- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of investing in more NHS-based clinical radiology and oncology specialty training places compared with the outsourcing of NHS contracts to the independent sector.
Answer
Whilst Scottish Ministers are responsible for determining the strategic policy of the NHS in Scotland, NHS Boards are responsible for delivering their services, including making decisions to outsource NHS contracts to the independent sector where appropriate to meet the Board’s needs.
We have expanded the Clinical Oncology and Medical Oncology specialty training programmes since 2014. The Scottish Government is working directly with NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to increase supply into Clinical and Medical Oncology and promote these options as an attractive career choice by future applicants.
Further, we have been expanding Internal Medicine Training (IMT) numbers, for example, which is a pre-requisite for various higher specialties including Clinical and Medical Oncology. This will increase front-end supply into several higher-level specialties including Oncology. The IMT programme has filled at 100% for the past five years.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting radiologists in Scotland, in light of the figures from the Royal College of Radiologists recent workforce census showing that there is a 25% shortfall in the profession.
Answer
Over the last ten years we have increased the Consultant Radiologist workforce by 27.7% (from 304.5 WTE as of March 2015 to 388.9 WTE as of March 2025).
Scottish Government is committed to supporting NHS staff, including radiologists, through the provision of over £2.5 million in annual funding dedicated to staff wellbeing initiatives. This funding provides our workforce with access to psychological interventions and therapies, self-service resources through the National Wellbeing Hub and the National Wellbeing Helpline delivered by NHS 24. Registered staff also have access to confidential mental health services through the Workforce Specialist Service (WSS).
These resources play a vital role in helping the workforce manage mental health challenges, supporting their return to work and enhancing the quality of care they can provide.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it will reportedly not disclose the cost of the procurement process for the new Intercity rail fleet.
Answer
The procurement process for the replacement Intercity rail fleet is ongoing. Releasing any details related to the live procurement would substantially harm economic interests of ScotRail, thus affecting the Scottish Government’s ability to secure a good value for public purse.
Information on the procurement of a replacement Intercity fleet has been published on the Public Contracts website and can be found here: View Notice - Public Contracts Scotland
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the accuracy of figures published by the Royal College of Radiologists showing that there is a shortage of radiologists, and what assessment it has made of the level of any shortage in relation to demand.
Answer
As set out in answer S6W-38475 on 17 June 2025, over the last ten years the Consultant Radiologist workforce has increased by 27.7% (from 304.5 WTE as at March 2015 to 388.9 WTE as at March 2025). Consultant Radiologist vacancies have decreased by 3.4% over the last year to 22.4 WTE as at March 2025, which is a vacancy rate of 5.5%.
The Scottish Government continues to invest heavily in radiology training. We are currently funding around 190 specialty training places in clinical radiology, including 78 extra places which have been added since 2014, based on modelling and future workforce need. This enable doctors to train and enter the workforce following completion of training - which takes a minimum of 5 years. Clinical radiology specialty training programmes have been filled at 100% in Scotland from 2014 to 2024, with 230 resident doctors successfully completing the training in this period.
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: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport at the Public Audit Committee meeting on 23 April 2025 that, since the ScotRail peak fare removal pilot ended, rail use has increased, whether it will publish the data that shows this.
Answer
This information is available from the Office of Rail and Road statistics portal, published on its website. The Member may wish to access the following link, which will provide the information requested: Passenger rail usage | ORR Data Portal
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the reasons are for the reported continued delays to the M8 viaduct works in Glasgow, and what the revised completion date is.
Answer
The M8 Woodside Viaduct is a complex project, which involves constructing temporary propping in a constrained urban environment to enable repairs to the half-joints which support the motorway. Transport Scotland and their contractor, Amey, have been examining each and every activity required to progress the works to ensure completion as soon as possible.
However, there have been unforeseen issues resulting in delays to the extensive piling work around the subway tunnels, which has to be carried out very carefully. Officials are assessing these issues to determine if they might impact on the current estimated completion dates and the public will be updated in due course. Updates can be found here: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/m8-woodside-viaducts-project/
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what initiatives are in place to support unpaid carers, in light of findings from the Health and Care Experience Survey 2023-24 that 14% of carers did not receive support despite needing help, and that only 6% had received an assessment or written plan for their caring role.
Answer
Local authorities have duties under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 to provide adult carer support plans or young carer statements for any carer that wants one and to provide support to carers according to their eligible needs. These responsibilities and carers’ associated rights are set out in the Carers’ Charter.
We are working to extend these rights by establishing a right to breaks from caring by amending the 2016 Act through the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill, to support people to protect their wellbeing and sustain caring relationships. The Bill also gives Ministers a new duty to make regulations setting timescales for local authorities to prepare adult carer support plans and young carer statements to help ensure carers can access support in a timely fashion and reduce differences between areas.
Our National Carers Strategy sets out our intentions regarding carers’ rights and support which takes a cross-government approach to carers’ issues including through social care policies, social security and supporting carers in employment and education. It recognises that carers come from all walks of life and many of their needs overlap with those of other groups.
There is a wide range of support available to unpaid carers, as summarised at Help if you're a carer - mygov.scot,
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in response to reports that industrial action over pay between Scottish Water and the trade unions UNITE, GMB and UNISON has escalated, with strikes expected to disrupt emergency repairs, testing and maintenance.
Answer
A swift yet satisfactory conclusion is essential to minimise impacts on Scottish Water customers, both in the near term and for the future. The Scottish Government continues to urge all parties to continue negotiations in good faith to find a solution which is within the spirit of the Government’s public sector pay policy; is affordable to Scottish Water; and represents a fair offer to Scottish Water’s employees. It is for Scottish Water and the Joint Trade Unions to agree a settlement which is fair and affordable.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many dental practices registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland as independent clinics in 2024-25, and, of those, how many had previously been providers of general dental services with their local NHS boards.
Answer
The Scottish Government do not hold this information.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) can be contacted for information related to independent clinics registered with them.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what economic assessment it has made of any impact of restricting the M8 in Glasgow to two lanes for six years.
Answer
An economic assessment was carried out based on the scenario of a prolonged full closure in order to inform decision making in managing these important viaducts, which indicated significant detriment to the Scottish economy if the viaducts had to be closed.
An economic assessment reflecting the current traffic management arrangements, of two lanes open in each direction, has not been undertaken.
