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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: S6O-03061

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress against the five fair work benchmarks in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

Question reference: S6W-24342

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 30 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been saved from the revised and delayed National Care Service proposal, and how much of that money has been ringfenced for reinvestment in social care.

From a funding perspective there was no funding committed to the National Care Service as a result of the original Financial Memorandum, its purpose was only to show, as a result of the Bill, the potential additionality of cost that could be incurred were the Bill to progress as introduced. This is also the case for the revision to the Financial Memorandum and the associated Shared Accountability costing.

The commitment to increase social care funding by at least £840 million over this Parliament has been surpassed 2 years early, with funding for social care increasing by over £1 billion compared to 2021-22. Furthermore, the 2024-25 draft Budget supports services with investment of over £2 billion to support health and social care integration.

Despite increased investment and vision of the National Care Service, it is noted that the system is under extreme pressure as a result of the ongoing impacts of Covid, Brexit and inflation. We will continue to work with partners across health and social to address these challenges and to take forward the reform that is essential for delivery of financially, environmentally and socially sustainable services for the people of Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-24341

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 30 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how paying social care staff £12 per hour is consistent with the aims of the Fair Work agenda, in light of this level of pay reportedly contributing to a level of gender pay inequality.

The Scottish Government has a long-standing commitment to the principles of Fair-Work as we recognise and value the work that the social care sector do.

The £12 minimum pay-rate from April 2024 for Adult Social Care workers represents a 14.3% increase for these workers in the last two years; with pay rising from at least £10.50 per hour in April 2022.

Four out of five people who will benefit from this uplift in pay are women. Increasing pay not only helps the workforce in question but will also positively impact on our wider priorities on child poverty, Fair Work and post-Covid pandemic recovery in the health and care sector.

The creation of the National Care Service will help to provide consistency in further improved pay and conditions, access to training and development and ensuring a career in social care is attractive and rewarding – but we are beginning to make those improvements now .

Question reference: S6W-24330

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the planned elements of reform to the Agenda for Change pay structure will be (a) approved by the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care and (b) implemented.

I am delighted that both Staff Side and NHS Board representatives have worked in partnership with us to undertake an extensive review of the Agenda for Review framework, which included the existing pay structure.

I am now considering the recommendations of the review alongside the wider impact of any action we take and the budget that we need to operate within.

We will continue to engage fully with our partners on all aspects of the review, including next steps.

Question reference: S6F-02767

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 February 2024

To ask the First Minister when the Scottish Government expects the remainder of the National Treatment Centres to be opened, in light of reports that NHS capital infrastructure projects have been paused.

Question reference: S6W-24508

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 29 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly withdrawn funding support for the 2024-25 Mark Scott Leadership for Life Award.

Our block grant funding for this Budget is derived from the UK Government's spending decisions and has fallen by 1.2% in real terms since 2022-23 – a real terms drop of £0.5 billion. The reality is that the amount Scotland has available to spend is still largely driven by the block grant set by successive UK Governments whose constraint of public expenditure prolongs the austerity felt by public services. The Scottish Government has had to prioritise and align Justice portfolio budget decisions with the Vision for Justice. While there is significant pressure across all Scottish Government budgets in 2024/25, officials are continuing to engage portfolios across government to try and identify budgets whose objectives may be more clearly aligned to the Mark Scott Awards. We will provide an update to the Outward Bound Trust about the Mark Scott Awards when this process is complete.

Question reference: S6W-24551

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what public awareness campaigns it has planned regarding the use of medical associate professions across NHS Scotland.

Medical Associate Professions (MAPs) are not new professions and have been practising across the UK for 20 years. They are an important and valued part of the NHS Scotland workforce.

Guidance regarding ways in which MAPs communicate and engage with patients and the wider public, was issued by the Scottish Government to all Health Boards via a Director’s Letter in 2016.

A programme of work jointly led by the Scottish Government and NHS Education for Scotland, and supported by a Programme Board consisting of partners from across the healthcare system will consider the most appropriate means of public engagement in relation to any future plans for this workforce.

In addition, as part of an ongoing programme of stakeholder engagement it is our intention to host a number of workshops throughout 2024, providing an opportunity for a wide range of key stakeholders to engage in detailed discussion regarding key elements of this work.

Question reference: S6W-24550

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether any funding for training anaesthesia associates and physician associates is allocated from (a) the NHS Scotland workforce training budget or (b) a separate funding stream.

The Scottish Government does not currently directly fund training for physician associates or anaesthesia associates via the Health and Social Care Portfolio. Health Boards may choose to put in place local arrangements for staff to train as an anaesthesia associate through existing UK-based course provision, in line with their local workforce and operational plans.

We are working with NHS Education for Scotland to determine whether, and to what extent, we make investment in additional domestic training provision for medical associate professionals (MAPs), in order to strengthen future workforce supply in a way that is commensurate with our commitment to take a progressive and evidence-based approach to the expansion of MAP roles across NHS Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-24392

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 17 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what metrics will be used to consider the effectiveness of its short-term let licensing policy, and, consequently, what information it has requested from local authorities as part of this.

The Scottish Government and licensing authorities have agreed a specification for the collection of data relating to short-term let licensing applications. This is available to view at Short-term lets: data collection specification - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Quarterly statistics relating to this information were published on 30 August and 20 November 2023, which provide trends for short-term let licensing applications and licences including types of let, types of property, and the application status. It also shows the number of any licence applications refused and indicates the reason for the refusal, including if the applicant is not a fit and proper person or the premises is judged to be unsuitable. The next publication, covering the period 1 July to 30 September 2023, is expected to be published in April 2024.

The scope of an implementation update on short-term let licensing was shared with the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee on 27 October 2023. Short term lets 27 October 2023 | Scottish Parliament Website . We will provide the Committee with further information about our progress in due course.

Question reference: S6W-24331

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many women in the West Scotland region have had ovarian cancer surgery privately in each of the last five years.