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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-23392

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the view of medical professionals who were consulted on the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy regarding the final strategy as published.

Throughout the development of the Scottish Government and COSLA’s Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy, we engaged with NHS Boards, Integration Joint Boards, professional bodies, third sector and equalities organisations, and many other partners and stakeholders covering interests across the whole mental health system. This was invaluable in helping to shape the Strategy and subsequent Delivery and Workforce Action Plans.

As an example of feedback from professional bodies following the Strategy’s publication, the British Psychological Society issued a statement supporting the direction of the Strategy, saying they are encouraged by its focus on a promotion of positive mental health, early intervention and prevention, and provision of support. The BPS have welcomed our ‘mental health in all policies’ approach which recognises that factors such as poverty, housing and employment can all have an impact on people’s mental wellbeing. They state that looking holistically at the whole person, considering not just psychological factors but also the social determinants of health, is the right approach.

We will continue to engage widely with medical professionals and other stakeholder groups on future refreshes of the Delivery Plan. This will ensure that we continue to develop actions that make further progress towards the Strategy’s outcomes.

Question reference: S6W-23424

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the £7.5 million funding from the Mental Health Transformation Fund, which is to be reprioritised as part of 2023-24 in-year budget changes, by the mental health programmes that were previously earmarked for spending from this budget line.

Financial planning for the significant challenges our public finances continue to face took place in advance of the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance's update on the 2023-24 in-year budget changes on 21 November.

The difficult decisions which have had to be made have allowed us to help balance the Scottish Government's budget while still progressing implementation of our mental health and wellbeing strategy from a revised direct budget of £260.3 million.

The in-year budget changes impacted on a number of planned new programmes which could not proceed as anticipated. Planned increased funding to existing programmes were also not able to be progressed.

Despite the savings made, we have continued to focus on delivery of our mental health and wellbeing strategy and recently published delivery plan, which includes commitments around mental health services and specific programmes of work around learning disability and autism, and cross-cutting trauma work.

Question reference: S6W-23319

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve West Coast Main Line (WCML) (a) line speeds and (b) capacity from Glasgow Central, through grade separation of Rutherglen junction to deconflict local train movements.

Question reference: S6W-23318

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many level crossings are still present on the West Coast Mainline (WCML) in Scotland, and what plans there are to phase them out.

Question reference: S6W-23391

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what exposure medical students have to psychiatric and mental health placements, and what steps are taken to encourage students to consider a career in these fields.

Following consultation with each of Scotland five medical schools most students receive taught modules on mental health and psychiatry in years three and four of their medical degrees with the opportunity to specialist mental health units on clinical placements from year four onwards. There are significant core learning requirements in relation to mental health set out by the GMC and each University ensures these are fulfilled.

The GMC also require all medical schools to provide support for the consideration of postgraduate careers and each school has their own way of doing this. For example, the University of Aberdeen hold careers fairs across the whole curriculum wherein Mental Health is always included, and the psychiatric education team engaged. Furthermore each of the medical schools have a ‘PsychSoc’ attached to them. These societies are funded by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and work with the medical schools to encourage and support medical students into a career within the psychiatric fields.

Question reference: S6W-23390

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that there are sufficient consultants to train future junior doctors, in light of reports that many consultants in Scotland are reaching retirement age and considering early retirement, as cited by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in its State of the nation report: The psychiatric workforce in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-23389

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to support consultants with their workload so that they have sufficient time to engage in research and in supporting and training junior doctors.

The Scottish Consultants Contract is designed to ensure that Consultants who work within NHS Scotland have time for supporting professional activities. How much time received is based on working patterns and forms part of the job planning process they undertake with their employers.

The time that is dedicated to supporting professional activities can be used for research, teaching, training and supervising Junior Doctors.

Question reference: S6W-23044

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to continue the rapid rehousing transition programme in the next financial year.

Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans (RRTPs) play an important role in Scotland’s strategy to end homelessness. We have provided local authorities with £52.5 million between 2018-24 to develop and implement their RRTPs.

The Scottish Government remains fully committed to rapid rehousing as a response to homelessness. Budgets for the next financial year will be set out in the usual way in December and funding decisions will follow.

Question reference: S6W-23154

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will assess (a) any long-term impact of the dissolution of the Scottish Milk Marketing Board in 2003 and (b) whether it may be beneficial to re-establish a similar entity.

Question reference: S6O-02851

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support student mental health and wellbeing.