- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Vertex Pharmaceuticals and what issues were discussed.
Answer
My officials engage with the pharmaceutical industry on a range of matters, including the development of new medicines, and keep me updated as required.
The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer last met with Vertex Pharmaceuticals on 6 December 2023 and continued to impress upon them the importance of offering a revised price to address the concern that the current price of the cystic fibrosis (CF) medicines covered by the multiple technology appraisal (MTA) exceeds what the NHS would consider reasonable. She also discussed the ongoing availability of clinical trial CF medicines, including when a trial is stopped.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21445 by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023, whether it will provide an update on the development and delivery of the new national strategy for palliative and end of life care, including what was discussed at the Strategy Steering Group meeting on 14 September 2023, and what progress has been made in relation to the Strategy as a result of that meeting.
Answer
As part of work being undertaken to develop the new Palliative Care Strategy, we are gathering and analysing evidence to tell us what actions should be taken to achieve the aim of ensuring that everyone in Scotland receives well-coordinated, timely and high-quality palliative care, care around death, and bereavement support based on their needs and preferences.
We have set up a number of working groups, bringing together stakeholders with expertise in priority areas for action, and these groups are developing recommended actions for inclusion in the strategy for discussion with the Strategy Steering Group (SSG) at its next meeting.
At the September meeting of the SSG there was discussion on the progress of the working groups and work being done to better understand people’s lived experiences of palliative care, as well as the proposed structure and timeline for the Strategy. A minute of the meeting will be available on the SG website, at https://www.gov.scot/groups/palliative-and-end-of-life-care-strategy-steering-group/ , once this has been agreed by the group.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to include Argyll and Bute Council in the Storm Babet Ministerial Taskforce.
Answer
We recognise the significant impact on people, businesses and communities in areas affected by storm Babet. The Scottish Government is committed to playing its part in helping them through this horrible experience which has destroyed so many people’s property and belongings.
The Storm Babet Ministerial Taskforce was established to co-ordinate the Scottish Government’s support of local recovery efforts. It will consider both the immediate recovery response and longer-term issues such as repairing infrastructure.
The Taskforce has developed a package of support to assist Scotland’s Councils deal with the immediate recovery as well as consider longer term issues such as repairing infrastructure. This package includes initiating the Bellwin Scheme to help all Councils cover eligible expenditure for urgent repairs; grants for farmers affected by severe flooding in parts of Scotland to help repair man-made flood banks; and Flood Recovery Grants to be administered by eligible Local Authorities to assist people whose homes and businesses have been flooded.
This support is in addition to Scotland’s longer-term investment in flood resilience, where we have committed £150m over the course of this Parliament to deliver improved flood resilience, in addition to the £42m provided annually to councils for flood resilience through the general capital grant.
The initial focus of the Task Force has been on the worst affected areas; ones that had an exceptionally rare red warning for rain during October’s storm, and especially Angus, which provisionally experienced its wettest day since 1891.We have therefore invited the Chief Executive of Angus Council to attend the Taskforce in her capacity as Chair of the Tayside Storm Babet Recovery Group. While we will continue to review membership of the group, there are no plans to extend membership at this time.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what support will be provided to businesses in Argyll and Bute that have been impacted by damage as a result of Storm Babet, in light of reports of around half being unable to reopen and a cumulative financial deficit of nearly £1.3 million.
Answer
We recognise the significant impact on people, businesses and communities in areas affected by storm Babet. The Scottish Government is committed to playing its part in helping them through this horrible experience which has destroyed so many people’s property and belongings.
The Storm Babet Ministerial taskforce was established to co-ordinate the Scottish Government’s support of local recovery efforts. Initial focus has been on the worst affected areas; ones that had an exceptionally rare red warning for rain during October’s storm, and especially Angus, which provisionally experienced its wettest day since 1891.
The Taskforce has developed a package of support to assist Scotland’s Councils deal with the immediate recovery as well as consider longer term issues such as repairing infrastructure. This package includes initiating the Bellwin Scheme to help all Councils cover eligible expenditure for urgent repairs; grants for farmers affected by severe flooding in parts of Scotland to help repair man-made flood banks; and Flood Recovery Grants to be administered by eligible Local Authorities to assist people whose homes and businesses have been flooded.
This support is in addition to Scotland’s longer-term investment in flood resilience, where we have committed £150m over the course of this Parliament to deliver improved flood resilience, in addition to the £42m provided annually to councils for flood resilience through the general capital grant.
This flood response sits alongside our ongoing work to support Scotland’s businesses. The Scottish Government has committed up to £25 million to develop the Argyll and Bute economy over the next 10 years through the regional growth deal. Projects supported through the deal will support the development of skills, infrastructure and innovation in key industry sectors like marine tourism and aquaculture to create skilled jobs and attract investment’. Local authorities also have wide-ranging powers to create rates relief schemes to reflect local needs.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many WTE training posts were not created in relation to the £3 million saving from the reprofiling of the Health workforce - Expansion Posts budget line, as set out in the letter of 21 November 2023 from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance to the Finance and Public Administration Committee.
Answer
The number of Expansion Posts created in 2023 was not impacted by the reprofiling of the Health Workforce Expansion Posts budget line, as set out in the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance to the Finance and Public Administration Committee of 21 November 2023. The number of postgraduate specialty training expansion posts to be added in 2023 was set by Scottish Ministers in late 2022, on the basis of recommendations from the Scottish Shape of Training Transitions Group.
The Expansion Posts budget line was reprofiled in 2023, following the budget setting process for the 2023-24 financial year. The number of specialty training expansion posts being recruited to was not amended as a result of the reprofiling of this budget line. The budget was reprofiled in accordance with the application of directorate savings targets in the 2023-24 financial year; £3 million was the savings target for Health Workforce, with the saving being applied to the Expansion Posts line for budgeting and accounting purposes. The savings target was applied to this line as historically the forecast budget for Expansion Posts has exceeded actual costs incurred in year.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 7 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the reported growing demand for more intensive palliative care interventions.
Answer
As part of work being undertaken to develop the new palliative care strategy, we are working with Public Health Scotland to get a better understanding of population-level palliative care needs now and in the future, both nationally and locally.
We are working with local health and social care partnerships to identify how best we can support a local population based approach to palliative care, so that everyone can access specialist and general palliative care as needed by each person, whatever their illness or condition.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 21 November 2023 from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance to the Finance and Public Administration Committee, what the total Primary Care Reform and Delivery budget was in 2023-24, and which parts of the Primary Care Reform and Delivery budget in 2023-24 have experienced “reductions, slippage and reprofiling”.
Answer
The Primary Care Reform and Delivery Budget total was £262,500,000 in 2023-2024.
Reductions, slippage and reprofiling has taken place across a variety of programmes focused on GP workforce, sustainability, rural healthcare, data and digital improvements.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 7 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the finding by Marie Curie that, by 2040, 60,000 people will be estimated to die with palliative care needs in Scotland.
Answer
We are developing a new palliative care strategy to achieve the very highest standards of care right up to the end of life, and to ensure high-quality palliative care wherever and whenever it is needed.
As part of work being undertaken to develop the strategy, we are working with Public Health Scotland to get a better understanding of population-level palliative care needs, now and in the future. This includes consideration of the research that has been carried out by Marie Curie.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set up a committee to examine the reported rising excess death rate in Scotland, in light of data from the National Records of Scotland showing that 3,255 excess deaths have taken place in 2023 so far.
Answer
A Mortality Special Interest Group (SIG) currently exists with a remit to monitor and analyse mortality trends in Scotland. This is a collaborative group chaired by Public Health Scotland (PHS) and includes representation from key organisations including the Scottish Government, National Records of Scotland and representation from Directors of Public Health.
More information on the Mortality SIG can be found on the PHS website .
There are currently no plans for the Scottish Government to set up any further committees or groups on excess deaths.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don on 6 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce stigma and discrimination against care experienced adults.
Answer
We know through the views and experiences shared during the Independent Care Review that care experienced people can often feel stigmatised. Through the Each & Every Child initiative, we are working to shift public attitudes towards families, children and adults who are in care, leaving care or are care experienced. We also work alongside partners such as The Promise Scotland and Who Cares? Scotland to build on the aims set out in The Promise and broaden our understanding of, and to challenge, the stigma faced by Care Experienced people in the community.
On 23 November, the Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise announced that we will launch a consultation in Spring 2024 to inform development of a universal and inclusive definition of care experience. We will explore how this definition can best be reflected in relevant legislation to ensure a consistent and respectful use of this language.