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-05173

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to allowing NHS boards to take over the running of any community pharmacies that are struggling to remain open.

The Scottish Government is not considering the possibility of allowing Health Boards to take over the running of community pharmacies that are struggling to remain open. 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-05004

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what research is being done to explore the use of AI in further high-demand medical areas.

There is a range of projects being undertaken in Scotland to explore the use of AI in further high-demand medical areas, ranging from robotic surgery to the use of virtual reality in supporting mental wellbeing is currently being researched, evaluated, and implemented in Scotland.

The Industrial Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research in Digital Diagnostics (iCAIRD) website provides more information:

iCAIRD – Industrial Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research in Digital Diagnostics .

Question reference: S6W-04914

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position in relation to introducing an equal right of appeal in the planning system.

Question reference: S6W-05333

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) small and (b) large retailers it estimates have a 24-month preparedness time, as indicated in the Deposit Return Scheme Gateway Review.

The Gateway Reviewers for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme interviewed representatives of both small and large retailers. Their report, which was published on 14 December 2021, gives a preparedness estimate of 12-24 months for individual stakeholders including retailers. This informed their judgement that a full implementation date of July-September 2023 was possible albeit with significant risk.

Retailer preparedness cannot be viewed in isolation but depends on key design decisions being taken by Circularity Scotland Ltd (CSL) as scheme administrator. To supplement the Gateway Review we carried out direct engagement with a range of stakeholders, including retailers and CSL, to develop a delivery timetable that is both ambitious and deliverable in line with the findings of the Gateway Review.

A list of stakeholders consulted during this process is provided on p13 of the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment published on 22 December 2021: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781802018875 .

Question reference: S6W-05019

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02826 by Humza Yousaf on 21 September 2021, how it is addressing the increase to 5,761 nursing and midwifery vacancies nationally (8.2% of posts) that have been reported by NHS Education for Scotland.

NHS Scotland’s staffing levels are at a record high, following nine years of consecutive growth. This includes record numbers of staff within the nursing and midwifery job family.

Creating new vacancies is an essential part of workforce expansion and are to be expected as we work to rapidly grow our nursing and midwifery workforce. The nursing and midwifery establishment has increased by 7.6% in the last year, or by 4,924.6 whole time equivalent posts. 77% of the nursing and midwifery vacancies reported at September 2021 have been recorded in the last three months, reflecting the extensive range of new posts being created.

We have announced a record £300 million of investment to support Health Boards and their staff over the coming months, as well as over £1 billion of funding through the NHS Recovery Plan. Through these investments, £4.5m of funding is being made available to Health Boards to attract registered nurses from outside Scotland. This is supplemented by an additional £1m to enhance Boards’ capacity for international recruitment, and £1m of recurring funding to fund International Recruitment Lead posts in Boards. We are also investing £11 million over the next 5 years in new recruitment activity and through the recent launch of the National Centre for Workforce Supply, which will coordinate national and international recruitment campaigns and support Health Board recruitment teams.

We have also worked with Boards to take forward a nationally coordinated recruitment campaign for midwives, and will undertake a focused national marketing campaign for the recruitment of Band 5 Nurses early in the new year.

We continue to invest in the domestic supply of nurses and midwives through the long-term growth of funded education programmes. Student nurses and midwives entering funded degree programmes will increase in 2022-23 to a total recommended intake of 4,837. This will be the 10th successive intake, doubling the number of students in the last decade.

Question reference: S6W-05007

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide funding to develop and test an AI platform for the rapid diagnosis of skin cancer.

Question reference: S6W-04984

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the current average waiting time is for orthopaedic (a) outpatient appointments, (b) inpatient/day-case appointments and (c) treatment in (i) NHS Highland and (ii) Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not hold average data for ongoing waits, however the latest distribution of waiting times data with regards to ongoing waits for orthopaedic inpatient/day-case and new outpatient appointments is published on the Public Health Scotland website: Stage of treatment waiting times - Inpatients, day cases and new outpatients 30 November 2021 - NHS waiting times - stage of treatment - Publications - Public Health Scotland .

Question reference: S6W-05012

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what role the acceleration of AI will play in the NHS recovery plan published in August 2021.

The Scottish Government has embraced artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformational technology for public good. We were the first UK country to establish an AI Strategy which set out our ambition for Scotland to become a global exemplar in the ethical and innovative deployment of AI.

As part of the Recovery Plans for the NHS, social care and the economy, the Government will support innovation in health care delivery and the adoption of AI solutions into use. Accelerating the adoption of new technologies that support improved access to healthcare, such as the use of artificial intelligence, will be integral to the recovery of NHS services, and there are a range of partner organisations that are central to this work, including the new national Centre for Sustainable Delivery.

Question reference: S6W-04998

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is providing adequate funding to support the NHS Centre for Integrative Care, and whether it plans to provide additional funding in this regard.

Question reference: S6W-05002

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the variation across NHS board areas regarding the experiences of patients trying to access integrative care and services offered by the NHS Centre for Integrative Care.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

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