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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-10361

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that community pharmacies are not closed during agreed opening hours.

While pharmacy closures can occur, this on the whole represents a small proportion of the network and is often limited to a small proportion of the required model hours. The Scottish Government continue to work with all Health Boards and community pharmacy representatives who are responsible for the provision of local pharmaceutical care services to ensure that any challenges faced by community pharmacies in providing the safe and effective dispensing of treatments are discussed with the local Health Board to minimise impact and risk to patients. Health boards can take a range of actions in response to any breach of terms by a pharmacy contractor.

Question reference: S6W-10358

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the maximum fine of £2,500 for the offence of littering.

Question reference: S6W-10353

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the maximum fine of £40,000 for the offence of fly-tipping.

Question reference: S6W-10382

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its Deposit Return Scheme, when Circularity Scotland will publish designs for the return counting process for online takeback.

Question reference: S6W-10367

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 14 September 2022

The Scottish Government does not hold all the data requested. However for 2020-21 (and 2021-2022 for modern apprenticeships), the number of students studying towards a dental nursing qualification was:

Modern Apprenticeships;

In 2020-21, there were 312 starts on the dental nursing framework.
In 2021-22, there were 343 starts on the dental nursing framework.

Colleges;

In 2020-21, there were 420 enrolments on dental services courses at Scottish colleges.

Universities;

In 2020-21, there were 25 enrolments on dental nursing courses at Scottish universities.

2021-2022 figures for colleges and universities will not be available until January 2023.

Question reference: S6W-10379

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its Deposit Return Scheme, when Circularity Scotland will publish Return Handling Fees for online takeback.

Question reference: S6W-10362

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what sanctions can be imposed on any pharmacy that does not deliver community pharmacy services for all hours and days that are specified in its contract.

Health boards can take a range of actions in response to any breach of terms by a pharmacy contractor as set out in the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 and the National Health Service (Discipline Committees) (Scotland) Regulations 2006. The Health Board may, having any regard to the Disciplinary Committees recommendations, take a number of actions as set out in the Regulations, including recovery of remuneration.

Question reference: S6W-10360

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether any pharmacies that do not meet required standards could be taken into special measures control, where the operation of such pharmacies is taken over by NHS Scotland.

The Scottish Government is not considering the introduction of special measures for community pharmacies that are struggling to meet required standards. Community pharmacies, along with other primary care contractors, are wholly independent private entities providing NHS services on behalf the Health Board. Any challenges faced by community pharmacy contractors in delivering existing pharmaceutical care services should be discussed with the Health Boards who will be able to consider actions to support service provision.

Question reference: S6W-10380

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to support online retailers to prepare for the online takeback component of its Deposit Return Scheme.

Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme is an industry-led initiative, consistent with the vast majority of similar schemes across Europe. It is the responsibility of all affected businesses to ensure that they are prepared for the scheme’s launch on 16 August 2023. This includes online takeback requirements, which will ensure that those who rely on online deliveries because of personal circumstances can still redeem the deposit.

Question reference: S6W-10357

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many fixed penalties for the offence of fly-tipping have been issued in each year since 2007, and how many of these have been paid.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on the number of fixed penalties issued for the offence of flytipping, nor information on how many of these have been paid.

This detailed information can be obtained by contacting individual issuing authorities. Authorised officers from Local Authorities, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Police Scotland and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park can issue penalties for the offence of flytipping.