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-21433

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress in relation to the medium-term action in the Women's Health Plan to establish a Women's Health Lead in every NHS board, including the number of Women's Health Leads that are currently in place and where, and whether the "funding and resource restraints" that were identified in relation to these positions in the minutes of the Women's Health Plan Implementation Programme Board's meeting on 2 November 2022 have been resolved.

The recent Women’s Health Plan: Interim Progress Update 2023 produced for the Women’s Health Plan Implementation Programme Board and the quarterly blog by the Women’s Health Champion sets out progress made since the Report on Progress , which was published in January 2023.

There is now a Women’s Health Lead in nearly every NHS Board. It is for NHS Boards to determine the local role of their Women’s Health Leads according to local need and priority and with reference to the aims set out in the Women’s Health Plan .

The Women’s Health Plan Implementation Programme Board will next meet on 15 November 2023, at which the minutes from the previous meeting will be agreed and subsequently published online.

Question reference: S6W-21453

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards meeting its target of halving the child obesity rate by 2030, and what assessment has been made of the impact of A Healthier Future – Scotland’s Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan, now that it is five years since it was published.

The Scottish Government reports on progress on its aim to halve childhood obesity by 2030 on an annual basis in the regular Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) Report.

In 2021, almost two thirds of children were in the healthy weight range, the lowest the survey has recorded. Almost one in five children (18%) were considered at risk of obesity in 2021.

In our 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan we set out ambitious and wide-ranging action to deliver our vision for a Scotland where everyone eats well and has a healthy weight. We are taking forward a range of action across five key outcomes: giving children the best start in life; creating a healthier food environment; better access to weight management services; leadership and reducing health inequalities.

Although there has been no formal assessment of the impact of the 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan, the annual SHeS provides indicators relating to diet, including fruit and vegetable consumption, weight and physical activity.

Question reference: S6W-21402

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many transition plans for young disabled people have been issued in each of the 10 local authorities that are involved in the Principles into Practice pilots, in each of the last 10 years.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of transition plans that local authorities have in place for children and young people as this is a matter for individual authorities.

Under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004, when a young person is expected to leave school the education authority has a duty to request and share information within specific timeframes to help support their transition. Local authorities are responsible for meeting their duties under the legislation and there are a range of planning mechanisms used by local authorities to meet children and young people’s needs.

Question reference: S6W-21645

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what COVID-19 surveillance measures it will activate this autumn and winter to protect people with weakened immune systems who remain vulnerable to COVID-19.

In Scotland, respiratory infection levels, including those of COVID-19, and their impact are monitored using various sources of data, including microbiological sampling and laboratory test results from community and hospital settings, NHS 24 calls, primary care consultations, and hospital admissions. The intelligence generated from these different data sources provide a comprehensive picture of current respiratory illness in Scotland. In addition, COVID-19 outbreaks and general trends can be estimated by measuring concentrations of the virus in wastewater.

Surveillance of respiratory infections is a critical part of our approach to monitoring and managing the spread and prevalence of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses. It helps us to determine the right public health strategies and timing, to manage transmission in the community. Public Health Scotland (PHS) are responsible for delivering Scotland’s National Respiratory Surveillance Plan with the support of the Scottish Government.

Our successful vaccination programme means many people previously considered at highest risk, and the wider population, are now far less likely to become seriously ill from Covid-19. However, people with a weakened immune system might not develop the same level of immunity from the vaccination as others. This means that some people with a weakened immune system may still be at higher risk from COVID-19, although many do get some protection from the vaccine. These people should continue to follow the advice of their GP or specialist clinician, who best know their health condition and circumstances. This may include accessing to antiviral treatment where required. The advice across respiratory diseases remains to get your booster when we invite you for vaccination and if you feel unwell with a respiratory infection to try to stay at home.

Question reference: S6W-21629

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many public sector grants have been awarded since 1 July 2023 that require recipients to both pay the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for effective worker voice, broken down by the value of each grant.

As Mr Johnson notes, the new requirement on grants has been in place since July this year. We are currently focussed on supporting all government portfolios and public bodies across Scotland to implement the new conditions.

Monitoring compliance with Fair Work First principles, including the requirements to pay workers at least the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for effective voice, is the responsibility of individual grant managers across government and of relevant funders across the wider public sector. It takes place within existing grant assurance and monitoring processes, as with any other condition of grant, such as agreed outcomes.

Where exceptions to the mandatory grant requirements are applied, grant managers are asked to record these. This information will be requested and collated at the end of the financial year.

Question reference: S6W-21672

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which minister will have responsibility for its Green Industrial Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-21593

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to redevelop the site of HMP Shotts.

The Scottish Government remains committed to modernising and improving the prison estate, to ensure it is fit for purpose for those that live and work in prisons and supports the rehabilitation of people living there.

Our current infrastructure priorities are the replacements for HMP Barlinnie and HMP Inverness.

Neither the Scottish Government or the Scottish Prison Service have current plans to redevelop the site of HMP Shotts.

Question reference: S6W-21425

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20844 by Paul McLennan on 13 September 2023, how many of the applications that were received and approved (a) prior to and (b) since the announcement on 19 July 2023 were for (i) one-bed, (ii) two-bed, (iii) three-bed, (iv) four-bed and (v) five-bed or more homes.

Question reference: S6W-21476

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made regarding the cause of still-births in Scotland.

The causes of stillbirth are complex and in some cases remain unknown. Nevertheless, the Scottish Government is committed to supporting families who have experienced stillbirth and are funding key initiatives to help reduce the incidence of stillbirth in Scotland. This includes the Perinatal strand of the Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP), led by Healthcare Improvement Scotland which works with NHS Boards to improve safety for women, babies and families in Scotland. The SPSP Perinatal stillbirth package supports Boards to reliably and consistently deliver person centred care, effective fetal monitoring, safe communication, and leadership to promote a culture of safety at all levels.

Question reference: S6W-21451

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking with NHS boards to address the reported long waits that women are experiencing for urogynaecology treatments.

Working Collaboratively with clinical colleagues across NHS Scotland, the Centre for Sustainable Delivery’s (CfSD) National Elective Coordination Unit (NECU) are working to support a nationally coordinated campaign to expedite treatment for patients waiting for specialised urogynaecological procedures: urethral bulking, fascial sling repair and colposuspension.

The initial phase of this work has been completed and patients waiting within these procedure groups have been contacted.

The CfSD is now working to support clinicians within this highly specialist area to both see and treat these patients, with a view to ensure all patients receive treatment as soon as possible. This is expected to focus initially on urethral bulking procedures.

The Chief Operating Officer for NHS Scotland wrote to Health Board Chief Executives in September outlining the Scottish Government’s expectations for the treatment of these patients.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

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