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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-12318

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 5 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the timescales for any actions it is taking to support and develop community eyecare services across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-12317

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 5 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-11406 and S6W-11407 by Maree Todd on 25 October 2022, whether it will confirm start dates for the commencement of the short life working groups on Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) equipment provision and reviewing domiciliary eye care services provision, and, if it is the case that the start dates cannot be confirmed, whether it will provide an anticipated timescale for when decisions will be taken on the start dates.

Question reference: S6O-01668

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm whether WhatsApp messaging by the health secretary and his ministers are covered by Freedom of Information legislation and the processes that are in place to archive these to prevent them being inadvertently lost or otherwise deleted.

Question reference: S6W-11972

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 15 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has agreed to all of the key recommendations in the final report of the Scottish Mental Health Law Review, and in relation to any that it has not yet agreed to, whether it will provide a timeframe for consideration of the recommendations, and when it expects to publish its response to the key recommendations in the report.

Question reference: S6W-11973

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 15 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to any of the key recommendations in the final report of the Scottish Mental Health Law Review to which it agrees, what action it plans to take to implement the recommendations.

The Scottish Mental Health Law Review published its final report at the end of September 2022 and set out over 200 proposals for reform.

Cross-government work is now underway to assess their implications and we will set out our response, including priority actions that will be taken forward, in due course. As part of this work, we are considering the timescales for implementation and any recommendations that can be progressed in the short-term as part of our existing work to strengthen mental health and incapacity policy and law.

Question reference: S6W-11519

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 October 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 1 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to support the 530,000 people who will reportedly need to either (a) quit or (b) not take up smoking by 2034 to meet its tobacco-free generation target, as projected by the Non-Communicable Disease Prevention Coalition in its report Non-Communicable Disease Prevention: Mapping Future Harm.

The Scottish Government are developing an expert group that will be reporting on smoking cessation services early next year. We are also committed to working with our NHS cessation coordinators and pharmacy colleagues across Scotland to refocus and remobilise these services to ensure we are reaching those in our communities who are in most need of support to quit.

In addition, next year we will publish a refreshed Tobacco Action Plan which will include a range of evidence-based interventions with an emphasis on reducing smoking and vaping among children and young people.

Question reference: S6W-11518

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 October 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 1 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is planning to take to improve public health, in light of reported recent polling by the Non-Communicable Disease Prevention Coalition, which found that around two thirds of Scottish adults would like to see it do more to improve public health.

We welcome the findings of the report which adds to the picture of health across Scotland. Scottish Government is targeting the three biggest factors that impact preventable ill-health. These are tobacco use, diet and alcohol.

Our vision is to have a Tobacco-Free Scotland by lowering smoking rates across our communities to below 5% by 2034. In autumn 2023, we will publish a refreshed Tobacco Action Plan. As part of this we are considering a range of evidence-based interventions with an emphasis on reducing smoking and vaping.

Our 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan sets out how we are taking wide-ranging action to support healthier choices. This includes a challenging aim to halve childhood obesity by 2030 and significantly reduce diet related health inequalities. Our Public Heath (Restriction of Promotions) Bill will restrict the promotion of unhealthier food and drink and will be introduced as part of the 2022-23 legislative session.

We are evaluating the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) at the current price of 50 pence per unit and will assess what level MUP should be set at going forward, if MUP is to continue.

We will soon consult on potential restrictions on alcohol advertising and promotion to protect children and young people, and those in recovery. Subject to the outcomes of this consultation, we will introduce legislation within the lifetime of this parliament.

Question reference: S6W-11521

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 October 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 1 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what actions it will take to tackle the reported increasing disease burden related to obesity, in light of projections that non-communicable disease deaths related to obesity are set to rise by 10% by 2026, from the Non-Communicable Disease Prevention Coalition in its report Non-Communicable Disease Prevention: Mapping Future Harm.

We recognise the scale and impact of non-communicable disease across Scotland and are taking a range of actions to address their impact on our health and wellbeing.

Living with overweight or obesity is linked with an increased risk of developing a range of serious health conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, liver and lung disease. We are taking wide-ranging action to support healthier choices, as set out in our 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan. This includes a challenging aim to halve childhood obesity by 2030 and significantly reduce diet related health inequalities.

As stated in our recent Programme for Government, we will introduce a Bill to restrict the promotion of less healthy food and drink as part of the 2022/23 legislative session. We will also urge the UK Government to stick with its commitments to ban junk food advertisements on TV programmes before the 9pm watershed and for similar restrictions online.

We continue to support NHS boards to improve weight management services in line with our Type 2 Diabetes Prevention, Early Detection and Intervention Framework and Public Health Scotland’s national standards. We are in year 5 of delivery of the Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Framework, which has seen the adoption of effective and evidence based treatments, across Scotland.

Alongside the Framework, our Diabetes Improvement Plan sets out our priorities to deliver safe, effective and person-centred healthcare, treatment and support to those living with diabetes. Priority 1 of the Plan is focussed the Prevention and Early Detection of Diabetes and its Complications, supporting the implementation of the Framework.

Question reference: S6W-11520

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 October 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 25 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement restrictions on (a) advertising, (b) sponsorship and (c) promotion of alcohol products (i) in public spaces and (ii) at sporting and cultural events.

As set out in the Programme for Government 2022-23, later this year we will consult on potential restrictions on alcohol advertising and promotion to protect vulnerable groups, including children and young people and those in recovery. Subject to the outcomes of this consultation, we will introduce legislation within the lifetime of this parliament.

The consultation is still under development and we are considering all methods of alcohol advertising and promotion. We will fully engage with all relevant stakeholders to understand their views and any potential impacts of proposals.

Question reference: S6W-10797

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether an assessment has been made of the uptake of spring/summer COVID-19 boosters amongst those resident in the most deprived areas compared with the most affluent areas in Scotland, and, if such an assessment have been made, whether it will confirm the percentage uptake in each of these areas.

Public Health Scotland publish figures on the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) quintile. The PHS report shows how uptake in the most deprived areas compares with the least deprived areas. The latest figures were published in May 2022 ( https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/13184/22-05-11-covid19-publication_report.pdf ). The next publication is planned for later this year. This publication will contain uptake data by SIMD for COVID-19 autumn/winter 2022 vaccinations only; there will not be analysis on spring/summer COVID-19 boosters specifically.