likely to participate.

Question reference: S5W-22411

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 18 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-22153 by John Swinney on 23 March 2019, what the timetable is for the publication of guidance to support good record keeping practice.

The Scottish Government is committed to addressing all types of childhood adversity, and this is anchored in our long-standing, national approach of Getting it right for every child.

Under the Getting it right for every child approach, services working with children and young people should consider and assess wellbeing needs based on eight indicators of wellbeing: Safe, Healthy, Active, Nurtured, Achieving, Respected, Responsible and Included (known as SHANARRI).When considering the wellbeing of the child or young person, this will include looking at the risks and effects of adversity on them and any necessary action.

The updated GIRFEC policy statement, and child protection guidance, together with the suite of supporting materials and guidance, will promote improved practice related to record keeping. This will focus on developing and recording a better, more holistic understanding of the evolving circumstances in a child's life. Good record keeping practice will not only identify and record any Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) but will help with early identification of risk factors to aid with prevention and support. Planning within the GIRFEC approach will provide the framework for necessary action from services to address any wellbeing needs arising as a consequence of ACEs and support and promote that child's wellbeing. We anticipate that the updated GIRFEC policy will be published in late 2019.

Question reference: S5O-03127

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 April 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact on the justice system will be of a new age of criminal responsibility of 12 coming into force.

Question reference: S5W-22412

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 17 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-22153 by John Swinney on 23 March 2019, whether it plans to record the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences.

The term adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) was originally developed in the US in the 1990s in a survey of childhood adversity, current health status and behaviours. This question set has been adapted for use in many subsequent surveys across different countries to establish the prevalence of ACEs. Such ACE prevalence studies have been undertaken with adult populations to retrospectively ask them about experiences that occurred between 0 to 18 years, usually focusing on 10 commonly measured adversities, including: being the victim of abuse (physical, sexual and/or emotional) or neglect (physical and emotional), having separated parents, and growing-up in a household in which there are adults experiencing alcohol and drug use problems, mental health conditions, domestic violence or imprisonment.

In line with such ACE prevalence studies in other countries, the Scottish Government has incorporated questions about these adversities into the 2019 Scottish Health Survey undertaken with adults. The survey findings will establish the prevalence of ACEs amongst the Scottish adult population and the links with health outcomes and behaviours.

As well as these ten commonly measured ACEs, there are a range of other types of childhood adversity that can also negatively impact on children’s healthy development. These include bereavement, bullying, poverty, community adversities (e.g. area deprivation, neighbourhood violence) and other adversities. The Scottish Government is committed to addressing all types of childhood adversity, and this is anchored in our long-standing, national approach of Getting it right for every child.

In terms of understanding the prevalence of ACEs in the current population of children and young people, information is available from the Growing up in Scotland (GUS) study. GUS tracks the lives of 2 cohorts of approximately 10,000 children from across Scotland and collects information on a range of adversities, including: parental separation, childhood bereavement, maternal health problems, mental disorder in the family, domestic violence and parental imprisonment. This information from GUS will also be complemented by the new Health and Wellbeing Census which will ask some questions about childhood adversities appropriate for the age and stage of the pupil. It is anticipated that the Census will be operational in 2020.

Question reference: S5W-22615

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 17 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of quality home economics education to tackle Scotland's obesity crisis.

The Scottish Government is clear that home economics plays a key role in providing children and young people with the skills, knowledge and experience they need to make positive health choices and live longer, healthier lives.

Through Curriculum for Excellence, every child and young person in Scotland is entitled to a broad general education which includes learning about food and health. This learning can be delivered through a variety of classes including maths, home economics and science and can include activities like a visit from a chef or a visit to a farm. This helps to ensure that pupils develop a full understanding of food issues in their widest sense. For example, as well as learning how to cook, food education encompasses things like food choices, advertising and culture and the impact these have on overall health.

Our policy document ‘Better Eating, Better Learning’ asks pupils, parents, teachers, caterers and wider community to renew their commitment to school food provision and food education in school by working more closely together to prioritise health promotion in their school. This will help to ensure we are providing consistent messages to children and young people as they learn how to take responsibility for their health.

Question reference: S5W-21975

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that NHS boards recruit sufficient numbers of specialty doctors, staff grades and associate specialists (SAS Doctors) in ophthalmology to meet rising demand, in light of the recent Workforce Census for 2018, published by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, which showed that NHS boards in Scotland are recruiting two SAS posts compared with an "ideal" number of 10.

The National Ophthalmology Workstream developed in 2017 identifies mechanisms to determine that service capacity is adequate to meet clinical need. To promote long term sustainability, Scottish Government Officials are working with stakeholders on the future development of clinical training pathways, including proactively considering specialty training numbers.

The Scottish Government has announced investment of £4 million over the next three years on domestic and international recruitment for NHS Scotland. We have also set out measures, including significant increases in undergraduate medical places that facilitate the recruitment and retention of medical specialists across Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-22254

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report, Slavery, Abolition and the University of Glasgow, by the university, how it will encourage other Scottish public institutions to undertake studies on Scotland's role in the slave trade.

In December 2017 we published the Race Equality Action Plan outlining more than 120 actions we will take over the course of this Parliament to secure better outcomes for minority ethnic communities in Scotland. One of the commitments made is to mark the International Decade for People of African Descent over 2018-2019 with an innovative programme of events.

We have noted the publication of the report by Glasgow University, “Slavery, Abolition and the University of Glasgow”, and the interesting approach it takes to quantifying and addressing the historic implications of slavery for the institution. While we have no plans to directly replicate this for the whole of Scotland, we will consider how the report, and the approach it sets out, can inform our plans for the International Decade as we take these forward.

Question reference: S5W-22258

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider undertaking a study, similar to that undertaken by the University of Glasgow in its report, Slavery Abolition and the University of Glasgow, to understand how Scotland benefited financially from involvement in the slave trade.

Question reference: S5W-22257

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the report, Slavery, Abolition, and the University of Glasgow, by the university, which acknowledges the ways in which it has benefited financially from slavery and estimates the present-day value of all monies given to it, which were fully or partly derived from slavery.