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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-06185

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it became aware that KPMG had withdrawn from bidding for UK Government contracts.

Question reference: S6W-06183

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has suspended the contract that was awarded to KPMG to construct the business case for the National Care Service, which is reportedly worth in excess of £500,000.

Question reference: S6W-06197

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 14 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce a bill to restrict the promotion of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt.

As set out in our 2021-22 Programme for Government , the Scottish Government will introduce a Public Health Bill that includes restrictions on unhealthier food and drink promotions in this Parliament.

We will consult again on our proposals to restrict unhealthier food and drink promotions in the spring. This will help us consider the impacts of EU exit and the COVID-19 pandemic on our proposals, as well as explore the potential opportunities for alignment across the UK.

Question reference: S6W-05608

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it was consulted by the Water Industry Commissioner on water charges for Scottish Water for 2022-23 and, if so, what its response was.

Question reference: S6W-05607

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it was consulted on proposed water charges for 2022-23 by Scottish Water, and, if so, what its response was.

As required by the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, Ministers establish the policy context within which charges are determined by the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS). The charging policies for the 2021-27 period were published on 7 December 2020 https://www.gov.scot/publications/principles-of-charging-2021-2027/ .

WICS is required to determine the price caps for households through its Final Determination. For the 2021-27 period, WICS confirmed that overall charge increases for households are capped at CPI+2%. In line with the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, Scottish Water must submit a charges scheme to WICS for approval, ensuring it is consistent with Ministers’ Principles of Charging and the Final Determination.

Whilst there is no formal requirement to consult the Scottish Government, Ministers were made aware of the outcome of the independent process, including the rationale underpinning the decision by Scottish Water's Board on the scheme of charges for 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-05961

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 8 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the flu vaccination programme in (a) general and (b) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and what the latest guidance is on when eligible members of the public can book appointments.

Flu vaccinations were paused in December 2021 to allow the NHS to address the immediate challenge of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Local health boards are now offering flu vaccinations to those who are eligible, with uptake of flu vaccines among over 65s at 90.1%, which is already higher than the previous year.

Those who are aged 70 years or over will be contacted by their health board about their appointment by letter or telephone call. Those aged 65 to 69 years will be contacted by their health board by letter about their appointment.

Our focus remains on protecting people based on clinical need, medical advice, and evidence. On that basis, other healthy people aged 50 to 64 years generally will no longer receive the flu vaccine this season. Anyone unsure whether they are eligible should check with their local health board, and can find more information about flu vaccination on NHS Inform The flu vaccine (nhsinform.scot) .

Anyone who is eligible and would like to receive a flu vaccine can do so by checking How to get your flu vaccine | The flu vaccine (nhsinform.scot) . If the appointment received is not suitable, individuals can rearrange their appointment at Rearrange your flu vaccine appointment | The flu vaccine (nhsinform.scot) .

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde advise that those eligible can get vaccinated at participating NHS community pharmacies.

Question reference: S6W-05949

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 8 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will recommence the annual flu vaccination programme.

Question reference: S6F-00789

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 February 2022

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to reduce delayed discharge from hospitals, in light of reports that it is at the highest recorded level since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Question reference: S6W-06012

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether women who need transvaginal mesh removal surgery will still be eligible for surgery cost reimbursement if their surgery is booked prior to the Transvaginal Mesh Removal (Cost Reimbursement) (Scotland) Bill receiving Royal Assent, but with the surgery taking place after Royal Assent has been received.

Following the successful conclusion of stage 3 of Parliament’s consideration of the Bill, the Government will now take steps to put in place a scheme in which it will specify a cut-off date. There is no requirement under the Bill, however, for surgery to have taken place before the date that will be specified, only that the mesh removal surgery must have been arranged by that date. The Bill mandates that the date specified in the scheme must not be a date earlier than that of Royal Assent.

Question reference: S6W-05530

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much COVID-19 funding it plans to carry forward to 2022-23, broken down by portfolio.

The 2022-23 Scottish Budget as published on 9 December assumed no specific carry-forward for resource funding through the Scotland Reserve. £179 million of capital and financial transactions was assumed as the estimated Scotland Reserve availability for 2022-23, but this is not linked to specific portfolio underspends.

The 2022-23 Scottish Budget did include £620 million of other anticipated funding, calculated on a risk-based assessment of availability across a range of sources. This assessment included an estimate of £145 million of funding related to future consequentials associated with changes to UK non-domestic rates legislation, which HM Treasury has now confirmed is included in the £440 million guaranteed additional funding for 2021-22. This £145m will therefore now have to be factored into overall budget management in the final months of the current financial year, with the remaining balance considered as part of the Scotland Reserve carry-forward.