- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many people had received their flu vaccination by the end of November 2024, and how this compares with November (a) 2023 and (b) 2022, broken down by the categories of (i) over-65s, (ii) at risk 18- to 64-year-olds, (c) healthcare workers and (d) care home residents.
Answer
The following data has been provided by Public Health Scotland (PHS). It compares how many people had their vaccine by the end of November in winter 2024, 2023 and 2022, broken down by the following groups: the over-65s; the at risk 18 to 64 group; Healthcare workers and residents in care homes for older adults.
PHS data is compiled by ‘week ending’ dates, so the historic data is up to the following dates for each year: 27 November 2022, 26 November 2023 and 24 November 2024.
Group | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
Eligible Population | Doses Administered | % uptake | Eligible Population | Doses Administered | % uptake | Eligible Population | Doses Administered | % uptake |
65 and over | 1,139,147 | 944,171 | 82.9 | 1,166,636 | 806,501 | 69.1 | 1,190,559 | 706,646 | 59.4 |
18-64 at risk | 807,844 | 413,233 | 51.2 | 891,129 | 304,056 | 34.1 | 871,634 | 182,918 | 21.0 |
Healthcare workers | 177,810 | 90,516 | 50.9 | 179,700 | 67,593 | 37.6 | 184,016 | 48,463 | 26.3 |
Residents in care homes for older adults | 26,642 | 23,699 | 89.0 | 28,827 | 24,694 | 85.7 | 29,204 | 23,663 | 81.0 |
In 2022 and 2023, during the pandemic and pandemic recovery phases, the shape of the programme was different, with a much larger number of clinics. This meant programmes could be “front loaded” with more people vaccinated at the start and middle of the programme. As we have moved out of the pandemic and COVID has become a routine bi-annual programme, there is less need for large clinic numbers and Boards have started to pace the programme more evenly, as they did for flu pre-pandemic, meaning they continue to vaccinate right into mid-December.
As of 19 January, the uptake in these groups has increased as follows:
Group | 24-11-24 | 19-01-25 |
65 and over | 59.4 | 73.5 |
18-64 at risk | 21.0 | 34.1 |
Healthcare workers | 26.3 | 35.5 |
Residents in care homes for older adults | 81.0 | 84.4 |
By filtering by year and searching on the PHS surveillance website, changes in programme delivery shape can be illustrated in graphs, both weekly and cumulatively.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 5 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what risk assessments were undertaken before the transfer of patients from hospitals to care homes, without testing, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Scottish Government clinical guidance was clear that a thorough risk assessment should always be undertaken prior to discharge to ensure that the care home would be able to provide the care required. Individual risk assessments prior to discharge were the responsibility of relevant Health Boards, Local Authorities, and Integration Authorities.
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress has been made with its scheme, Percentage for the Arts.
Answer
The Scottish Government has committed through its 2024 Programme for Government to review the way the culture sector is supported, which includes exploring alternative and additional funding mechanisms to grow the overall funding pot for culture in Scotland. A Percentage for the Arts scheme is one of the mechanisms that will be considered as part of this review.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to encourage more people to participate in recreational fishing.
Answer
The Scottish Government supports participation in recreational fishing in several ways.
For example, £17,000 was awarded in 2020 through the Marine Scotland Fund to Fisheries Management Scotland for the creation of the Scottish Angling National Development Structure (SANDS), which aimed to promote angling for all demographics. Further information is available via the following web link:
https://fms.scot/projects/sands/
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many sites across Scotland require individuals to obtain a permit in order to participate in recreational fishing.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of sites across Scotland which require individuals to obtain a permit to participate in recreational fishing.
Permits to participate in recreational fishing are sold by owners of fishing rights on a private basis, not by the Scottish Government.
Where an individual wishes to obtain a permit to participate in recreational fishing, it would be advisable for the individual to contact the local district salmon fishery board or fisheries trust for local information.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in 2024-25 to utilise capsule sponge technologies; how much will be allocated in 2025-26, and how many people it expects will be able to access these technologies.
Answer
From 2024-25, Boards have started to transition to business as usual for these tests and a small amount of funding was provided to support this transition. For NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde this equated to £36,450.
The Budget we set out on 4 December 2024 will throw the weight of the government behind performance improvements with almost £200 million to reduce waiting lists and help support reduction of delayed discharge. By March 2026, we expect no one to be waiting longer than 12 months for a new outpatient, inpatient treatment or day case treatment.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support local authorities dealing with specialist planning applications, such as those involving quarrying or mining where no identifiable expertise exists within the local authority planning department.
Answer
The Scottish Government is working with stakeholders, on a package of actions to strengthen a range of planning skills across Scotland.
The Scottish Government has established the Hydrogen Planning Hub and the Housing Emergency Hub in response to concerns about capacity and skills. We are currently considering the further role that Hubs can play in supporting planning authorities to address the skills and capacity issues they are facing.
In our Planning and Housing Emergency Delivery Plan, published in November 2024, we have committed to the roll out of a co-ordinated skills and recruitment drive through a coherent National Planning Skills Campaign. We will announce this work soon and deliver it over the coming months.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32906 by Alasdair Allan on 16 January 2025, whether it has asked the UK Government to introduce a compensatory scheme for people who have installed spray foam insulation in lofts under the EC04 scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Government is not aware of any examples of spray foam insulation being installed in lofts in Scottish properties as part of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme. Delivery guidance published by Ofgem indicates that spray foam insulation in lofts would not have been eligible for ECO4 finance.
We have asked the UK Government to advise Scottish Ministers further about any concerns raised about the quality of retrofit work undertaken in Scotland as part of these schemes.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients were on waiting lists for cardiology (a) in total and (b) for over a year, in each of the last five years.
Answer
Public Health Scotland (PHS) publishes statistics on the length of time patients wait to be seen as a new outpatient or admitted for treatment as an inpatient or day case in the Stage of Treatment (SoT) publication. The latest publication release contains data up to quarter ending 30 September 2024.
Statistics relating to the total number of ongoing waits and the number of waits with a wait length over 52 weeks by specialty from 31 December 2019 can be found in the ‘Waits over 52 weeks’ data table in sheets ‘Table 3.1.1’ for new outpatient appointments, and ‘Table 3.2.1’ for inpatient or day case admissions.
https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/30453/waits_over_52_weeks_nov24.xlsx
Longer trend information can be found in the following tables:
New outpatient appointments (‘1.6 Table’): https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/30080/newop_nov24.xlsx
Inpatient or day case admission (‘2.6 Table’): https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/30452/ipdc_nov24.xlsx
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents of lost or stolen government-issued mobile phones have been reported in the last five years, and what actions were taken in response.
Answer
In the five calendar years from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2024 134 mobile phones were reported lost or stolen. The Scottish Government has robust processes and procedures in place when mobile phones are reported lost or stolen. This includes removing access to corporate data and suspending or cancelling the mobile number.
