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-22344

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 15 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it was decided who would be represented on task group that is considering the issue of a right to breaks for carers.

Group membership has been identified through dialogue between Scottish Government officials and organisations representing carers, local carer centres and statutory organisations expected to be involved in implementing the proposed right to breaks from caring. Further members were invited following a discussion at the group’s first meeting, to help ensure a good spread of expertise to enable the group to fulfil its remit.

Question reference: S6W-22541

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 14 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21423 by Jenny Gilruth on 2 October 2023, whether it will provide the number of probationers that were bid for, and the number allocated, broken down by subject, as well as by local authority.

Question reference: S6W-22182

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is currently running any marketing or recruitment campaigns to encourage more GPs to work in NHS boards in predominantly rural areas such as the Scottish Borders and the Highlands.

We launched a GP recruitment campaign in June 2022, as part of our commitment to increase the number of GPs in Scotland. The campaign seeks to encourage GPs from the rest of the UK to relocate to Scotland, highlighting the flexible, supportive, collaborative, and multi-disciplinary working environment.

We also fund ScotGEM, a four-year graduate-entry medical degree with a focus on remote and rural medicine. The programme is delivered through a collaborative partnership between the universities of St Andrew and Dundee, in collaboration with NHS Fife, NHS Tayside, NHS Highland, NHS Dumfries and Galloway and the University of Highlands and Islands.

The first Cohort of 52 students form the University of Dundee graduated on 17 June 2022. Places have now increased to 70 per cohort.

The Scottish Government will develop a Remote and Rural workforce recruitment strategy by the end of 2024. This will support employers (either Boards or General Practices) to ensure that the Health and Social Care needs of people who live in remote and rural communities are met.

Question reference: S6W-22565

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 14 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether, in any of Scotland’s prisons, a majority of cells containing two or more inmates have less than 8m² of living space, excluding space dedicated to sanitary facilities, and, if so, in which prisons this is the case.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS does have accommodation within our estate which has an average of less than 8m² of living space and is occupied by more than one person in our care.

The following list indicates the establishments where the majority of cells that are currently being utilised for double (or more) occupancy have a cell average of under 8m² living space, as at 1 November 2023:

HMP Barlinnie
HMP Dumfries
HMP Edinburgh
HMP Glenochil
HMP Grampian
HMP Low Moss
HMP Perth
HMP&HMYOI Polmont

Whilst the Council of Prevention of Torture’s (CPT) minimum standard for personal living space in prison establishments for multiple occupancy cells is 4m² plus fully-partitioned sanitary facility, not complying with this standard does not constitute a breach of the law.

Question reference: S6W-22605

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 14 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to estimate the costs required for cladding remediation of so-called "orphan" buildings.

The Scottish Government has published a Financial Memorandum for the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill which includes information on the range of costs linked to the assessment and remediation of buildings in scope of the Cladding Remediation Programme. Financial Memorandum accessible (parliament.scot) We are working with Homes for Scotland and developers to identify their buildings within scope of the Programme.

Question reference: S6W-22604

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 14 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its proposals for a Building Safety Levy.

The Scottish Government intends to consult on the policy design of a devolved Building Safety Levy once an agreement has been reached with the UK Government on the transfer of legislative competence.

In line with our New Deal for Business and Framework for Tax, we will work collaboratively with those operating in the residential development sector and other stakeholders to ensure that the design and delivery of the Levy is informed by the widest possible range of views.

Question reference: S6W-22551

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what involvement (a) it and (b) Transport Scotland will have in funding the Clyde Metro.

Clyde Metro will be transformational for the region. It is likely to be a programme which will be delivered over a number of years, with the scale and capital costs required making it one of the largest programme of works Scotland will have ever seen.

The design and development costs to date have been funded by the Scottish Government. It is too early to comment on the longer term funding of Clyde Metro, however, it is envisaged that the funding model for its implementation will be determined as part of the next stage of development.

Question reference: S6W-22627

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the medium-term action to "Provide access in each primary care team to a Healthcare Professional (HCP) or HCPs who have a specialist knowledge in menstrual health including awareness of the symptoms of PMS, PMDD, heavy menstrual bleeding, endometriosis and their treatment options", as set out in its Women's Health Plan 2021-2024.

The Scottish Government has commissioned NHS Education for Scotland to create a bespoke training package and framework which is focussed on menopause and menstrual health for general practice and others working in Primary Care.

Through the recent establishment of the National Menstrual Health Clinical Network there is provision of access to peer support, expert clinical advice, training and sharing of best practice for clinicians with an interest in menstrual health, including those in primary care teams.

Question reference: S6W-22592

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 14 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of (a) the use and (b) any potential fire risks of spray insulation in buildings.

The building regulations in Scotland require that the materials used must be durable, and fit for their intended purpose. The regulations and supporting guidance also restrict the use of highly combustible materials depending on where the products are used in the building. More detailed information is provided in the Technical Handbooks available on the Scottish Government website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.gov.scot/policies/building-standards/monitoring-improving-building-regulations/ .

Construction products regulation is a matter reserved to the UK Government. Insulation products are generally tested and certified to relevant British and / or harmonised European tests, including being tested for reaction to fire properties.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) have published ‘Spray foam insulation: a clear, impartial guide’, to inform surveyors and building owners on application and risks when used in existing buildings. The guide is available on the RICS website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.rics.org/news-insights/rics-release-new-spray-foam-consumer-guide.

Question reference: S6W-22613

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Scotland and other partners regarding introducing CAR T-cell therapy for children and young people.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium accepted tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah ® ) for routine use in NHS Scotland in February 2019 for the treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, which is a very rare type of cancer of the white blood cells.

It is used to treat children and adults under 25 years-old, where the cancer has not responded to treatment (refractory); has come back after a transplant (relapsed); or has come back after treatment for the second time. National Services Division does not currently commission a paediatric CAR-T service in Scotland, but all eligible children and young people under 16 years of age have access via referral to a specialist unit in England.