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-02528

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-02529

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-22561

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support disabled people in accessing gym facilities.

The Scottish Government understands the importance of physical activity in Scotland and the positive impact that has on physical, mental and social health and wellbeing. We should all feel included, and able to take part and access the benefits of being active.

It is the responsibility of local authorities, under the Local Government and Planning Act 1982, to ensure that there is adequate provision of facilities for recreational, sporting, cultural and social activities within the local authority. This should include the provision of gym facilities that are accessible and inclusive, with a fair pricing structure.

sportscotland’s 2022-23 annual review of local authority charges for sports participation in Scotland highlighted 27 local authorities, offered a concessionary scheme for disabled people which provided reduced or free use access to sports and leisure facilities.

Question reference: S6W-22493

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any paper on the potential implications of losing intensive care status in neonatal units.

The Best Start recommendation to move to a model of three intensive care units in Scotland was based on evidence that this will improve outcomes for the smallest and sickest babies.

The Framework for Practice ‘Criteria to Define Levels of Neonatal Care including Repatriation within NHS Scotland’, published on 25 July 2023 describes the care that can be provided at each level of neonatal care. It outlines that Local Neonatal Units can continue to care for babies requiring short periods of intensive care in accordance with agreed pathways.

In addition the British Association of Perinatal Medicine published ‘ Optimal Arrangements for Neonatal Intensive Care Units in the UK’ in 2021, which provides a framework for practice for neonatal care. This sets out the optimal arrangements for neonatal intensive care to provide the lowest mortality and morbidity, and the best baby and parent experience.

Question reference: S6W-22491

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what geographical location each proposed neonatal intensive care unit will serve, and what the population density is for each of those locations.

Question reference: S6W-22495

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any clinician from University Hospital Wishaw was involved in the work of the (a) Best Start Review Group and (b) Sub-Group on Neonatal Models of Care.

Question reference: S6W-22531

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its post-implementation review into short-term let licensing, whether it plans to undertake any stakeholder engagement and consultation ahead of the review, and what the nature of any stakeholder involvement in the review will be.

I wrote to the Local Government Housing and Planning Committee on 27 October 2023 to set out the scope of the implementation update on short-term let licensing. In this letter I have committed to provide an update to Parliament in early 2024. A copy of this letter is available on the Scottish Parliament website at:

https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/local-gov/correspondence/2023/shorttermlets27oct.pdf

Question reference: S6W-22497

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration was given to deprivation factors in deciding on the proposed location of neonatal services.

The locations of the three Neonatal Intensive Care Units was based on clinical evidence that the very smallest and sickest babies, including those born extremely premature (below 27 weeks), do best when they are cared for in larger specialist neonatal units which look after a lot of these babies, and have the right staff and services available on site to give them the very best care. The Best Start report recommended that we move to three of these units in Scotland, to meet the needs of our population.

The Options Appraisal Report , published on 25 July 2023 describes the process undertaken to determine the three final Neonatal Intensive Care Units, and the feasibility analysis and testing that followed the conclusion of that process. Annex A of the Report includes the criteria and weighting used for the Options Appraisal Process. Based on the evidence, the criteria focused on collocated clinical specialist services.

To support all parents who have babies admitted to neonatal care the Young Patients Family Fund provides funds to cover the cost of travel, subsistence and any accommodation required.

Question reference: S6W-22523

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to each local authority for Gaelic-medium education in each year since 2012.

In the most challenging budget settlement since devolution we are providing nearly £13.5bn in the Local Government Settlement 2023-24. We are increasing the resources available to Local Government by over £793m, which represents a real terms increase of £376m or 3%.

The Scottish Government’s policy towards local authorities’ spending is, however, to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. As such, the vast majority of funding is provided by means of a block grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on Education, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

Local Government Financial Statistics for 2021-22 showed that local authorities spent around £6.9bn on education in Scotland, and that 2021-22 was the seventh year in a row education gross revenue expenditure saw a real terms increase.

The Scottish Government provides additional revenue funding to local authorities to support Gaelic medium education through the Gaelic Specific Grant Scheme. Information on funding from 2012 has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre under Bib. No 64655.

Question reference: S6W-22532

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will commence its post-implementation review into short-term let licensing; what the scope, remit and nature of this work is; what the timeline is for the completion of the review, and when it plans to report to (a) ministers and (b) the Parliament on its findings.