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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: S6O-02460

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to support the tourism sector.

Question reference: S6W-20440

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it expects the data on the operation of the 2022-23 Young Patients Family Fund to be published.

Data in relation to the Young Patients Family Fund is not routinely published however, latest information for 2022-23 shows that 8,415 claims were submitted under YPFF and that this equated to 3,740 young inpatients being claimed for.

This information was provided in answer to parliamentary question S6W-17130 on 17 May 2023 on and it continues to be the latest position with 13 of 14 territorial Health Boards having provided relevant information to the Scottish Government. NHS Borders are yet to provide a YPFF data return for 2022-23 and the Scottish Government is working with them to ensure 2022-23 data is recorded appropriately.

Question reference: S6W-20441

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-17128 and S6W-18949 by Jenni Minto on 2 May 2023 and 21 June 2023 respectively, whether it will provide an update regarding what the average amount was claimed through the Young Patients Family Fund in 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-20442

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-17129 and S6W-18948 by Jenni Minto on 2 May 2023 and 21 June 2023 respectively, whether it will provide an update regarding what percentage of applications to the Young Patients Family Fund has resulted in the award being granted in 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-18619

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 28 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly informed the Drug Research Network Scotland that its funding would be halved at a time when drug-related deaths remain high in Scotland.

In establishing the Drug Research Network Scotland (DRNS) in 2017 the intention was to provide seed funding through the Scottish Funding Council to allow the network to develop and become self-sufficient through developing other income streams with associated research co-ordination fees. Initially this was agreed for a period of 3 years and was then extended for a further 3 years.

Whilst Scottish Government recognise that a model of full self-sufficiency is not a viable option for the network, officials worked with DRNS to explore a number of funding options. Within the context of a challenging economic situation, it was considered that the DRNS was now an established network and could therefore focus on knowledge exchange and capacity building within the drug research community whilst continuing to develop and maintain connections across the research community.

Question reference: S6W-18620

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 28 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the value of research carried out by the Drug Research Network Scotland.

The aims of the DRNS are not to carry out research but to to develop a Scottish drugs research strategy to build capacity, maximise research investment and deliver robust, high-quality research evidence to inform policy and practice relevant to problem drug use and recovery in Scotland. As well as facilitating collaboration across Scotland, they also develop links with leading researchers elsewhere in the UK and in other countries.

We recognise the value of this work which is why we have continued to support them beyond their initial seed funding stage.

Question reference: S6W-20416

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what involvement it has in scrutinising the complaints procedure within NHS boards.

Overall responsibility and accountability for the management of NHS complaints lies with individual Boards’ Chief Executives, Executive Directors and appropriate senior management.

The NHS Model Complaints Handling Procedure (CHP) has been in operation across Scotland since 1 April 2017. The CHP introduced nine complaints performance indicators, three qualitative and six quantitative. These performance indicators are set out in The Patient Rights (Feedback, Comments, Concerns and Complaints) (Scotland) Directions 2017.

NHS Boards have a legal duty to publish their feedback and complaints reports annually and to submit these to the Scottish Ministers, Public Health Scotland, the Patient Advice and Support Service, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and, where appropriate, the Scottish Prison Service. National complaints statistics are published annually by Public Health Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-20415

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the target timescales for NHS boards' handling of complaints at stage 1 and stage 2.

We are committed to openness and transparency in an NHS that welcomes all forms of feedback and uses it to inform continuous improvement. The current NHS Model Complaints Handling Procedure (CHP) has been in operation across Scotland since 1 April 2017.

This revised procedure is intended to support a more consistently person-centred approach to complaints handling across NHS Scotland. It brings a much sharper focus to the early, local resolution of complaints, wherever that is appropriate.

The timescales for handling complaints, set out in the CHP, are in line with all public sector organisations’ complaints procedures in Scotland, with a distinct, five working day stage for early, local resolution, ahead of the 20-working day stage for complaint investigations. There are no plans to review the timescales.

Question reference: S6W-20134

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any specific funding was provided for the cleaning of the air conditioning systems at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, and, if so, how much was allocated.

Question reference: S6W-20124

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on whether any risk assessment was undertaken in respect of any potential corrosion of cadmium piping at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, and the possibility of a carcinogenic being released as a result of any such corrosion.