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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-06561

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the current waiting times are for maxillofacial surgery in each NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-06808

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the site-specific brain tumour research funding that is provided through the Chief Scientist Office is allocated between the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Common Scientific Outline categories of (a) biology, (b) aetiology, (c) prevention, (d) early detection, diagnosis and prognosis, (e) treatment and (f) cancer control, survivorship and outcomes research.

A search of the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Research Database (CaRD) carried out by NCRI at the request of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) showed the following allocation for CSO funded site-specific brain tumour research by Common Scientific Outline category

Category 1. Biology - total 4.1% /£22,275

Sub-category 1.5: Resources and Infrastructure - £22,275

Category 2. Aetiology

Category 3. Prevention

Category 4. Early Detection, Diagnosis and Prognosis - total 59.9% /£325,022

Sub-category 4.1: Technology Development and/or Marker Discovery - £67,767

Sub-category 4.2: Technology and/or Marker Evaluation - £134,305

Sub-category 4.4: Resources and Infrastructure Related to Detection, Diagnosis, or Prognosis - £122,950

Category 5. Treatment - total 35.6% / £192,875

Sub-category 5.3: Systemic Therapies - Discovery and Development - £13,928

Sub-category 5.4: Systemic Therapies - Clinical Applications - £48,685

Sub-category 5.7: Resources and Infrastructure Related to Treatment and the Prevention of Recurrence £130,262

Category 6. Cancer Control, Survivorship, and Outcomes Research - total 0.4% / £2,195

Sub-category 6.2: Surveillance - £2,195

In the June 2021 round of the CSO Translational Clinical Studies Committee, the following research project was funded:

Developing representative models of the blood-tumour barrier to enhance drug development for Glioblastoma

Lead Investigator: Prof. Anthony Chalmers / Univeristy of Glasgow / £296,864 TCS2105.pdf (scot.nhs.uk)

This project will be categorised at the next update of the NCRI CaRD (scheduled Summer 2022)

Question reference: S6W-06560

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people are on the waiting list for maxillofacial surgery in NHS Grampian, and what steps are being taken to reduce waiting times.

The latest available statistics on NHS Waiting Times published up to 31 December 2021 can be accessed using the following link:

https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-waiting-times-stage-of-treatment/

Public Health Scotland (PHS) notes that at 31 December 2021, 533 patients were waiting for treatment as an inpatient or daycase in NHS Grampian within the specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery. 557 patients were waiting for a new outpatient appointment.

To improve waiting times across Scotland, the NHS Recovery Plan was published in August 2021. The 5 year plan will support an increase in inpatient daycase, and outpatient activity to address the backlogs of care, which will be supported by the implementation of sustainable improvements and new models of care.

Question reference: S6W-06246

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the steps being taken to ensure that people resident in Scotland who have received their COVID-19 vaccinations abroad, or in other UK nations, have their medical records updated to allow them to prove their vaccination status when travelling internationally.

We have established a process for individuals who have received their coronavirus vaccinations outwith Scotland which allows for them to upload official proof of vaccination from an approved country to their Scottish Vaccination Record through NHS Inform . This will allow those who have been vaccinated within the UK or internationally to receive a combined fully vaccinated status to show for travel and domestic purposes.

Question reference: S6W-06415

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason licenced clubs are not eligible for the funding for businesses affected by measures to control the Omicron variant of COVID-19, and whether it will review the exclusion of licenced clubs from this funding.

Question reference: S6W-06473

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the delayed Scottish census data for 1921 will be published by the National Records of Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-06135

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 23 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support there is for driving instructors as part of the Close Contact Services Fund.

The Scottish Government is aware of the impact the necessary public health restrictions have had on businesses. We announced £375m of support for businesses impacted by measures introduced to control the spread of Omicron and this includes £19m for close contact businesses. This close contact fund is targeted at those who have been the most affected by the updated public health guidance introduced from 9 December 2021 to 24 January 2022, for example beauty services, hairdressers and wellness services. Driving instructors are not in scope at this stage.

Question reference: S6W-06163

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding renal cancer, what the average waiting time has been (a) for diagnosis and (b) from diagnosis to the start of treatment, in each year from 2017.

The exact data requested is not held. The Cancer Waiting Times data does not report on average waits, however median waits are reported. The information below is for urological cancers and is provided both for 62-day and 31-day standard. The 62-day standard refers to ‘urgent’ referrals only and waiting times are from ‘urgent’ referral to the start of their first treatment for a newly diagnosed cancer. The 31-day standard is for ‘all’ referrals and waiting times are from the decision to treat to the start of their first treatment for a newly diagnosed cancer. Please note: the waiting times for 62-day and 31-day standards are not comparable as both standards refer to different cohorts of patients.

The Median length of wait between referral to first treatment (62-day standard) for urology cancers in 2017 was 49 days, 47 days in 2018, 45 days in 2019, 39 days in 2020 and 44 days in 2021.

The Median length of wait between decision to treat and first treatment (31-day standard) for urology cancers in 2017 was 12 days, 13 days in 2018, 11 days in 2019, 8 days in 2020 and 11 in 2021.

To note the median values for the year 2021 are based on the data that has already been published i.e. data for the months of January- September 2021.

Question reference: S6O-00757

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with Police Scotland to provide clear guidelines on legal medical cannabis prescriptions sent to patients by post via Royal Mail.

Question reference: S6W-05977

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to making (a) Distance Aware badges and (b) COVID-19 lateral flow tests available for collection in local retail community shops in rural, remote and island areas.

The Scottish Government has given full consideration to ensuring Distance Aware badges and lateral flow device (LFD) tests are available across Scotland, including in rural, remote and island areas.

As well as Distance Aware products being available in ASDA stores and online from a number of charities, we have also ensured badges and lanyards are available in all community and mobile libraries across Scotland. We will monitor and evaluate awareness, uptake and impact of the initiative over the coming weeks.

People living in rural and remote areas can also access LFD tests online, or collect from participating local pharmacies and dispensing GPs. Additionally, we have provided local partners with LFD tests, signage and posters, to establish additional LFD test community collection points over the winter period. These sites range from transport hubs to vaccination centres and are advertised on local authority websites.