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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-17123

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure alignment between the expected renewed cancer strategy, which is overseen by the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, and the extant Children and Young People's Cancer Strategy, which is overseen by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer.

I am accountable to parliament for both strategies. A dedicated strategy to support young people with cancer, “Collaborative and Compassionate Cancer Care, The Cancer Strategy for Children and Young People in Scotland 2021-2026”, was published in 2021 and is the first NHS Scotland strategy for this age group.

The implementation and delivery of this strategy is supported by the Managed Service Network for children and young people with cancer (MSN CYPC), which was established to support the specialist delivery of cancer care and support required by children and young people with cancer.

The MSN has representation on various national groups which impact both adult and children cancer patients. In addition, Scottish Government officials sit on the MSN Executive groups to ensure direct alignment across both strategies.

Question reference: S6T-01364

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to avoid industrial action by junior doctors, in light of the decision in favour of action by almost 97% of BMA Scotland members who voted.

Question reference: S6W-17447

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason revised guidance on major NHS service changes has reportedly not been consulted on or published.

Question reference: S6W-17448

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any revised guidance on NHS service changes has been shared with Healthcare Improvement Scotland - Community Engagement, previously known as the Scottish Health Council, and, if so, when this took place.

A final draft of the updated version of Planning with People: Community engagement and participation guidance published in April 2023 was shared with Healthcare Improvement Scotland – Community Engagement in February 2023. The guidance is co-written with COSLA, and Healthcare Improvement Scotland were involved in the process.

As is stated in the updated version of Planning with People, the established principles and requirements for major service change decision-making process for NHS Boards, remain unchanged from those outlined in CEL 4 (2010).

Question reference: S6W-17132

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has made of the Child Disability Payment assessment and award process, whether any issues have been identified, including in relation to (a) process (i) delays and (ii) consistency and (b) the implementation of the Special Rules, and how it plans to address any such issues.

Social Security Scotland undertakes a broad and continuous programme of analysis of all aspects of the delivery of benefits, focussed on the live running performance of the system, client experience and evaluation of delivery.

Research on Early Experiences of Child Disability Payment was published in September 2022 and Client Survey research on Child Disability Payment on 8 March 2023. The next publication of Client Survey research on Child Disability Payment is scheduled for early summer.

The evaluation strategy for the benefit is in place and the first output will be published later this year. Analysis will focus on the impact of policy changes to supporting information.

This work informs Social Security Scotland’s approach to continuous improvement and the agency has used it to plan the action currently underway to improve processing times.

Question reference: S6W-17446

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the guidance on major NHS service changes is being revised, and, if so, what changes are being made.

Planning with People Community engagement and participation guidance contains guidance on major service change to NHS services. An updated version of Planning with People: community engagement and participation guidance was published on 21 April 2023 following consultation with service users and service providers in 2022. The findings of these consultations are included in Annex A of Planning with People. The decision-making process for NHS major service change as set out in this document is unchanged from previous guidance.

This guidance is also supported by documents published by Healthcare Improvement Scotland – Community Engagement, including the Quality Framework for Community Engagement and Participation .

Question reference: S6W-17131

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason families are reportedly experiencing delays of up to six months or more in being awarded Child Disability Payment, and what plans it has to urgently address any such delays.

Social Security Scotland’s most recent statistics show that the majority of people who have applied for Child Disability Payment received a decision within four months, although processing times vary from a few weeks to over six months or more. A key part of the application process, and a key difference from the Department for Work and Pensions’ service, is that Social Security Scotland can gather supporting information on behalf of clients. Whilst this process takes time, it allows Social Security Scotland to make robust decisions.

Work is underway to speed up processing times. This includes liaising with organisations who most often provide supporting information. For example, an option for GPs to upload supporting information online was recently introduced. In addition, work continues with clients and stakeholders to ensure they understand the kind of information needed to make decisions and how to provide this at the earliest opportunity.

Question reference: S6W-17127

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring (a) access to and (b) uptake of the Young Patients Family Fund broken down by (i) condition, (ii) age and (iii) NHS board area.

The Scottish Government requests annual data on overall Young Patient Family Fund claims from territorial Health Boards and this allows uptake and cost within each Board area to be tracked year-on-year. This includes detail on the type of claim being made.

We do not ask Health Boards to routinely collect data on patient condition as this is not part of the eligibility criteria for making a claim. Similarly, Health Boards are not asked to report on the age of the patient. As part of our routine monitoring we do however ask Health Boards to report on the number of young inpatients associated with claims who were admitted to neo-natal units.

Question reference: S6W-17429

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what services are planned for transfer from University Hospital Ayr to University Hospital Crosshouse in the next three years.

Question reference: S6W-17428

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what services have transferred from University Hospital Ayr to University Hospital Crosshouse, whether on a temporary or permanent basis, since January 2023.