Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-19521

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to SARS-CoV-2 swabs that underwent whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and the likely source of transmission was identified, what infection prevention and control action was taken as a result of the WGS data, in each month since March 2020.

Question reference: S6W-19417

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has completed the review into public funding for bus operators in Scotland, and, if so, what the review has recommended.

Question reference: S6W-18477

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 June 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on (a) prescribed and (b) non-prescribed contraceptives in each year since 2018-19, broken down by (i) type of contraceptive and (ii) the number of contraceptives distributed.

The Prescribing Information System (PIS) holds information on medicines and devices dispensed in the community, and the Hospital Medicines Utilisation Database (HMUD) holds information on medication provided in secondary care settings. Contraceptives are accessed and supplied by a variety of routes and the extent to which these supplies are captured within PIS and HMUD varies by type of contraception. For example, oral contraceptives are largely prescribed by General Practice and dispensed by Community Pharmacies and so are well recorded within PIS, whereas Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC) are more commonly provided through secondary care managed services such as Sexual Health Clinics and so are better represented within HMUD.

Over-the-counter non-prescribed contraception will not be included in either dataset; Public Health Scotland holds no data on this.

Costs are provided in table 1 below. However, a meaningful measure of the number of contraceptives issued across all drug groups is not possible. The length of cover provided by one product unit of contraception can vary from one day (e.g., one tablet) to up to ten years (e.g., one intrauterine device or IUD). Whilst measures of quantity are available within PIS and HMUD, these are for indicative purposes only and cannot be practically used to compare the amounts of different types of contraception distributed.

Table 1: Cost of contraceptives issued in PIS and HMUD from 2018/19 to 2022/23, by BNF paragraph

Year	BNF paragraph	Total cost
2018-19	7.3.1.0. Combined hormonal contraceptives	£2,481,077.97
	7.3.1.1. Combined hormonal systems	£76,961.55
	7.3.2.1. Oral progestogen-only contraceptives	£1,655,742.83
	7.3.2.2. Parenteral progestogen-only contraceptives	£3,801,664.99
	7.3.2.3. Intra-uterine progestogen-only device	£2,911,778.68
	7.3.3.0. Spermicidal contraceptives	£3,827.63
	7.3.5.0. Emergency contraception	£729,734.84
	21.4.0.0. Contraceptive devices	£40,162.22
2019-20	7.3.1.0. Combined hormonal contraceptives	£2,447,912.45
	7.3.1.1. Combined hormonal systems	£81,772.99
	7.3.2.1. Oral progestogen-only contraceptives	£1,751,465.69
	7.3.2.2. Parenteral progestogen-only contraceptives	£3,739,842.34
	7.3.2.3. Intra-uterine progestogen-only device	£2,980,340.96
	7.3.3.0. Spermicidal contraceptives	£2,799.65
	7.3.5.0. Emergency contraception	£887,595.65
	21.4.0.0. Contraceptive devices	£40,793.78
2020-21	7.3.1.0. Combined hormonal contraceptives	£2,062,640.35
	7.3.1.1. Combined hormonal systems	£71,294.88
	7.3.2.1. Oral progestogen-only contraceptives	£1,814,380.10
	7.3.2.2. Parenteral progestogen-only contraceptives	£2,596,546.10
	7.3.2.3. Intra-uterine progestogen-only device	£1,736,105.38
	7.3.3.0. Spermicidal contraceptives	£1,974.72
	7.3.5.0. Emergency contraception	£689,367.85
	21.4.0.0. Contraceptive devices	£19,629.36
2021-22	7.3.1.0. Combined hormonal contraceptives	£2,054,375.79
	7.3.1.1. Combined hormonal systems	£69,083.39
	7.3.2.1. Oral progestogen-only contraceptives	£1,805,823.06
	7.3.2.2. Parenteral progestogen-only contraceptives	£3,365,352.67
	7.3.2.3. Intra-uterine progestogen-only device	£2,856,637.26
	7.3.3.0. Spermicidal contraceptives	£2,293.69
	7.3.5.0. Emergency contraception	£963,038.59
	21.4.0.0. Contraceptive devices	£33,840.25
2022-23	7.3.1.0. Combined hormonal contraceptives	£2,013,008.31
	7.3.1.1. Combined hormonal systems	£66,692.32
	7.3.2.1. Oral progestogen-only contraceptives	£1,901,855.47
	7.3.2.2. Parenteral progestogen-only contraceptives	£3,469,198.81
	7.3.2.3. Intra-uterine progestogen-only device	£3,082,500.15
	7.3.3.0. Spermicidal contraceptives	£2,231.46
	7.3.5.0. Emergency contraception	£1,056,156.66
	21.4.0.0. Contraceptive devices	£30,427.78

Source: Public Health Scotland, PIS, HMUD

Reference: IR2023-00531

Notes:

For PIS:

1. Includes items prescribed and/or dispensed in Scotland

2. Excludes items prescribed and/or dispensed in England

3. Includes all prescriber types

4. Includes dispenser types: dispensing doctors, appliance suppliers, community pharmacists

5. Includes items dispensed by locations contracted to dispense NHS prescriptions i.e. excludes items dispensed by private dispensers.

6. Excludes private prescriptions

7. Costs are based on Gross Ingredient Cost (GIC), excluding broken bulk

8. Information on items prescribed but not dispensed is not currently held by PHS, Prescribed Items are based on items which have been prescribed, dispensed and subsequently submitted for payment.

9. Data is based on BNF Hierarchy and not clinical usage.

For HMUD

10. Includes all transaction from pharmacy stock control systems to clinical areas

11. Excludes internal stock transfers from one store location to another

12. Costs are based on the transaction costs recorded by the pharmacy stock control system.

Question reference: S6W-20171

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 26 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12786 by Neil Gray on 12 December 2022, whether it will provide an update on the number of sites that are managed by Historic Environment Scotland that were (a) open and (b) closed in 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-20072

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 26 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making towards meeting its reported commitment to enhance the Forestry Grant Scheme to deliver improved support for tree planting around rivers and streams, and when it expects to make any announcement on this matter.

The Scottish Government delivered this commitment on 12 July 2023 when the enhanced Forestry Grant Scheme support for planting trees around rivers and streams was announced and became operational. The ‘Woodlands for Riparian Benefits’ grant is targeted to areas of land around rivers which has the greatest potential to deliver multiple benefits. Approximately 175,000 hectares are now eligible for enhanced grant support for tree planting where there can be benefits for enhancing biodiversity and reducing river temperatures, diffuse pollution, and flood risk.

Question reference: S6W-19850

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 26 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of homes in each local authority area in the Highlands and Islands are now fully connected to superfast broadband.

Information regarding superfast broadband coverage in Scotland can be accessed on Ofcom’s website. Ofcom’s most recent figures, published in May 2023 , show that as of January 2023 the percentage of residential and commercial premises able to access superfast broadband (30 Megabits per second or above) in each local authority area in the Highlands and Islands region was as follows:

Argyll and Bute
All Premises	82%
Residential Premises	84%
Commercial Premises	70%

Highland
All Premises	84%
Residential Premises	85%
Commercial Premises	77%

Moray
All Premises	86%
Residential Premises	87%
Commercial Premises	77%

Na h-Eileanan Siar
All Premises	78%
Residential Premises	78%
Commercial Premises	79%

Orkney Islands
All Premises	67%
Residential Premises	67%
Commercial Premises	69%

Shetland Islands
All Premises	73%
Residential Premises	73%
Commercial Premises	67%

For all premises that do not have access to a superfast broadband connection, and are not included in commercial build plans, the Scottish Government is enabling access to superfast broadband through the £600 million R100 contracts (North, Central and South) and the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-19829

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 26 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support LGBT+ asylum seekers and refugees.

Scotland has a long history of welcoming people of all nationalities and faiths, including those seeking refuge and asylum from war and persecution. The New Scots refugee integration strategy was informed by engagement across Scotland, including refugees and people seeking asylum from the LGBT+ community. The strategy recognises that people seeking safety on the basis of their LGBT+ identity can face particular challenges within the asylum process and as refugees. We are committed to supporting the integration of asylum seekers and refugees into our communities and working with our partners to refresh the New Scots strategy.

LGBT Health & Wellbeing’s LGBT+ Refugee Project received £277,000 from the Scottish Government’s Investing in Communities Fund from 2019-2023 and an additional £30,000 from the Equality and Human Rights Fund in March 2023.

The recent report from LGBT Health and Wellbeing raises significant concerns relating to asylum accommodation. Asylum is reserved to the UK Parliament and handled by the Home Office. This includes provision of asylum accommodation and support. I hope the Home Office and its contractors will be engaging with LGBT Health and Wellbeing on their report to understand the issues people have experienced.

Question reference: S6W-19828

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 26 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to LGBT Health and Wellbeing's LGBT Refugee Project report, Experiences of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland: Housing, houselessness, hotel detention and impact.

The Scottish Government has noted the LGBT Health and Wellbeing’s report and continues to listen to the lived experience of refugees and people seeking asylum in a variety of ways.

The New Scots refugee integration strategy was informed by engagement across Scotland, including refugees and people seeking asylum from the LGBT+ community. The strategy recognises that people seeking safety on the basis of their LGBT+ identity can face particular challenges within the asylum process and as refugees. The strategy seeks to ensure that these issues are understood when developing policy or taking action to support refugees and people seeking asylum living in Scotland. We are committed to working with our partners to refresh the New Scots strategy and more information about engagement will be available in due course.

The report also raises significant concerns relating to asylum accommodation. Asylum is reserved to the UK Parliament and handled by the Home Office. This includes provision of asylum accommodation and support. I hope the Home Office and its contractors will be engaging with LGBT Health and Wellbeing on their report to understand the issues people have experienced.

Question reference: S6W-20194

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 July 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Lorna Slater on 26 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on extended producer responsibility for packaging reforms.

The UK Government has yesterday announced a decision taken to defer obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging payments from October 2024 to October 2025. The Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging is being progressed by the UK Government, working in partnership with the Scottish and other devolved governments.

The deferral is intended to provide stakeholders with additional time to prepare for the upcoming requirements, and to ensure a further opportunity to engage on the design of EPR policy and initiatives. This includes more open scrutiny with stakeholders on the main piece of legislation bringing forward these reforms, which will be laid as a UK Statutory Instrument and come to the Scottish Parliament for consent.

Question reference: S6W-19777

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 26 July 2023

Ministers have not met with universities and colleges to discuss RAAC. Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council officials have met on four occasions to discuss this matter, the last meeting of which was held on 5th July.

Chamber and committees