- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 29 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed the supply chain for surgical screws, kits, and other equipment at NHS Grampian, and what actions have been taken to ensure more consistent availability.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government the member may wish to contact NHS Grampian directly for information.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many employees are shared across more than one of the non-ministerial offices.
Answer
For the non-Ministerial offices that the Scottish government holds employee information, our data shows no employees are assigned on our HR management information system to more than one non-Ministerial office.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 29 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how much the Marine Directorate spent on the (a) maintenance, (b) repair and (c) fuel costs of the (i) patrol boats and (ii) patrol planes that it has had access to in each year since 2021.
Answer
Patrol Vessels
The following table sets out the patrol vessel spend for the last three financial years, for the purposes of the response maintenance includes the maintenance of the vessels, cranes and landing craft both at refit and on an ongoing basis.
Vessels | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 |
Hirta | Jura | Minna | Total | Hirta | Jura | Minna | Total | Hirta | Jura | Minna | Total |
Fuel | £529,446 | £504,358 | £280,870 | £1,314,674 | £919,617 | £916,924 | £439,914 | £2,276,455 | £738,498 | £667,363 | £401,065 | £1,806,926 |
Maintenance | £55,696 | £232,007 | £50,430 | £338,133 | £181,903 | £139,499 | £162,687 | £484,089 | £685,172 | £400,509 | £277,382 | £1,363,063 |
Repairs | £82,756 | £129,213 | £54,481 | £266,450 | £84,780 | £139,971 | £108,982 | £333,734 | £126,259 | £417,382 | £83,118 | £626,759 |
Patrol Aircraft
The Scottish Government engages an external contractor to provide aerial surveillance services utilising our aircraft by providing certification, maintenance and crewing for the aircraft. The following table sets out the aerial surveillance costs for the last three financial years of which a small proportion of the maintenance cost is borne by the external contractor with the main proportion being carried by the Scottish Government and billed as part of the contracted cost.
Aircraft | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 |
Fuel | 173,097 | 199,586 | 141,102 |
Aerial Surveillance Ops | 1,324,482 | 1,407,115 | 1,529,433 |
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 29 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to update its approach to dealing with gear conflict, in light of the last Marine Scotland report of the Task Force on Gear Conflict being published in 2015.
Answer
In June 2020 the Scottish Government built on the findings of the Task Force on Gear Conflict by introducing the Marking of Gear (Scotland) Order 168/2020. This order introduced restrictions on how buoys should be used to mark static gear, aimed at reducing gear conflict by making it easier to identify the owner of lost or displaced gear. This order requires that all creels and fleets of creels to be marked with a buoy manufactured for that purpose and that all buoys be of a bright colour and bear the registration number of the fishing vessel that deployed it.
As part of a pragmatic approach to gear conflict, Marine Directorate provides ongoing support where appropriate, encouraging fishers to work together to resolve difficulties locally and where possible, support local voluntary codes of conduct. In addition, our Coastal Offices operate a reporting mechanism for reporting gear loss. The aim of this is to utilise the available evidence to determine which vessels were active in the area and to establish contact, assisting those involved in arriving at an amicable outcome. It also ensures the necessary information is available, should Police Scotland require to be involved.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 29 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to consult stakeholders on the future of the Sea Fish (Prohibition on Fishing) (Firth of Clyde) Order 2024.
Answer
Following the 2025 closure there will be a public consultation on future management. That consultation will assess any changes that have happened since 2022 and make recommendations for the future on that basis.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 29 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what surveys of Scotland-based fishermen it has carried out since 1 January 2021 regarding their views on the EU Common Fisheries Policy, and what the outcome was.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not carried out a survey, since 1 January 2021, of Scotland-based fishers which specifically asked about their views on the EU Common Fisheries Policy. However, officials engage with Scottish fishers regularly on a range of matters, including through our main fisheries co-management stakeholder group, FMAC.
The Scottish Government also collects views from Scotland-based fishers and other stakeholders via other means. This includes research projects as part of evaluations for specific programmes or policies. In the past year, this has included surveying fishers and other stakeholders regarding current compliance mechanisms and Quota Management Groups. Both projects raised issues related to the EU Common Fisheries Policy and both projects are due to be published this year.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 29 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in implementing telemedicine solutions in rural healthcare settings, and what impact this has had on patient outcomes over the last five years.
Answer
See answer to question S6W-33537 on 27 January 2025 regarding progress. Telemedicine related developments focus on ensuring people get choice in how they access care services, support independent living and reduce unnecessary appointments, regardless of where they live.
An example of this is the rollout of Digital Therapy services which has been successfully completed with 35 evidenced digital treatments available in all areas of Scotland, including all rural and remote areas. Across digital therapy services a range of technologies have been integrated into clinical service delivery to ensure that services can be accessed in a variety of ways to meet the circumstances of the individual. Over 74,000 referrals and self-referrals were received into digital therapy services in 2023-24.
Data provided by local services indicates high levels of usage of digital therapy services across remote and rural areas, with good clinical outcomes and showing much greater levels of treatment, accessibility and availability in these areas. NHS Shetland, NHS Orkney and NHS Western Isles are some of the biggest users of digital therapies when adjusted for population.
Near Me video consulting for groups continues to show positive impact in areas such as travel miles saved. However, enabled choice is driving greater uptake and engagement with 81% of people completing Near Me group courses over just 75% attending in person. The average weight loss is 3.2kg for Near Me group sessions for weight management groups, nearly twice the average weight loss (1.7kg) for an in-person session. Further information is published here - near-me-groups-report-march-2023_0.pdf
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the total expenditure on social media-related activities, including management, advertising, and content creation, has been in each of the last five years.
Answer
Social media related activities undertaken by the Scottish Government encompass abroad set of teams and workstreams. A significant proportion of the management of Scottish Government accounts on social media platforms and the production of organic content, is managed by internal teams.
Communication to specific audiences via social media is an integral part of every Scottish Government marketing campaign and incorporates e.g. videos, paid advertisements, website and social content and influencer marketing. Scottish Government marketing content and campaigns run across multiple social media platforms (in either paid-for or organic form) as part of integrated marketing and communications campaigns. All social media activity is developed to support defined policy outcomes and in line with key Scottish Government priorities.
Scottish Government marketing and advertising spend is published each year can be found at https://www.gov.scot/collections/marketing-spend/ including a breakdown by discipline and media type. As the 2024-25 financial year is not yet complete the information is not included.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 29 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken since May 2021 to improve the digitisation of medical records.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-33304 on 24 January 2025. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding private finance initiative (PFI) and public private partnership (PPP) contracts, what the total amount in unitary charge payments is that (a) has been paid since 1997-98, up to and including the latest financial year for which figures are available, for all (i) expired and (ii) active projects, and (b) remains to be paid for all active projects until contract expiry by (A) local authorities, (B) NHS Scotland, (C) the Scottish Funding Council, (D) Transport Scotland, (E) the Scottish Prison Service, (F) Scottish Water, (G) Police Scotland and (H) the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration.
Answer
The latest published data as at 31 March 2023 relating to (a) the total unitary charge payments associated with PFI and PPP contracts including NPD (Non-Profit Distributing) which were paid across the public sector in Scotland from 1997-98 to 2022-23 comprising both (i) expired and (ii) active contracts are contained within the following table.
Contract Type | 1997-98 to 2022-23 | 1997-98 to 2022-23 |
| (a)(i) Expired Contracts | (a)(ii) Active Contracts |
| (£m) | (£m) |
PFI | 372 | 15,437 |
NPD (pre-2010) | - | 758 |
NPD Programme | - | 1,573 |
Total | 372 | 17,768 |
The latest published data as at 31 March 2023 relating (b) the total estimated remaining unitary charge payments associated with PFI and PPP contracts including NPD from 2023-24 until contract expiry for (A) local authorities, (B) NHS Scotland, (C) the Scottish Funding Council, (D) Transport Scotland, (E) the Scottish Prison Service, (F) Scottish Water, and (G) Police Scotland are contained within the following table (the PFI contract relating to (H) the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration expired in 2012-13 when the last payment was made).
Contract Type | Procuring Authority | 2023-24 onwards |
| | (b) Active Contracts |
| | (£m) |
PFI | (A) Local Authorities | 8,147 |
| (B) NHS Boards | 3,999 |
| (C) Scottish Funding Council / Colleges | 6 |
| (D) Transport Scotland | 644 |
| (E) Scottish Prison Service | 511 |
| (F) Scottish Water | 1,376 |
| (G) Police Scotland | 17 |
NPD (pre-2010) | (A) Local Authorities | 1,025 |
| (B) NHS Boards | 274 |
NPD Programme | (A) Local Authorities | 1,986 |
| (B) NHS Boards | 1,955 |
| (C) Scottish Funding Council / Colleges | 662 |
| (D) Transport Scotland | 2,510 |