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-24720

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenni Minto on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to progress towards the World Health Organization (WHO) target to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030.

I can today announce that the Scottish Government will establish an Expert Group to lead on scoping work to consider and provide recommendations on how Scotland will work towards reaching the targets set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to eliminate Cervical Cancer.

The WHO advises that to eliminate Cervical Cancer, all countries must reach and maintain an incidence rate of below four per 100 000 women. Achieving that goal rests on three key pillars and their corresponding targets:

vaccination: 90% of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15;
screening: 70% of women screened using a high-performance test by the age of 35, and again by the age of 45;
treatment: 90% of women with pre-cancer treated and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed.

Each country should meet the 90–70–90 targets by 2030 to get on the path to eliminate cervical cancer within the next century.

Scotland has already observed many successes in tackling Cervical Cancer and is close to, or has met many of the targets to work towards achieving elimination status.

The Expert Group, due to meet soon will comprise Scottish Government policy officials, clinicians, Public Health Scotland (PHS), National Services Division, Third Sector organisations such as Jo’s Trust.

We will progress work with key stakeholders and develop actions to address inequalities to ensure that the work to meet the targets does not only focus on overall population levels, but addresses the inequalities gap.

Once the Expert Group have considered and provided their recommendations on when Scotland is likely to meet the WHO targets, I will provide a further update to Parliament.

Question reference: S6O-02975

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to encourage more people to use bus and rail services in the Rutherglen constituency.

Question reference: S6W-24129

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Maree Todd on 21 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a public consultation on a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill.

The Scottish Government has published a public consultation on a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill today, 21 December 2023. It will be open until 21 April 2024. The consultation seeks views on proposals to better protect, respect and champion the rights of people with learning disabilities, autistic people and neurodivergent people.

Publishing this consultation delivers on our commitment to consult on the Bill by the end of 2023. I would encourage everyone with a view to respond. The consultation is available at: Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill: consultation - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space

Question reference: S6O-02955

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how its Budget will support household incomes in the Rutherglen constituency.

Question reference: S6W-23693

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 19 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many new build social housing properties in the Rutherglen constituency it has provided funding for in the last five years.

The Scottish Government publishes figures relating to delivery of affordable homes across Scotland since April 2007, on a quarterly basis, which can be found online at:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/affordable-housing-supply-programme-completions-updates/ .

The Scottish Government does not hold information at a constituency level. However, between 1 April 2019 and 30 September 2023, in South Lanarkshire, we have approved 1,077 new build social rented homes, as part of the wider 1,326 total homes approved throughout South Lanarkshire.

Across the same period, in South Lanarkshire, we delivered 1,413 new build social rented homes, as part of the wider 1,662 homes delivered throughout South Lanarkshire.

Homes provided through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme take various forms including; new build homes, rehabilitation projects, conversions and off-the-shelf purchases of both new and second hand homes, as identified in Strategic Housing Investment Plans (SHIPs) prepared annually by local authorities.

Question reference: S6W-23376

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) capital and (b) revenue budget has been for NHS Lanarkshire in each of the past five years.

Over the past five years, the Scottish Government has provided NHS Lanarkshire with the following Baseline funding, and Capital resource for NHS Estate Maintenance, which can be used at the discretion of individual NHS Health Boards:

Year	NHS Lanarkshire
Year	Revenue (£m)	Capital (£m)
2019-20	1,199.3	12.4
2020-21	1,268.1	12.4
2021-22	1,286.1	12.4
2022-23	1,346.8	13.0
2023-24	1,424.1	13.0

NHS Lanarkshire is responsible for the management of this funding to delivery services. In addition to the above resource, NHS Boards are also provided allocations in year for a variety of projects and initiatives.

Question reference: S6W-23377

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many Distress Brief Interventions have been provided in the NHS Lanarkshire area over the past year.

In the year 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2023, there were 3,501 referrals to DBI support in Lanarkshire, including 856 for people living in Lanarkshire and referred via NHS24 and the Scottish Ambulance Service national contact points.

More broadly across Scotland, DBI has now supported over 52,000 people who have been referred for help since the original pilot programme was launched in 2017. Referral numbers across the programme are currently at over 1,800 per month.

DBI Level 2 support is provided by commissioned and trained third sector staff who contact the person within 24-hours of referral. They then provide compassionate, problem solving support, wellness and distress management planning, supported connections and signposting for a period of up to 14 days.

Question reference: S6W-23611

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 December 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its report, NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 Annual Progress Update 2023.

I am pleased to confirm that the report ‘NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 Annual Progress Update 2023' is being published today.

NHS Recovery Plan: annual progress update 2023 - https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781835214251

We remain committed to delivering on the actions set out in the NHS Recovery Plan, and this report sets out the significant progress we have made. However, it is also important to recognise how much has changed since it was first published, and we are also supporting the ongoing recovery of our health and social care services with refreshed commitments as set out in the First Minister’s “Equality, opportunity, community: New leadership - A fresh start” which was published in April this year, and our ‘Programme for Government 2023/24’.

Looking ahead, in the coming months we will be working with partners across the health and social care system, Local Government and wider stakeholders, to set out our shared long term planning for population health and integrated health and social care services development.

Question reference: S6O-02837

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to promote and support cultural activities in the Rutherglen constituency.

Question reference: S6F-02595

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 November 2023

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to tackle any stigma associated with disclosing a diagnosis of HIV, in light of World AIDS Day on 1 December.