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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: S6O-04460

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to build on the reported successes of the Aberdeen City Region Deal, which is due to conclude its 10-year plan next year.

Question reference: S6W-34936

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will expand the influenza vaccine eligibility to help reduce the winter pressures on the NHS in winter 2025-26.

The Scottish Government continues to be guided by the expert clinical advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

The JCVI has the responsibility to provide high-quality and considered advice and recommendations to the UK Health Ministers following thorough risk and benefit analysis. They consider vaccine safety, efficacy and look at the impact and cost effectiveness of immunisation strategies.

Upon following this advice, the Scottish Government does not expect the eligibility criteria to differ in winter 2025-26 from winter 2024-25. Should the JCVI eligibility criteria for the flu vaccine change in the near future, we stand ready to implement those changes.

We will continue to work with Public Health Scotland and NHS Boards to ensure that those who are eligible are able to easily access a flu vaccination.

Additionally, the Scottish Government will hold sessions with key stakeholders to look at how we can support improved vaccination uptake among eligible groups in winter 2025-26.

Question reference: S6W-34935

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the percentage of staff in (a) the NHS, (b) care homes and (c) childcare settings who have received the winter 2024-25 influenza vaccine.

The publicly available data on NHS workers who have received the flu vaccine is available via Public Health Scotland’s (PHS) surveillance website PHS Vaccination Surveillance.

This is detailed as 'All Healthcare Workers' and uptake currently sits at 35.6% as of 26 January 2025.

The uptake for NHS, care home and childcare staff are not further categorised, therefore that data is not available.

PHS’s vaccination surveillance dashboard is updated monthly.

Question reference: S6W-34937

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been given the 2024-25 influenza vaccine, broken down by eligibility criteria.

Question reference: S6O-04387

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting Aberdeen City Council to manage the impact of the UK Government's increase to employer national insurance contributions.

Question reference: S6W-33956

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it determines which social media websites it maintains a presence on.

The Scottish Government has a crucial role in communicating with the public and uses a mix of channels to reach different audiences. This includes digital channels such as social media as well as traditional broadcast, print media and others. Channels are chosen to best meet our communications objectives in the most effective and cost efficient way, and this is regularly reviewed using insight and evaluation.

The Scottish Government’s Communications Division currently has a presence on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.

Question reference: S6W-33842

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Graeme Dey on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on plans to simplify the post-school education and skills funding body landscape in Scotland.

In June, I launched a public consultation on proposals to simplify the post-school funding body landscape. With thanks to all those who submitted responses I have now considered the evidence both from the consultation, and from an Outline Business Case analysing the three options.

I can confirm that a decision has been made to proceed with the proposal to consolidate all post-school provision funding within the Scottish Funding Council and all student support funding within the Student Awards Agency Scotland. I look forward to working with stakeholders to help realise these changes which I am confident will facilitate significant benefits for the post-school system, and importantly for learners and employers.

I will update the Parliament on plans for the Bill announced in Programme for Government 2024-25 in due course.

Question reference: S6W-33351

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Neil Gray on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the escalation status of NHS Grampian.

The NHS Scotland Support and Intervention Framework is one of the key elements of the evidence-based approach to monitoring performance and managing risk across the NHS in Scotland.

All NHS Boards have recently been reviewed against the framework for finance purposes.

Following this review the decision was made for NHS Grampian to be escalated to Stage Three of the Framework for finance. This is based on the deterioration of the Board’s financial position during 2024-25.

Stage Three escalation comes into effect from January 2025 and involves enhanced monitoring and support including increased oversight and coordinated engagement from Scottish Government. This will include monitoring by and meetings with the Scottish Government’s Finance Delivery Unit, as well as further engagement with the NHS Scotland Director of Health and Social Care Finance.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with NHS Grampian to monitor their financial position and assist with longer term financial planning and improvement.

Question reference: S6F-03720

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2025

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the potential economic impact of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners' reported £800 million investment in battery energy storage sites in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-04202

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding the steps that it is taking to tackle child poverty.