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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-09006

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the #LiveableNHSBursary campaign led by medical students, which includes calls for access to full maintenance loans for medical students in line with other professional healthcare courses, access to the NHS Learning Support Fund for medical students and a review of Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses, in light of the cost of living crisis.

The #LiveableNHSBursary campaign is focused on the situation faced by latter years medical students studying in England which is something we are unable to comment on. Scottish domiciled medical students are eligible for the standard student support package which is comprised of tuition fees and living cost support throughout all 5 or 6 years of their medical degree. Furthermore in February 2002 a £350 loan uplift for 2022-23 for higher education students was announced. This means that the most disadvantaged students can access £8,100 per year through bursary and loan and the Scottish Government remains committed that the total student support package reaches the equivalent of the Living Wage over the next three years.

In Scotland medical ACT is currently used to fund Travel and Subsistence for students in all regions and this is monitored in light of the changing economic climate and impact of locus of student placements in remote/rural settings.

Question reference: S6W-08842

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 9 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding the proposals to allow Ukrainian refugees settling in Scotland access to study at Scottish universities free of charge, with access to living cost support.

Ukrainians who arrive in Scotland and wish to undertake a course of study in Further or Higher Education will be entitled to home tuition fee status, free tuition and living cost support for the duration of their studies. This entitlement has been enshrined in the new student support regulations which were laid before the Scottish Parliament on 6 May 2022 and come into force on 1 August, being the start of the 2022- 23 Academic Year.

In addition, the Scottish Government also announced on 14 April, the creation of a new £1 million International Students’ Emergency Fund for international students who were facing financial hardship as a result of a significant change of circumstances.

Ukrainian students who have previously chosen to study at a college or university in Scotland and are facing financial hardship as a result of the Russian invasion will be eligible to apply to their college or university for support.

Question reference: S6O-01240

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the delivery of the missions of the Scottish National Investment Bank.

Question reference: S6W-08789

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) hernia and (b) rectopexy mesh surgery procedures have been performed in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6W-08638

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the current policy is for women over 70 to be able to access breast screening appointments; what the justification is for any decision to stop regular access to breast screening for this age group, and what consideration it will give to improving access to breast screening for this age group as part of the NHS Recovery Plan.

We have followed the recommendation of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific body that advises all four UK nations on screening, that women between the ages of 50 and 70 should be invited for three yearly routine breast screening. That is because there is clear evidence of benefit from screening women of that age group. The UK NSC does not recommend that women over 71 are invited for breast screening because the same evidence of benefit does not yet exist.

Prior to COVID-19, women aged 71 and over had the option to self-refer because there was enough capacity to allow them to do so. While programme capacity remains challenging due to the impacts of COVID-19, there remains a pause on self-referrals for those over the age of 71 to allow appointments to be prioritised for the recommended screening population.

However, in recognition of the anxiety that the pause on self-referrals is causing, work is underway with the National Screening Oversight and the Scottish Breast Screening Programme Board to explore ways to restart the self-referral route by Autumn 2022, in a way that does not unduly impact screening of the eligible cohort.

We continue to emphasise that, regardless of their age, women should remain symptom aware and report any concerns to their GP immediately for these to be investigated and followed up as appropriate.

Question reference: S6W-08583

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the detailed maps of route options for the proposed Clyde Metro that have reportedly been presented as advice to ministers.

Detailed maps on Clyde Metro have not been produced or presented to Scottish Ministers. Indicative maps were presented to Scottish Ministers as part of discussions on STPR2 in the lead up to the publication of draft recommendations in January 2022. The level of assessment work undertaken to date is not sufficient to produce detailed route options for publication or consultation, but of course will be in the future.

Question reference: S6W-08654

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 1 June 2022

In 2019, there were 191 unexplained deaths. In 2020, there were 202 unexplained deaths.

This information is published annually in the Vital Events Reference Tables published by National Records of Scotland. Data for 2019 and 2020 can be found in table 6.01 here: Vital Events Reference Tables 2020 | National Records of Scotland (nrscotland.gov.uk)

Please refer to the cause of death category "R96-R99 - Other ill-defined and unknown causes".

Data for 2021 is not yet published. The Vital Events Reference Tables for 2021 are due to be published in June and will be available on the NRS website.

Question reference: S6W-08537

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered providing additional support for care homes to prevent closures as a result of the cost of living crisis.

The Scottish Government is aware of the pressures impacting on all sectors.

The National Care Home Contract determines the rates paid for residential care by Local Authorities. This is negotiated annually by COSLA, Scottish Care and Scotland Excel, the Scottish Government is not a contractual party to this agreement. However we are aware that the cost of living crisis was discussed and an agreement was reached to recognise some of the pressures.

To support care homes to recruit and retain staff we have funded an increase in the minimum hourly rate for those providing direct Adult Social Care rose to £10.50 p/h. This represents an increase 12.9% for these workers in the course of a year.

Additionally by the end of this Parliament we will have budgeted over £800m of increased annual support for social care compared to current spending. We continue to provide NHS Boards and Integration Authorities with the funding they require to meet the cost of responding to the pandemic, which comes on top of the £1.7bn already provided to Health Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships in 2020-21.

Question reference: S6W-08437

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it will make available for NHS dentists, in light of reported concerns from the British Dental Association that many practices are likely to reduce their NHS commitment.

The Scottish Government has delivered record investment into NHS dental services with a 9 per cent increase in the budget for NHS dental services in 2022-23.

From April, we have introduced revised payment arrangements which reward NHS dental teams according to their activity. Combined with the relaxation of infection, prevention and control measures, they are having a substantial positive impact in improving access and ensuring the sector is able to quickly return to more normal levels of activity and clear the backlog.

Question reference: S6W-08220

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 11 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how people with no digital or internet access can use ScotRail's half-price train ticket scheme.

Anyone with no digital or internet access can benefit from ScotRail’s half price ticket offer by phone via 0344 811 0153.

The number to call has been publicised by ScotRail from 9 May to enable customers to book their discounted Off-Peak tickets between 9 and 15 May 2022 inclusive, with outward travel valid Monday to Friday between 9 and 31 May 2022 inclusive. All open return travel must be complete by 30 June 2022.