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: S6W-04221

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it will confirm the date for the removal of the requirement for EWS1 forms, and their replacement with Scottish Government-funded Single Building Assessments.

Question reference: S6W-04054

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure that NHS patients in Scotland can access Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultra-Sound (MRgFUS) to treat the condition, essential tremor.

Patients in Scotland with medication-refractory essential tremor can be referred for MRgFUS treatment to the current centre in London which offers this service. These arrangements are managed through robust commissioning arrangements between NHS England and NHS National Services Scotland’s National Services Division (NSD). Referral to the service is dependent upon the patient’s local neurologist considering their eligibility and whether they would benefit from MRgFUS treatment.

In Scotland a partnership between NHS Tayside and University of Dundee is also enabling a small number of eligible patients to receive MRgFUS treatment at a newly developed facility in Dundee. So far 80 patients have been referred for assessment this year, and around 25% of those have been considered as being appropriate for treatment. The National Deep Brain Stimulation Service in Glasgow has been working closely with the facility to ensure that patient selection is appropriate with a view to the best clinical outcomes as well as patient safety.

While evidence continues to be gathered on the effectiveness of the technology, NSD continues to engage with the clinical team in Tayside with a view to the development of an application for national designation in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-00402

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it recognises long COVID as a disability.

Question reference: S6W-03468

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason NHS boards are reportedly not being provided with clear face masks to aid people who are hearing impaired, in light of these reportedly being provided to NHS trusts in England.

Transparent masks have the potential to bring significant benefits in aiding communication and the Scottish Government is supportive of their introduction where appropriate. We are aware that NHS England have previously trialled transparent masks in non-clinical settings.

Earlier this year, a new technical specification for the design and performance requirements of transparent masks was established. The UK Four Nations PPE Review Group has a role to review any products submitted for approval and NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) is actively engaging in this process and working to ensure masks can be made available as soon as possible.

Question reference: S6W-03691

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 29 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the forthcoming bonfire night celebrations, whether it will confirm what the outcome was of its consultation on the use of fireworks.

The consultation ‘Use and Sale of Fireworks in Scotland, and tackling the misuse of pyrotechnics’ ran from 20 June to 15 August 2021. The consultation consisted of two sections; the first sought views on proposed changes to how fireworks can be supplied and used in Scotland; while the second section considered the use of pyrotechnic devices.

Over 1,700 responses were received, with the majority submitted by individual members of the public, with stakeholder organisations including the emergency services, the fireworks industry and animal welfare organisations also responding. An analysis of consultation responses, undertaken by an independent contractor, will be published shortly.

Where permission was granted, responses have been published at https://consult.gov.scot/justice/use-and-sale-of-fireworks-in-scotland/consultation/published_select_respondent .

A Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Bill will be introduced to Parliament in Year One of this Parliamentary term to prevent harm in our communities.

Question reference: S6W-03415

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there continues to be a delay to the implementation of the provisions in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 prohibiting pavement parking, double parking and parking at dropped kerbs.

The implementation of the parking elements of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 has been affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic and preparations for European Union exit. This particularly impacted the development of guidance and regulations and the related consultation processes however my officials are continuing to consult with local authorities to develop both the secondary legislation required to allow them to enforce the national pavement prohibition as well as the Parking Standards Guidance which will underpin the Act.

Additionally, we need to consult with the public on some areas contained within the secondary legislation. Local authorities will be required to undertake an assessment to identify and progress any exemptions to the pavement parking prohibition they consider necessary. We are actively working with Local Authorities to undertake this work and Scottish Ministers have provided the requested £2.4 million of funding to enable this to be progressed in a timeous manner.

The majority of the secondary legislation is likely to be in place by 2022. Some aspects however, such as the appeals process for those who wish to appeal a ticket issued for pavement parking, may not be in place until summer 2023.

Question reference: S6O-00328

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 October 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the ecological status of Scotland’s lochs and rivers.

Question reference: S6W-03799

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 26 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings and recommendations in the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care report, Every Story’s Ending, published in September 2021.

The Scottish Government welcomes the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care’s report: Every Story’s Ending. This report provides a helpful insight into the experiences that people and their families have at the end of life in Scotland.

The findings of the report will be helpful in shaping the work to take forward our commitment to produce a new palliative and end of life care strategy over the course of the coming year.

Question reference: S6O-00280

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 October 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with trade unions representing ScotRail staff.

Question reference: S6O-00224

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the development of a National Centre for Music.