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-15146

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed the issue of unauthorised tree felling with (a) property developers, (b) Police Scotland, (c) Scottish Forestry, (d) Woodland Trust Scotland and (e) NatureScot.

Scottish Forestry is the Scottish Government agency responsible for regulating forestry activities and leads on unauthorised felling.

Scottish Forestry does not routinely discuss unauthorised felling with the bodies listed.

Unauthorised tree felling may be discussed with them on a case by case basis if required, for example:

Police Scotland can be requested by Scottish Forestry to assist with unauthorised felling where suspects refuse to be interviewed under caution or where a wildlife crime is suspected.
NatureScot is an agency within Scottish Government advising on the natural environment, but plays no part in the delivery of felling regulations. NatureScot maybe be engaged in the process if the site is home to a protected species.

Question reference: S6W-14875

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13739 by Maree Todd on 24 January 2023, whether it will address the issue raised in the question regarding what action it will take to improve diagnosis times for lipoedema; and whether it will improve the availability of medical treatment, such as liposuction, in light of reports of there being only one surgeon in Scotland with experience of providing this treatment.

We are aware of the serious negative impact this condition can have on people’s lives and therefore it is important that access to treatment and support is timely. We want to ensure that people have informed conversations with their GP in order to support the diagnosis of lipoedema.

We have now finalised the new NHS Inform webpage on Lipoedema . The new resource aims to provide people with consistent, reliable and accessible information empowering them to make informed decisions about their health and includes information on the symptoms, causes, self-management and treatment options.

We will continue to work with organisations such as Talk Lipoedema to find ways to raise awareness of the condition and its symptoms.

In March 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) Interventional Procedures Advisory Committee did a rapid review on the available evidence on the safety and efficacy of liposuction as treatment for lipoedema and found it to be inadequate. The recommendation was for the procedure to only be carried out in the context of research.

Previously, NHS Tayside was the only Health Board to provide liposuction as a treatment for lipoedema. Due to the updated guidance, NHS Tayside have stopped liposuction as a treatment option until NICE reviews its guidelines in 2025 after further evidence and research has been undertaken.

There are currently non-surgical treatment options for lipoedema and those with the condition will be treated by healthcare professionals at primary care level and, where appropriate, referred to specialist services in secondary care. Any particular treatment is at the discretion of the lead clinician. It is NHS Boards and healthcare professionals locally who have responsibility for service delivery and patient treatment.

Question reference: S6W-15280

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which businesses were consulted in developing Circularity Scotland's £22 million cashflow support package for the Deposit Return Scheme that was announced on 21 February 2023.

Circularity Scotland, as the scheme administrator for DRS, represents and provides services to its members including drinks producers, importers, wholesalers and retailers. Scottish Ministers, Scottish Government officials and Circularity Scotland regularly meet with stakeholders including representatives of small producers and that package of support was in direct response to concerns they have raised.

Question reference: S6W-14982

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any analysis of the potential impact of the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan on oil and gas jobs in Aberdeen.

We commissioned EY to undertake a substantial piece of analytical work, this has now been published and is available to view here – Energy System and Just Transition Analysis

Early outputs informed the ESJTP to help us better understand the implications of the transition to net zero on the energy system, including oil and gas, and to help us plan for a just transition across the sector.

This research will help us determine how the sector can help deliver our net zero targets, and how meeting our own energy needs can help build a new low-emission energy industry.

Question reference: S6W-15863

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-15474

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when any remaining funding will be released to local authorities to allow them to fulfil the Scottish National Party manifesto commitment to issue every pupil in Scotland with an electronic device.

We are committed to ensuring that every school-aged child has access to a device to support their learning by the end of this parliament in 2026.

We have already provided £25m to local authorities, which supported the purchase of 72,000 devices and 14,000 internet connections for school children across Scotland.

The Capital Spending Review, published May 2022, set out high level spending plans for capital and provided an indicative allocation of £140 million to support the rollout of digital devices.

The budget published in December 2022 allocated £13 million budget for 2023/24. We will continue to develop delivery plans in partnership with Cosla and local authorities, including phasing and funding options for this commitment.

Question reference: S6W-15467

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people it currently directly employs are paid at least £10.90 an hour or an equivalent salary.

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.

Question reference: S6W-15378

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the full value of the Destination Net Zero Vehicle Charge Point Tourism Recovery Fund has been spent, and, if not, how much has been spent in total.

Question reference: S6W-15375

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for the Scottish Child Payment have been delayed, and, of these, how many applicants (a) received bridging payments in December 2022 and (b) are new applicants.

Social Security Scotland works to progress applications as quickly as possible.

Decisions for the majority of people who applied for Scottish Child Payment, or added additional children to their award, between 14 November and 31 December 2022 have now been issued and this will be reported on in the next round of statistics. As previously announced, all successful awards will be backdated to the date that the application was received.

Around 143,000 school age children benefitted from the Winter 2022 Bridging Payment of £260, with over £37.1 million of payments awarded to families. We do not hold information on the number of people who applied for Scottish Child Payment who also received Bridging Payments.

The latest available information on new applications for Scottish Child Payment is contained in the most recent official statistics release, covering the period to 31 December 2022 - https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/scottish-child-payment-high-level-statistics-to-31-december-2022 .