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-26671

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on achieving priority 8 of its Diabetes Improvement Plan "to accelerate the development and roll-out of innovative solutions to improve treatment, care and quality of life of people living with diabetes".

The implementation of the Diabetes Improvement Plan is underway and supported by the Scottish Diabetes Group.

Regarding Priority 8, the Scottish Government has provided £19 million of additional funding to NHS Boards to support the roll out of technologies since 2021. The Scottish Diabetes Technologies & Innovation Group also has a significant programme of work which aims to find new solutions, or scale up existing, and ensures dedicated focus on the delivery of Priority 8.

Question reference: S6W-26618

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much the temporary relocation of the interim chief executive of Ferguson Marine will cost, and who will be responsible for paying for any such costs.

Question reference: S6W-26616

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the business plan for the future of Ferguson Marine, Port Glasgow.

Question reference: S6W-26558

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much total funding is made available to colleges to deliver apprenticeships.

In 2022-23 Skills Development Scotland provided Colleges with funding of £11,927,213 for the delivery of Modern Apprenticeships.

In addition, Colleges utilise credits to support the delivery of Modern Apprenticeships. Any credits used by colleges must comply with the Credit Guidance issued by the Scottish Funding Council.

In 2022-23 the Scottish Funding Council and Skills Development Scotland provided Colleges £10,501,763 for the delivery of Foundation Apprenticeships.

Question reference: S6W-26559

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much total funding is made available to independent learning providers to deliver apprenticeships.

Question reference: S6W-26968

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many colorectal (a) clinical nurse specialists and (b) surgeons were employed by NHS Lanarkshire in 2019.

Question reference: S6W-26897

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS Scotland services and departments still use paper-based medical records.

Question reference: S6W-26809

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23975 by Mairi McAllan on 18 January 2024, whether it can detail any work that it has undertaken in relation to exploring joining the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA) as a core member, and whether it will provide an update on its position on BOGA membership ahead of the publication of the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

The Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP), to be published in summer, will include the Scottish Government's updated policy position on offshore oil and gas exploration and production, among other matters. The Strategy will set out a clear pathway to deliver on global commitments and capitalise on the enormous opportunities offered by becoming a net zero economy. Our focus remains on reducing emissions in line with climate goals, meeting our energy security needs and ensuring a just transition for our oil and gas workforce as North Sea resources decline.

Alongside finalising the ESJTP, we continue to engage with the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance as part of a wider programme of analysis and engagement with a range of organisations and stakeholders. The final ESJTP will also build from the substantial independent evidence base on domestic energy transition in the context of the global Paris Agreement goals that was developed and published in support of the draft version.

Question reference: S6W-26788

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to address the reported failure to reach target student teacher intake numbers in 19 out of 20 subjects.

This relates to indicative figures provided by universities at the start of the academic session. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) will publish the 2023-24 academic year Official Statistics data in 2025. These will provide the most accurate figures on enrolments into modern language Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes.

This information is informing the work of Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which is considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail together with work to improving the promotion of teaching as a valued career.

Both the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council have offered to work with universities to develop alternative routes into subjects which have traditionally been difficult to recruit to.

Our Teaching Bursary Scheme is offering a £20,000 payment to career changers who are looking to undertake teacher training in hard to fill STEM subjects – physics, maths, technical education, computing science, chemistry and home economics. The scheme was also extended to include Gaelic as a secondary subject, and Gaelic medium across all secondary subjects and in primary.

Question reference: S6W-26757

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what additional services could be provided by high street ophthalmologists that could alleviate the reported current pressure on hospital and GP services.

There is only one high street ophthalmologist (ophthalmic medical practitioner) listed to provide General Ophthalmic Services in Scotland.

However, community optometrists have been increasing their role to support the care of NHS patients and this is continuing. NHS Education for Scotland funded training is enabling more optometrists to become independent prescribers each year resulting in more care for patients without the need for hospital referral or general practice support. Scotland is also the first country in the UK to embed independent prescribing into the undergraduate optometry course from this autumn.

Additionally, community optometrists are also becoming accredited around Scotland to safely manage the care of patients with lower risk glaucoma, enabling the discharge of these patients to high quality care nearer to home, freeing up much needed hospital eye service capacity.