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: S6F-02511

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to alleviate poverty in Scotland, in light of reports that the UK is in violation of international law in relation to poverty levels.

Question reference: S6F-02515

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that Scottish Water has issued bonus payments to executives in excess of public sector pay rules.

Question reference: S6F-02510

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2023

To ask the First Minister what support the Scottish Government is offering to NHS Lothian to contact the parents and guardians of the over 23,000 children who reportedly may have received substandard testing to identify deafness, including support to identify any other young children who have not received the required standard of auditory brainstem response testing.

Question reference: S6F-02501

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-02500

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-22757

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 November 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Graeme Dey on 6 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the proposed General Practice Armed Forces and Veterans' Recognition Scheme.

In May 2021 the Armed Forces Personnel and Veterans Joint Group – Strategic Oversight Group set a priority to develop a Veteran aware GP accreditation programme, now called the General Practice Armed Forces and Veterans Recognition Scheme (“the Scheme”). The aim of the scheme is to raise awareness among General Practice of some of the health challenges that veterans and Armed Forces Families face as a result of military service and improve person centred outcomes and care for the armed forces community.

Following the incorporation of feedback from practices who agreed to be part of an initial pilot, I can confirm that the Scheme will be open to all General Practices in Scotland on 6 November 2023.

General Practices who wish to sign up to the Scheme, should contact [email protected] for more information.

Question reference: S6W-22389

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were admitted to hospital as a result of malnutrition in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (a) age and (b) NHS board.

The term ‘malnutrition’ can be used to mean a range of different conditions. The definition used here comprises a specific group of diagnoses which would be used to identify cases of protein/energy malnutrition (ICD-10 codes E40-E46 only).

The number of patients admitted to hospital as a result of malnutrition in each of the last 10 years, broken down by age, is as follows:

Age Range	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
0-39	9	10	12	10	13	11	14	9	8	10
40-49	9	6	8	7	8	12	5	11	8	6
50-59	13	10	10	14	15	20	17	10	11	17
60-69	13	19	12	14	22	16	10	22	12	14
70-79	9	13	10	17	12	*	10	18	8	10
80+	14	5	5	5	7	8	10	7	6	6

Source: Public Health Scotland (SMR01)
‎

The number of patients admitted to hospital as a result of malnutrition in each of the last 10 years, broken down by NHS board, is as follows:

NHS board	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
NHS Ayrshire & Arran	11	6	7	7	10	7	7	8	6	*
NHS Borders	5	*	0	*	*	5	*	0	5	*
NHS Dumfries & Galloway	*	*	*	5	*	*	*	*	0	5
NHS Fife	*	*	5	5	*	14	6	5	8	5
NHS Forth Valley	*	*	5	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
NHS Grampian	5	9	*	*	*	6	8	13	5	7
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde	15	19	18	17	17	8	14	8	6	14
NHS Highland	5	*	5	7	10	10	7	10	5	10
NHS Lanarkshire	6	6	7	7	10	6	*	8	6	*
NHS Lothian	7	8	*	9	10	8	12	15	6	9
NHS Orkney	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
NHS Tayside	5	*	*	*	5	*	*	5	*	*
NHS Shetland	0	0	*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Not applicable	0	0	0	*	*	0	0	0	0	0
NHS Western Isles	0	0	0	0	0	0	*	0	*	0

Source: Public Health Scotland (SMR01)

‘*’ Indicates values lower than five that have been suppressed due to the potential risk of disclosure and to help maintain confidentiality.

Question reference: S6W-22384

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consult on proposals to establish a Future Generations Commissioner by the end of 2023.

In the 2022-23 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government reaffirmed our commitment to explore a Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill to support greater implementation of the National Performance Framework and ensure that the interests of future generations are considered in decisions made today.

Ministers and officials have been engaging with several stakeholders including meeting with Ms Boyack MSP earlier this month. This has assisted with developing policy proposals.

The proposed Bill may seek a statutory requirement that ensures public bodies and local authorities consider the long-term consequences of their decisions for the wellbeing of people in Scotland, including those not yet born. We are considering whether a Future Generations Commissioner is the most appropriate way to ensure the support and accountability which would need to accompany such duties. It will be important to consult widely on this broad policy area to ensure that any legislation is effective.

Question reference: S6W-22363

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the COVID-19 face masks and face coverings guidance withdrawal issued to social care workers on 9 May 2023, whether social care workers will still have the personal choice to wear PPE, even when this is not recommended in the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) or the Care Home Infection Prevention and Control Manual (CH IPCM).

Social care workers have always been, and continue to be, able to choose to wear a mask.

The Scottish Government’s guidance on the extended use of face masks and face coverings was first published in June 2020. It was an adjunct to guidance for social care workers on the use of face masks within the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) and the Care Home Infection Prevention and Control Manual (CH IPCM). In September 2022, the face mask guidance for adult social care settings was amended and staff, visitors and service users of adult social care settings stopped routinely wearing face masks. Guidance on the use of face masks had therefore reverted to circumstances as set out in the NIPCM/CH NIPCM with one addition: “Staff, visitors and those receiving care and support may choose to wear a mask and this should be supported”. It was this line of guidance that was withdrawn in May 2023.

Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland recommended that this line of guidance was removed as it was unnecessary and increased the risk of confusion and misinterpretation, and that guidance on the use of face masks in adult social care settings should revert to the NIPCM, which is based on clinical need and risk assessment. The withdrawal of the extended guidance on the use of face masks and face coverings in social care settings and reversion to the NIPCM/ CH NIPCM does not prevent social care workers from wearing a face mask.

Question reference: S6W-22382

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps NHS boards are taking to increase the availability of insulin pumps for people with type (a) 1 and (b) 2 diabetes, including people with good diabetic control.

Our Diabetes Improvement Plan contains a specific commitment to support further roll-out of technologies such as insulin pumps and Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs), as well as emerging technologies such as hybrid closed loop and artificial pancreas systems. Between 2016 and 2022, we have invested £29.6 million of additional funding specifically to support this.

This is over and above the baseline funding that Scottish Government provides to NHS Boards and it is for them to determine how best to utilise this funding to meet the needs and priorities of their local populations.

We work closely with boards to identify and resolve any issues regarding access to diabetes technologies and we recognise that there are still significant challenges for some people living with diabetes to access the technology they are eligible for.

The Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway based within the Centre for Sustainability Delivery (CfSD) has recently established a national team to provide dedicated support to NHS health boards and roll out the technology faster and more efficiently across Scotland. We will monitor this pilot closely to determine how best to support NHS Boards in the future.