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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 48968 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-17748

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

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Public Health Scotland data, published on 2 May 2023, which shows significant differences in survival and surgical practice between the three regional cancer networks for those with ovarian cancer, including that only 57% of women in North Cancer Alliance (NCA) had surgery compared with 67% in West of Scotland Cancer Network (WoSCAN).

Survival analysis using the Scottish Government Quality Improvement Indicator dataset is undertaken to enable monitoring and to support continuous improvement in cancer care. The regional cancer networks are subsequently able to reflect and act on these indicators to ensure equitable treatment and care across Scotland.

This analysis predates improvement work that has been undertaken across all cancer regions, but the situation clearly requires continued prioritisation and close attention.

The study was discussed at the last meeting of the National Cancer Quality Steering Group in March. Immediate and medium term actions were presented to the group in an aim to drive improvement and close the observed difference in survival between cancer networks.

We will discuss these actions with the regional cancer networks, and local boards where required, seeking assurance that actions are well focussed and advancing.

Question reference: S6W-17775

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, 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 what steps it is taking to ensure access to NHS dentistry for the residents of Langholm, in light of reports that a dental practice in Langholm will be closing and NHS patients will be deregistered.

We are working closely with the Board and a Task Force has been set up to help the Board address local access issues. Unregistered patients will continue to be able to access emergency and urgent care via the Public Dental Service.

Scottish Government has also put in place a set of recruitment and retention incentives which pay £25,000 over a two year period to newly qualified dentists and those returning to the workforce after a five-year period, who wish to provide NHS dental care in Dumfries and Galloway. Grant funding of up to £100,000 is available to dentists that wish to establish a new, or expand or purchase an existing, NHS dental practice within the Board area.

We are also working apace on payments reform which will comprise a new, modernised system that will provide NHS dental teams with greater clinical discretion, and transparency for NHS patients. We are confident that this will help to sustain and increase NHS dental access as we move forward.

Question reference: S6W-17647

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-12519 and S6W12628 by Ivan McKee on 5 December 2022, as part of its role in ensuring that submarine cables are protected and in engaging with affected stakeholders, what assessment it has made of the reported claim that the major communications outage in Shetland on 20 October 2022 may have been deliberately caused by a Russian vessel, rather than being the result of accidental damage by a UK registered fishing vessel.

Telecommunications is reserved to the UK Government. Security and resilience of sub sea telecommunication cables, as well as the whole network, is therefore UKG responsibility. UKG are aware of the incident and the cause. As noted in the responses to your previous questions S6W-12519 and S6W-12628, The Scottish Government received confirmation from the UK Government’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency that a UK registered fishing vessel was the cause of damage to the subsea cable affecting telecommunications on Shetland.

Question reference: S6W-17753

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 whether it has examined the reported evidence linking diets high in ultra processed foods with a range of negative health outcomes, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

The Scottish Government and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) remain committed to using the latest scientific consensus of established evidence to inform our view on ultra-processed foods.

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) considered ultra-processed foods at a meeting in June 2022. SACN is now carrying out a scoping review of the evidence on processed foods and health. I understand SACN aims to publish a position paper on processed foods and health this summer.

Scottish Government and FSS await the outcome of this evidence review.

Question reference: S6W-17767

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-15766 by Patrick Harvie on 22 March 2023, how many unclaimed deposits are currently in each of Scotland’s rental deposit schemes, and what their financial value is.

The following table provides how many unclaimed deposits are currently in each of Scotland’s rental deposit schemes, and what their financial value is at end February 2023.

	No. of unclaimed deposits	Financial value of unclaimed deposits
Letting Protection Service Scotland	2,191	£699,647
mydeposits Scotland	7,425	£1,810,399
SafeDeposits Scotland	4,413	£1,192,858

There is currently no definition in law of what an unclaimed deposit is. As part of the New Deal for Tenants: Draft Rented Sector Strategy we consulted on proposals to make use of unclaimed deposits and the period after which the funds should be available for reinvestment.

Question reference: S6W-17747

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

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding is currently going towards the development of new diagnostic tests and tools to detect brain tumours, and whether this will increase in the future.

The Scottish Government is not currently directly funding any research projects or fellowships on the development of new diagnostic tests and tools to detect brain tumours.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the research spend of other funders. However, the National Cancer Research Institute database indicates that £2,846,401 was spent on early detection, diagnosis and prognosis of brain tumours in the UK in 2020-21 by charity and public funders.

Question reference: S6W-17679

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will continue to distribute funding to (a) national parks and (b) local authorities, as part of its Edinburgh Process Fund, in 2023-24.

Question reference: S6W-17675

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring it puts in place for funding allocated to national parks and local authorities from its Edinburgh Process Fund.

Question reference: S6W-17682

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the letter that it indicated that it would send to the UK Government to provide an update on the Deposit Return Scheme, as referenced by the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity in her statement to the Parliament on 20 April 2023.

Question reference: S6W-17721

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the sensitivity of the bowel cancer testing programme to enable an increase in sensitivity from a level of 80 to 20.

The Scottish Government, along with the other UK nations, takes advice on whether or not to introduce any new screening programmes from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent expert advisory group.

Any changes to the sensitivity threshold the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme (SBSP) currently uses would come from a review of the evidence-base and subsequent recommendations from the UK NSC. These recommendations would also be considered by the Scottish Screening Committee.