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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-31528

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31099 by Neil Gray on 15 November 2024, how much of its £30 million investment in planned care was allocated to NHS Grampian to support additional orthopaedic activity at Woodend Hospital.

Question reference: S6W-31527

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31099 by Neil Gray on 15 November 2024, which states that activity levels at Woodend Hospital will increase over the coming months, how long it anticipates it will take for the waiting list for elective surgery at the hospital to clear.

Question reference: S6W-31138

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 19 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out an assessment of how agriculture in Scotland could be impacted by the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s recent announcement of changes to the inheritance tax system for farms from April 2026.

Our rural economies will be hit by the proposed changes to Inheritance Tax’s Agricultural Property Relief.

It is disappointing that there had been no prior indication of the change or engagement with the Scottish Government. Indeed, ahead of the election a Labour spokesperson had explicitly stated there was no intention of changing APR.

The Scottish Parliament recently debated this matter and agreed to call on the UK Government to reverse the changes –and urgently commit to undertake and publish impact assessments on the cumulative impact of its budget proposals on farmers and crofters in Scotland.

Given the lack of available data on the impact of this decision, there should now be an immediate review of this policy, informed by close engagement with the agricultural sector and devolved governments.

The Scottish Government want to see a tax system that supports – rather than hinders – orderly succession planning and the transfer of land to the next generation of custodians.

Question reference: S6W-30803

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 19 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with New Lanark Mill regarding the reported proposals for it to close.

There was no formal consultation with Scottish Government or Historic Environment Scotland on the closure of the spinning mill, though Historic Environment Scotland had been aware of an ongoing review of the Trust’s various enterprises as part of its wider vision to create long term sustainability for the World Heritage Site.

The decision to close the New Lanark Spinning Mill is a decision for the owner of the site, New Lanark Trust, to make. New Lanark Trust has the responsibility for these difficult commercial decisions which it needs to consider within the context of the wider implications for the World Heritage Site to ensure its long-term sustainability.

Question reference: S6W-30802

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 19 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it will support wool producers that use the services and skills currently available at New Lanark Mill, in light of reports of proposals to close the mill.

Question reference: S6W-30804

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 19 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what value it places on heritage industries like spinning and the wool sector.

Question reference: S6W-31099

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 15 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS Grampian to reduce the waiting list for elective surgery at Woodend Hospital, in light of reports that this is estimated to be around 3,000 people.

Question reference: S6W-31173

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 November 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how often cabins on sailings of the passenger Northern Isles Ferry Services between Aberdeen-Lerwick have reached full bookable capacity in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-31016

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many maternity wards in hospitals there are, and how many of these have a separate space for patients experiencing miscarriage or baby loss.

Question reference: S6W-31015

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS boards to establish more separate spaces in hospitals with maternity wards for patients experiencing miscarriage or baby loss.

The Scottish Government expects all women receiving maternity care to be treated with dignity and respect and is developing a Delivery Framework for Miscarriage Care, which includes the provision of separate private spaces in hospitals with maternity wards for women experiencing miscarriage or baby loss. Officials are currently working with stakeholders to finalise the content and we expect to publish the Framework by the end of 2024 or early in 2025.

The Scottish Government funded National Bereavement Care Pathways for pregnancy and baby loss and accompanying bereavement care standards are clear that women and families experiencing pregnancy or baby loss should be treated sensitively and compassionately and difficult news should be delivered in a quiet private space. All 14 NHS Boards are signed up to the pathways and at different stages of implementation.