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-15131

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many children currently living in temporary accommodation are not registered with a GP.

Question reference: S6W-15139

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve outcomes for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Scottish Government has funded Modernising Patient Pathways Programme (MPPP) which has a specific workstream continuing to promote improvements in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) care for patients across Scotland in partnership with third-sector and people with lived experience. Scotland’s national IBD Steering Group has identified priority areas for work over the next two years. This includes consideration of referral pathways and models of IBD care to drive a more standardised and equitable service across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-15061

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the current average length of time is for which agreed interim care placements are in place, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-15140

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) presented at A&E due to an IBD flare-up in 2022.

Question reference: S6W-14951

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reports that 1,027 new patients had to wait more than 18 months for a hospital outpatient appointment in the NHS Ayrshire and Arran area.

The Scottish Government is working with all NHS Boards, including NHS Ayrshire and Arran, to clear long waits, which have been exacerbated by the impacts of the global pandemic, and more recently the disruption caused by a very difficult winter.

Recent statistics show that NHS Ayrshire & Arran has made significant progress in reducing long waits for outpatients since the targets were announced in July 2022.

We continue to work closely with NHS Ayrshire & Arran to address the backlog of planned care. This includes mutual aid arrangements to clear long waits in Gastroenterology and Diabetes & Endocrinology services, and additional support for Dermatology and Ophthalmology.

The Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) is also working with Health Boards, including NHS Ayrshire & Arran, to accelerate implementation of high impact changes, including Active Clinical Referral Treatment and Patient Initiated Review. These improvement programmes will not only support delivery of the targets, but they will also provide sustainable solutions for the future.

We are working with CfSD and Health Boards to embed regional and national working to ensure that long waiting patients can access treatment more quickly.

Question reference: S6W-14962

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on administering the SME Loan Scheme.

The Scottish Government has spent £292,985 (inc vat) on administering the SME Loan and Grant Scheme over the period 2019-20 – 2022-23 as set out in the following table. This scheme has provided significant financial support to SMEs in Scotland to decarbonise, improve their energy efficiency, cut energy bills and become more economically competitive over the Scheme’s lifespan.

2019-2020	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
£57,062 (inc vat)	£67,126 (inc vat)	£ 100,494 (inc vat)	£ 68,303 (inc vat)

Question reference: S6W-14952

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that there is an adequate provision of diabetes and endocrinology services in NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

In February 2021, we published the refresh of our Diabetes Improvement Plan (DIP), which sets out our aims and priorities to deliver safe, effective and person-centred healthcare, treatment and support for people living with diabetes. Implementation of the Plan is governed by the Scottish Diabetes Group and a number of project groups.

The Scottish Diabetes Group (SDG) and Managed Clinical Networks (MCNs) meet regularly to discuss concerns and share good practice. The Chair of the SDG also hosts an advisory group to discuss issues relating to endocrinology services. NHS Ayrshire & Arran have representation on these national meetings and we will continue to support the diabetes teams to improve their services.

Wider support for service improvements comes from the NHS Recovery Plan, published in August 2021. This Plan is backed by over £1 billion of funding and will support an increase in both inpatient and outpatient activity to ensure adequate provision of services and tackle backlogs in care from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6W-15138

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to recruit more inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) nurse specialists, in light of Crohn’s and Colitis UK’s recommended standard of 2.5 IBD nurse specialists per 250,000 patient population.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in Scotland are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

Whilst the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy direction for workforce development with the NHS, it is up for individual health boards on how best to undertake recruitment planning.

Through the NHS Recovery Plan Scottish Government have committed to £1 billion of targeted investment for the recovery and renewal of Scotland’s health service and £600 million of investment support Health Boards and their staff through winter pressures. This includes £8 million to support the recruitment of 750 nurses, midwives and allied health professionals from overseas.

Question reference: S6W-15060

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of patients there currently are who have (a) been offered and (b) agreed to an interim care placement without the relevant Health and Social Care Partnership having put an interim care plan in place, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-15059

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of interim care placements that are currently beyond their agreed end date, broken down by local authority area.