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-27349

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 21 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps are being taken to increase the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of NHS dentists.

The majority of NHS dental services are provided by independent contractors, including corporate entities, who not employed by the NHS but instead make ‘arrangements’ with NHS Boards to provide dental services in their area. As the Scottish Government has no direct control on recruitment within these private businesses, policy focus to date has been placed on improving the NHS offer by introducing a new fee scale and increasing the incentives available to the independent sector to provide NHS dental services. The initial impression from the sector has been encouraging in welcoming the changes to NHS fees.

In addition, we continue to make available targeted ‘golden-hello’ workforce incentives in areas where access has proved more challenging; this pays out up to £37,500 for dental trainees who join the dental list in a qualifying area.

In recognising that we have no direct levers to improve recruitment, at the national level we are focused on actions to improve the workforce supply, including leading discussions with UK and other devolved governments on our shared challenges. We therefore welcome the consultation brought forward by UK Government to vary the General Dental Council’s powers, allowing for a new provisional registration status to allow overseas dentists to enter the workforce much more quickly, and we are having preparatory discussions with stakeholders to understand how this could work in practice. Alongside work to improve international pipelines, we are also working to consider our domestic routes into dentistry and other dental care professions by ensuring that our educational offering reflects workforce need in all areas of the country.

By increasing the fees payable to NHS dentistry and improving workforce supply, the intention is to provide an improved landscape for independent contractors and dental bodies corporate to sustain NHS dental services into the medium- to longer-term.

Question reference: S6W-27352

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with the UK Government regarding the elimination of cervical cancer in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-27358

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 21 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on investing up to £30 million to support cancer waiting times improvements, as set out in its Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-26.

£11.3 million of non-recurring Cancer Waiting Times funding has been made available in 2023-24 across NHS Scotland. The majority of funding is being directed to urology, colorectal and breast – the three most challenged tumour types.

A further £11.3 million will be provided in 2024-25 to support cancer waiting times improvements across NHS Scotland, with Boards being encouraged to direct funding to the most challenged cancer pathways.

Question reference: S6T-02000

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported figures showing that average rents increased at a higher rate in Scotland than any other region or nation in the UK between September 2022 and March 2024.

Question reference: S6T-01996

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is regarding any implications for community safety to the events that occurred in Trongate, Glasgow, following Celtic Football Club’s league title win.

Question reference: S6T-01995

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly withdrawn all funding for the National Parent Forum of Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-03158

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 May 2024

To ask the First Minister what the potential implications are for Scotland's economy of the UK Government's immigration policy changes for graduates.

Question reference: S6F-03143

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 May 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03150

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 May 2024

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on what action the Scottish Government is taking to support the Ferguson Marine shipyard.

Question reference: S6F-03166

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 May 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that no NHS board has implemented placental growth factor-based testing for pre-eclampsia, in light of it having been recommended in March 2023 by the Scottish Health Technologies Group.