- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what impact the National Strategy for Economic Transformation is having on the economy of the West Scotland region.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2025
- Asked by: James Dornan, MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding progress on the recommendations in the final report by the Social Tariff Working Group.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2025
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Current Status:
Withdrawn
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to hold a formal ceremony to mark the end of a century of oil refining at Grangemouth.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s priority is to ensure that those who are most impacted by the refinery closure receive support. We are providing support to the workforce, who are facing redundancy as a result of the refinery’s closure. We are providing a comprehensive retraining offer, which is delivered by Forth Valley College and is equipping workers right now with the skills to transition into in-demand industries. We are also focussed on supporting businesses to bring forward propositions that will help to secure a long term and sustainable future for the industrial cluster which will create the jobs and economic opportunities for years to come. The Project Willow study has identified nine projects that are viable alternatives to existing fossil-based operations. If brought to fruition, those projects could support 800 direct jobs at Grangemouth, along with others across the supply chain.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 14 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that hospital wards are single-sex.
Answer
The Scottish Government has set up a short life working group to consider existing policies, guidance and legislation which may be impacted by the recent Supreme Court judgment, such as existing guidance on mixed sex accommodation in NHS facilities.
Since 2005, we have expected NHS Boards to ensure that all of their facilities comply with the guidelines and recommendations on the elimination of mixed sex accommodation, including a presumption of 100% single rooms in all new hospital developments. There are limited exceptions for areas such as Intensive Care Units.
- Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards operate their own shingles vaccination programme, and how it is ensuring equitable access to the vaccine across all NHS boards.
Answer
All Health Boards in Scotland have the responsibility for delivering the shingles vaccination programme and have operational flexibility to reflect local needs.
Each year, individuals become eligible for vaccination depending on their age on 1 September. Boards can decide when it is most suitable to deliver this effectively alongside other immunisation programmes.
The Chief Medical Officer publishes advice for health professionals which includes the programme eligibility, priority and asks Health Boards to include an element of proactive inclusion work to reduce health inequalities. He also asks for a particular focus on underserved communities; this might include people living in the areas of highest deprivation and certain ethnicities who may experience lower vaccine uptake.
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 14 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Funding Council will publish its report on the financial state of the university sector in Scotland; whether the Minister for Higher and Further Education has been kept informed of the reasons for any delay in publication, and, if not, what information it has on the reasons for the minister not being kept informed of the reasons for any delay.
Answer
The publication date of the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) annual report on the financial sustainability of the higher education sector is a matter for the SFC. They have made the decision to amend the timing of their publication cycle primarily due to competing pressures and a delay to the finalisation of some college accounts which has resulted in the content of the college and university financial sustainability reports now being unavoidably outdated. Additionally, SFC will have analysis of new financial forecasts in June which will allow them to update and revise their previous analysis.
The updated analysis should be ready for publication in September.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when a decision will be made on reallowing alcohol at certain times on ScotRail services.
Answer
The First Minister announced to the Scottish Parliament on 6 May 2025 that we intend to remove the ban on alcohol on trains and replace it with new restrictions which will allow alcohol consumption between from 10am to 9pm every day. ScotRail will reserve the right to implement alcohol restrictions on specific services where BTP and rail industry intelligence indicates it necessary, for example major concerts or sporting events.
The current ban will be lifted and the new rules will come into force on 2 June 2025.
- Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many NHS boards are considering offering givinostat, also known as duvyzat, to people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in a fair and equitable manner.
Answer
It is a matter for Health Boards to consider the implementation of any new medicine to meet the needs of their local population. However, in response to concerns raised regarding access to givinostat in Scotland, the Cabinet Secretary has met with the four health boards who provide regional services across Scotland for children and adults with neuromuscular disorders, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). He has asked them to set out their timelines and approaches to the families who have children with DMD in the next two weeks. In addition, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer has been assured that the consultants have reviewed all those who eligible to ensure fair and equitable access across Scotland.
- Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for eligible NHS patients to receive the shingles vaccine.
Answer
The Shingles vaccination programme was first introduced in Scotland in 2013. In 2023, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended the use of a new two-course vaccine and the expansion of the age cohorts to protect individuals at an earlier age. They recommended a phased implementation over ten years. Currently, individuals who are age 65 and 70, over age 50 with a severely weakened immune system and people with certain health conditions are eligible for two doses of shingles vaccine. The second dose is usually offered between 2 and 12 months after the first. Eligible individuals will be contacted by their local NHS Immunisation team. Most Immunisation teams begin inviting patients forward from January onwards.
In due course, those who reach age 60 or 65 years during the period 1 September 2028 to 31 August 2033 will become eligible from 1 September in the relevant year.
