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-17654

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that all kidney patients performing dialysis at home receive reimbursement for any increased utility bills as a result of them administering the treatment.

Question reference: S6W-17578

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether Circularity Scotland provided it with a (a) copy of the detailed schedule to collect scheme packing from return point operators and pay them deposits and handling fees by 21 October 2021 or (b) notification that such a schedule could not be provided by the date, and, if so, when any such notification was made.

The detailed schedules to collect scheme products, and pay deposits and handling fees are a matter for Circularity Scotland, the not-for profit scheme administrator, their logistics partner and return point operators.

Working with partners we have refreshed the system-wide governance for the Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland (DRS) for the implementation stage of the programme. This now includes a Ministerial Strategic Assurance Group which will meet for the first time during May 2023 and sectoral groups representing producers, retailers, hospitality and the public sector, most of which have already had their first meeting.

Question reference: S6W-17649

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16905 by Lorna Slater on 25 April 2023, what the current status is of the (a) Construction Advice and Support Service and (b) Green Islands funding.

Question reference: S6W-17898

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17358 by Michael Matheson on 4 May 2023, by which date the Digital Prescribing and Dispensing Pathways programme will be rolled out across all NHS boards.

Question reference: S6W-17776

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it requires the three mandatory tenancy deposit schemes to be Accredited Living Wage Employers.

The role of the Scottish Government is to monitor each of the three deposit schemes for compliance with the Tenancy Deposit Schemes (Scotland) Regulations 2011. This includes being satisfied that the tenancy deposit schemes have clear and substantial processes in place that meet the requirements laid out in the regulations.

The three approved tenancy deposit schemes are private businesses and the Scottish Government is not involved in their business operations. While we encourage employers to be Accredited Living Wage Employers we do not require it.

It is clear that Fair Work, including fair pay, is more important than ever in the context of the cost of living crisis, and we will use all the levers we can to support those most affected.

Our Fair Work First Guidance explains our Fair Work First approach, provides good practice examples to guide employers’ approaches and, importantly, explains the benefits of fair work for workers and organisations.

Question reference: S6W-17658

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the report, Scottish Government Pain Management Panel, how much was allocated to The Lines Between and Taylor Mackenzie for the specific task of advertising to find participants who could join the panel; whether it is the case that the recruitment drive was carried out on Facebook, and, if so, for what reason this was determined to be the correct approach.

The total cost of the contract with The Lines Between was £40,000 exclusive of VAT. However, the Scottish Government made no direct payments to Taylor McKenzie or the members of the Panel for this work. The Lines Between allocated £1,700 of this to Taylor Mackenzie for recruitment.

Taylor McKenzie promoted the opportunity to contacts within their research database and additionally promoted the opportunity to participate on 4 August 2022 on their Facebook page. Participant recruitment was not solely carried out on Facebook, which was part of an overall endeavour to broaden lived experience voices in Chronic Pain work.

Question reference: S6W-17765

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17105 by Paul McLennan on 27 April 2023, whether it is aware that SafeDeposits Scotland has two versions of its Scheme Rules on its website, both dated 12 December 2022, which have different wordings for scheme rule 22.5, and whether it will investigate this irregularity.

SafeDeposits Scotland annually check the scheme rules and some wording changes were made for clarity. There have been no significant changes to the revised scheme or original proposal referred to the Scottish Government for approval. Any considered changes would be discussed as part of routine monitoring discussions.

SafeDeposits Scotland have confirmed that there is only one version of the Scheme Rules available on the website.

Question reference: S6W-17764

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the 2018 GP contract.

The Scottish Government continues to implement the 2018 GP Contract.

Five years on from the joint agreement between Scottish Government and the British Medical Association (BMA) on the 2018 GP contract, Health and Social Care Partnerships have made significant progress in the implementation of Primary Care Improvement Plans (PCIPs).

As of March 2022, 3,220 WTE multi-disciplinary team (MDT) members had been recruited to work in and with GP practices and the community, reducing practice workload and ensuring more patients see the right healthcare professional at the right time. An update on progress on MDT recruitment throughout 2022-23 will be published on 28 June 2023.

Question reference: S6W-17752

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what urgent action it is taking in response to the statement in the COVID-19 Recovery Committee report, Long COVID, that the committee “is concerned by the number of people who said they felt they could only get proper diagnosis and treatment by seeking private medical care which is not an option to those who cannot afford to do this”.

We recognise the significant impact that long COVID can have on the health and wellbeing of those most severely affected across Scotland and welcome the COVID-19 Recovery Committee's consideration of this very important issue.

We are carefully considering the report and its recommendations in full, and will provide a response to the Committee in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, we are making available £3 million from our £10 million long COVID Support Fund over this financial year to support NHS boards to increase the capacity of existing services supporting those with the condition, develop these into more clearly defined local pathways and provide a more co-ordinated experience for those accessing support.

Question reference: S6W-17546

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has paid to private contractors for the purposes of public relations since 1 January 2022, broken down by (a) firm and (b) contracting department.