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-15087

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what specific support it is providing to staff employed by the Glasgow Lighthouse Lab who are at risk of redundancy.

Scottish Government Officials have had contact with representatives of the University of Glasgow and met with representatives of UNITE on 10 January to discuss recent developments in respect of the Glasgow Lighthouse Lab which is contracted by the UK Government until March 2023 to undertake processing of PCR tests as part of the COVID-19 Infection Survey (CIS). The CIS is outwith the control of the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government has provided support to affected University of Glasgow staff through its Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) initiative and will continue to provide such support to any impacted staff as may be required.

Question reference: S6W-15081

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment has been carried out to examine the potential impact on NHS Scotland laboratory transformation of the 19.4% reduction in genomics funding, as set out in the draft Budget 2023-24.

As a result of the 22-23 Emergency Budget Review genomics was allocated a revised budget of £5 million, which has been sustained for 23-24.

Neither the Scottish Government nor the Scottish Strategic Network for Genomic Medicine has carried out any specific impact assessments in relation to genomics. However the draft budget was published alongside an equalities impact assessment, high level carbon assessment and an analytical report on the Impact the Cost of Living Crisis is having in Scotland. All of this material can be found online via the following link.

Scottish Budget - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The fiscal position remains challenging; however, the development of our transformation plans for the NHS Genetic Laboratories and Genomics Strategy is ongoing.

Question reference: S6W-14903

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 750 additional nurses, midwives and allied health professionals it plans to recruit from overseas, announced in October 2022, have been recruited to date, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-15088

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will take action to prevent the closure of the Glasgow Lighthouse Lab, in light of it reportedly being Scotland's flagship COVID-19 testing facility.

Question reference: S6W-15086

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent meetings its ministers have had with the University of Glasgow management regarding the future of the Glasgow Lighthouse Lab.

The Glasgow Lighthouse Lab is contracted by the UK Government until March 2023 to undertake processing of PCR tests as part of the COVID-19 Infection survey (CIS). The CIS is outwith the control of the Scottish Government but officials are engaging with the UK Government and other devolved nations on its future. While no direct discussions have recently taken place between Scottish Ministers and representatives of the Lighthouse Lab, Scottish Government officials have been in contact with the University of Glasgow and also met with representatives of UNITE on 10 January to discuss recent developments.

Question reference: S6W-15494

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what commitments have been made by (a) the First Minister or (b) any other minister in relation to the Independent Living Fund, when any such commitments were made, and whether they have been delivered.

(a) In 2014, the Deputy First Minister committed to re-opening the Fund and provided £5.5 million per annum to enable ILF to re-open to new applicants for the first time since 2010.Through an extensive process of co-production, the ILF Scotland Transition Fund was developed as an alternative to re-opening the 2015 Fund. The Transition Fund was designed to support young disabled people with the transition to adult life. This entirely new fund opened to applications in December 2017.

(b) The Cabinet Secretary wrote to the ILF Scotland Board on 16 December 2022, 26 January 2023 and 27 February 2023 stating his support for ILF Scotland but indicating that re-opening the 2015 Fund could only progress when affordability and sustainability could be assured.

The Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care wrote to the Chair of ILF Scotland’s Advisory Group on 23 January 2023 stating that he remains committed to re-opening the 2015 Fund but is unable to do so due to financial constraints.

Question reference: S6W-15493

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Independent Living Fund (ILF) Scotland 2015 Fund will open to new applicants.

Question reference: S6W-15491

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any funding reserves in relation to the Independent Living Fund.

Question reference: S6W-15492

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many new applications have been made to the Independent Living Fund in each year since 2015.

As the inherited Independent Living Fund (2015 Fund) is a closed scheme, no new applications have been made since 2015. The following provides information on the number of applications to ILF Scotland’s Transition Fund since launch in December 2017.

Year	Number of Transition Fund Applications
2017-18	128
2018-19	831
2019-20	1,337
2020-21	1,828
2021-22	2,276
2022-23	2,870
Note: 2017-18 and 2022-23 are part years. Full year estimate for 2022-23 is in excess of 3,000

Question reference: S6W-15401

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week in January 2023, what steps it has taken to (a) help prevent cervical cancer and (b) ensure that access to treatment is equitable across all areas of Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the awareness of cervical cancer. In doing so we will continue to encourage those eligible to take the HPV vaccination and engage with the national cervical screening programme. We are continuing to take steps towards the World Health Organisation’s targets to eliminate cervical cancer.

The HPV vaccine continues to be offered to all pupils across Scotland via routine immunisation in early secondary school, from S1, through the school-based programme. From 1st January 2023, a one dose schedule was introduced for all those eligible in the programme up to their 25th birthday.

The screening programme in Scotland is routinely offered to anyone with a cervix, between the ages of 25 and 64, every five years.

Treatment for cancer, including cervical cancer, continues to be prioritised within NHS Scotland. We are developing a new 10 year cancer strategy which will launch in Spring 2023, and take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care.