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-13991

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Digital Health and Care Strategy, what it is doing to support people to embrace existing, new and emerging technologies in health and care.

The use of digital tools is a choice and the Scottish Government is very mindful that introducing more Digital into the Health & Care system will need to be proportionate to ensure that nobody is left behind. The Scottish Government’s Connecting Scotland Programme, which is looking to support households to get online, is a key part of supporting people to embrace technology, including to access health and care. In addition, individual programmes of work and individual services, such as those set out in the answer to question S6W-13989 on 31 January 2023, are responsible for ensuring patients and service users are sufficiently supported to meaningfully use technology.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answer

Question reference: S6W-13990

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Digital Health and Care Strategy, what rights and responsibilities people have for using digital means to access information and services.

The “Health and Social Care Standards: my support, my life” set out a range of standards on what people should expect when using health, social care or social work services in Scotland. These include the use of technology to support independence and having more control over their own health and wellbeing, and for those in 24 hour care that they are connected to the internet. The Standards also set out an expectation that people can access the right information at the right time, and patients rights and responsibilities in relation to their information is further enhanced by the Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities which sets out expectations around confidentiality and handling of medical information.

Question reference: S6W-14184

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that 1,300 charities are facing closure within the next 12 months due to the cost of living crisis, and whether it will provide details of any support it plans to offer such charities.

The Scottish Government values the important role of Scotland’s third sector in working across communities to tackle tough social issues at source.

We recognise the impact of rising operating costs across society, including on charities and voluntary organisations in the third sector. We continue to invest widely in the third sector and have committed to increasing multiyear funding wherever possible.

Under Fairer Funding principles, multiyear arrangements for third sector organisations are preferred where appropriate, and we are committed to multiyear grants being the default position. This will allow us to work in partnership to design and deliver the kind of transformation our communities need to be fit for the future, whilst ensuring public services are sustainable.

We know from the longitudinal survey we support through the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations that 92% of those surveyed are confident that they will still be operating in 12 months’ time.

Question reference: S6W-14193

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent improvements to road safety have been undertaken at the Hillend junction on the A702/A703.

Improvements to the A702/A703 junction were made in early 2012 to simplify the layout to reduce the number of southbound lanes on the A702 on the approach to the junction with Old Pentland Road. In addition, footway build-outs were formed to improve sightlines for drivers joining the A702 from the side roads. These measures were carried alongside high friction surfacing and road marking enhancements being introduced at the junction.

Design work to install traffic signals at the junction is ongoing, with a preferred option being agreed by both Transport Scotland and Midlothian Council in 2022. A detailed design is programmed to begin in the coming financial year, which will take into account the numerous site constraints at this location .

Question reference: S6W-14089

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Digital Health and Care Strategy, what it is doing to develop digital services as part of social care reform.

Through the Digital Social Care programme of work, the Scottish Government is doing a range of things to support social care reform, delivery of which is ongoing. This includes work to support building strong digital foundations, skills and leadership, and enhancing digital services. Further details can be found in ' Care in the Digital Age: Delivery Plan 2022-23 ' and details about the programme can be found here: Digital Social Care | TEC Scotland . An update to the Delivery Plan will be published later this year with delivery priorities for 2023-24, and will include an overview of progress against existing commitments.

Question reference: S6W-13965

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have used the Near Me service in each NHS board area in each month since it was brought into use, broken down by (a) type of appointment and (b) service provided.

Question reference: S6T-01149

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported announcement that Unite the Union has withdrawn from the co-design process of the National Care Service.

Question reference: S6T-01146

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent study conducted by the Scottish Retail Consortium, which found that one in six shops are lying empty in Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-01787

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2023

To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with COSLA with regard to the proposals in some local authorities to reduce teacher numbers, given its commitment to increase teacher numbers by 3,500 by the end of the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S6F-01775

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2023

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.