Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-40720

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Independent
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is a requirement for a second angiographic suite to be built at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to enable a 24/7 thrombectomy service, and what plans there are to build such a suite.

A commitment to a round-the-clock thrombectomy service was set out in our Stroke Improvement Plan and this remains our aim for the thrombectomy service.

Work is ongoing to align the governance and delivery of thrombectomy with similar national programmes. This alignment with wider health service planning aims to support oversight of thrombectomy planning, for the NHS Chief Executive Group and encourage greater collaboration between NHS Boards in delivering this vital service.

This work will inform the future expansion of the service, including angiography capacity, and will support consistency across thrombectomy services in Scotland, ensuring the service maximises use of existing resources.

Question reference: S6W-40722

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Independent
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Public Health Scotland Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme report suggesting that, in the last year, on admission to hospital, only 56% of stroke patients in NHS Lothian received the most basic levels of care for the condition, which is known as "the stroke care bundle".

Question reference: S6W-40555

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Independent
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40302 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 September 2025, regarding Adult Disability Payment (ADP) reviews, whether it will confirm the financial cost to Social Security Scotland of conducting the 142,100 reviews of claimants transferred from Personal Independence Payment to ADP, in light of the figure showing that 79% of the reviews resulted in no change of award.

Question reference: S6W-40302

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Independent
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of Adult Disability claimants transferred from PIP have received a reassessment of their claim, and what the outcomes were of any such reassessment, including the percentage of claims that have (a) increased, (b) decreased and (c) remained the same.

Social Security Scotland is committed to transparency and accountability and routinely publishes statistics on its benefits, including Adult Disability Payment reviews in its quarterly Adult Disability Payment Official Statistics publication.

As of 30 April 2025, 345,955 people had their benefits transferred from Personal Independence Payment to Adult Disability Payment. Social Security Scotland has completed reviews for 142,100 of these awards:

20% of awards resulted in an increase in award (28,145 cases)
2% resulted in a decrease in award (2,365 cases)
79% stayed the same (111,590 cases)

It is not possible to directly calculate the percentage of clients who have had a review, as a small number have had more than one review since their benefit was transferred.

The initial review date for transferred Adult Disability Payment awards is based on the Personal Independence Payment review date set by the Department for Work and Pensions, so many transferred Adult Disability Payment awards are not yet due to be reviewed. The next Adult Disability Payment statistics will be published on 16 September 2025, covering up to 31 July 2025.

Social Security Scotland is committed to transparency and accountability and routinely publishes statistics on its benefits, including Adult Disability Payment reviews in its quarterly Adult Disability Payment Official Statistics publication.

As of 30 April 2025, 345,955 people had their benefits transferred from Personal Independence Payment to Adult Disability Payment. Social Security Scotland has completed reviews for 142,100 of these awards:

20% of awards resulted in an increase in award (28,145 cases)
2% resulted in a decrease in award (2,365 cases)
79% stayed the same (111,590 cases)

It is not possible to directly calculate the percentage of clients who have had a review, as a small number have had more than one review since their benefit was transferred.

The initial review date for transferred Adult Disability Payment awards is based on the Personal Independence Payment review date set by the Department for Work and Pensions, so many transferred Adult Disability Payment awards are not yet due to be reviewed. The next Adult Disability Payment statistics will be published on 16 September 2025, covering up to 31 July 2025.

Question reference: S6W-39898

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason section 8 of the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Act 2023 has not yet been implemented.

The Scottish Government is committed to implementing all elements of the Bail and Release (Scotland) Act 2023 (“the 2023 Act”).

The sections of the Act are being commenced at different times, with the timeline being influenced by multiple factors, including engagement with stakeholders around resource and readiness, whilst taking account of the wider priorities in the justice landscape.

We have already commenced various sections of the 2023 Act. This includes all of part 1 of the 2023 Act which relates to bail and bail decision making. Section 11 (Emergency Early Release), Section 14 (Prescribed Victim Support Organisations), and Section 15 (Reporting on the operation of Part 2: Release) have all been commenced.

This Government has been leading justice partners in efforts to manage the complex and high prison population, for an extended period of time. Resources within SG, the SPS, justice social work and other partners have been focussed on delivering changes in legislation and prison operations related to safely managing and reducing the prison population in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-39899

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when section 8 of the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Act 2023 will be implemented.

The Scottish Government is committed to implementing all relevant elements of the 2023 Act. Section 8 of the Bail and Release From Custody (Scotland) Act 2023 will be implemented as soon as is practicable.

The sections of the Act are being commenced at different times, with the timeline being influenced by multiple factors, including engagement with stakeholders around resource and readiness. Delivery of implementation work has been impacted by the need for collective work to safely manage the complex and high prison population in Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-39898 on 5 September 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6W-39957

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 29 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the new Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations, which will raise the audit income threshold for charities registered in Scotland from £500,000 to £1 million, will be introduced and come into force.

Question reference: S6W-38758

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report, Older People’s Economic Wellbeing Index: Scotland 2024–25, by Independent Age, which found that almost one in four (24%) older people with a health condition are not aware of Pension Age Disability Payment or its predecessor, Attendance Allowance, how it will raise awareness of the financial support available to older disabled people.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone takes up the support to which they are entitled and has worked closely with stakeholders in designing Pension Age Disability Payment and promoting take-up.

This includes ensuring that people can apply in the way that suits them best, including online, by phone, through paper form or in person through our Local Delivery service, and an extensive marketing campaign, including through social media, paid advertising and engaging directly with people in their communities. This summer Social Security Scotland will carry out a further marketing campaign to reach older people who may be eligible for support.

Question reference: S6W-38759

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 1 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report, Older People’s Economic Wellbeing Index: Scotland 2024–25, by Independent Age, which found that almost one third (32%) of older people with a health condition have skipped meals because of costs and that 58% of people with a health condition or disability are more likely to have reduced their social interactions because of financial difficulties.

The Scottish Government’s A Fairer Scotland for Older People: framework for action contains a dedicated strand focused on activity we are undertaking to ensure people are financially secure and supported as they age. The framework and actions within it are discussed at the Older People Strategic Action Forum, of which Independent Age are a valued member.

The Scottish Government provides funding of £2.2 million, through the Equality and Human Rights Fund, to older people’s organisations and age equality projects. This funding is delivering a range of initiatives that tackles poverty among older people. A copy of the fund’s progress report can be found here Oct 23-Mar 24_E&HR Progress Report and provides details on initiatives we are delivering with this funding.

We are also tackling social isolation and loneliness by providing £3.8m over three years to 53 community projects across Scotland through the Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund that is creating opportunities for people to connect. Disabled people and older people (75+) are two of the priority groups targeted by the Fund.. A copy of the fund’s progress can be found here SIAL-2023-26-year-2-progress-report-2.pdf

As you may know, on 9 June the UK Government announced an intention to expand eligibility to the Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) in England and Wales to pensioners with an individual income of £35,000 or less per year. Following careful consideration of the options available, the Scottish Government has decided to mirror the approach taken by the UK Government for our Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP). From this winter onwards, PAWHP will be a payment of £203.40 per pensioner household with no individual aged 80 or over, or £305.10 per pensioner households with an individual aged 80 or over. This means pensioners in Scotland will be better off compared to those in the rest of the UK.

There is other support in Scotland, through the Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) Passport, that aims to increase independence and participation of older and disabled people. This includes Free Personal Care, access to a disabled person’s bus pass and a companion pass and although receipt of PADP does not provide automatic entitlement to a Blue Badge, eligible disabled people can apply through their local authority.

Question reference: S6T-02570

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the removal of dangerous building cladding, in light of the recent publications by Scotland’s Cladding Remediation Programme.

Chamber and committees