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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-21435

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the minutes of the Women's Health Plan Implementation Programme Board for the meeting on 17 May 2023 will be published on the Scottish Government's website, and when the Board will next meet.

Question reference: S6W-21434

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the development of the role description of the Women's Health Leads that took place in November 2022, how much time of the Women's Health Leads has been allocated to implementing the Women's Health Plan.

Question reference: S6W-21459

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that misinformation on social media about hormonal contraception is encouraging women to move away from using traditional contraceptives.

The Scottish Government is aware of concerns raised by clinicians about the impact of social media on women’s contraceptive choices, and we are grateful to them for raising awareness of this important issue. We would always encourage women to seek advice from NHS professionals on their contraception options and the benefits and risks, rather than social media.

We are committed to ensuring that all women can access accurate information regarding contraception and are able to access services in a timely and convenient manner. This is something we continue to work towards improving through the Women’s Health Plan and the forthcoming Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Action Plan 2023-26

To support this aim, the Scottish Government has funded a project to develop a new sexual and reproductive health website on the NHS Inform platform, featuring a range of interactive, quality assured sexual health and contraception information.

Question reference: S6W-21453

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards meeting its target of halving the child obesity rate by 2030, and what assessment has been made of the impact of A Healthier Future – Scotland’s Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan, now that it is five years since it was published.

The Scottish Government reports on progress on its aim to halve childhood obesity by 2030 on an annual basis in the regular Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) Report.

In 2021, almost two thirds of children were in the healthy weight range, the lowest the survey has recorded. Almost one in five children (18%) were considered at risk of obesity in 2021.

In our 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan we set out ambitious and wide-ranging action to deliver our vision for a Scotland where everyone eats well and has a healthy weight. We are taking forward a range of action across five key outcomes: giving children the best start in life; creating a healthier food environment; better access to weight management services; leadership and reducing health inequalities.

Although there has been no formal assessment of the impact of the 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan, the annual SHeS provides indicators relating to diet, including fruit and vegetable consumption, weight and physical activity.

Question reference: S6W-21451

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking with NHS boards to address the reported long waits that women are experiencing for urogynaecology treatments.

Working Collaboratively with clinical colleagues across NHS Scotland, the Centre for Sustainable Delivery’s (CfSD) National Elective Coordination Unit (NECU) are working to support a nationally coordinated campaign to expedite treatment for patients waiting for specialised urogynaecological procedures: urethral bulking, fascial sling repair and colposuspension.

The initial phase of this work has been completed and patients waiting within these procedure groups have been contacted.

The CfSD is now working to support clinicians within this highly specialist area to both see and treat these patients, with a view to ensure all patients receive treatment as soon as possible. This is expected to focus initially on urethral bulking procedures.

The Chief Operating Officer for NHS Scotland wrote to Health Board Chief Executives in September outlining the Scottish Government’s expectations for the treatment of these patients.

Question reference: S6W-21433

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress in relation to the medium-term action in the Women's Health Plan to establish a Women's Health Lead in every NHS board, including the number of Women's Health Leads that are currently in place and where, and whether the "funding and resource restraints" that were identified in relation to these positions in the minutes of the Women's Health Plan Implementation Programme Board's meeting on 2 November 2022 have been resolved.

The recent Women’s Health Plan: Interim Progress Update 2023 produced for the Women’s Health Plan Implementation Programme Board and the quarterly blog by the Women’s Health Champion sets out progress made since the Report on Progress , which was published in January 2023.

There is now a Women’s Health Lead in nearly every NHS Board. It is for NHS Boards to determine the local role of their Women’s Health Leads according to local need and priority and with reference to the aims set out in the Women’s Health Plan .

The Women’s Health Plan Implementation Programme Board will next meet on 15 November 2023, at which the minutes from the previous meeting will be agreed and subsequently published online.

Question reference: S6O-02607

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on cladding remediation in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-21415

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 22 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report by Epilepsy Consortium Scotland, Specialist Epilepsy Appointments, which emphasises the importance of face-to-face care, but found that 40% of patients had only attended their specialist epilepsy appointments by telephone since March 2020.

Delivering person-centred care is a priority for both NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government. As far as possible services should be organised around people’s needs, enabling them to be involved in their care in a way that is meaningful and tailored to their personal preference.

In December 2021 we published practical guidance for NHS clinicians on undertaking virtual consultations with people affected by neurological conditions: Digital Consulting in Neurology | TEC Scotland

The guidance considers when virtual consultations may be an appropriate option to offer. It states clearly that patients should be given the opportunity to decide how they wish to be seen. It is for NHS boards to decide how specialist epilepsy appointments are arranged in their area.

Question reference: S6O-02576

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking ahead of the festive period to support poultry farms, in light of the potential threat of avian flu.

Question reference: S6W-20948

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to develop a National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Social Care.