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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-15220

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when in late 2023 phase one of the medium-term solution for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful will begin.

Transport Scotland is currently developing a detailed programme and procurement strategy to deliver the improvements to the Old Military Road as quickly as possible. It is expected that these works will be carried out on a phased basis starting later this year. Once this work is complete I will share with the A83 Taskforce the estimated timescale for delivering Phase 1 of the medium-term solution. I share the urgency communities and businesses place in maintaining and improving connectivity of this vital route, and remain absolutely committed to ensuring continuity of access to Argyll and Bute so that the region remains open for business.

Question reference: S6W-14784

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13023 by Jenny Gilruth on 9 January 2023, when it will fulfil its commitment to reduce train journey times between Inverness and Edinburgh to 2 hours 45 minutes, as referred to in the original question.

Transport Scotland, alongside industry partners, is exploring options for lengthening passing loops on the line to enable longer and more frequent freight and passenger services.

Enabling the transfer of freight traffic, particularly from the adjacent A9 to the Highland Main Line, will produce significant carbon savings and improve safety and traffic flow on the A9.

We will fund the infrastructure enhancements necessary to produce further journey time savings on the Highland Main Line once a robust business case has been established for this expenditure.

Question reference: S6O-02033

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to protect the culture of the Highlands and Islands.

Question reference: S6W-15218

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the medium-term solution for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful will allow free-flowing, two-way traffic.

The objective of the medium-term solution is to provide a safe, proportionate and more resilient diversion route for use if the A83 is closed. The improvements to the Old Military Road will improve the resilience of the diversion route, reduce journey times, are the quickest to implement, of relatively lower cost and would have the least impacts overall across the range of criteria assessed.

These improvements include proposals to extend the length of single carriageway (i.e. two way lane road), subject to obtaining necessary statutory planning approvals. However, a length of the single lane Old Military Road will remain unchanged at the western end, including the hairpin bends. This was communicated when the medium term solution announcement was published on the Transport Scotland website on 23 December 2022.

Question reference: S6W-14872

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is (a) in the Highlands and Islands and (b) nationally for rheumatology patients to receive treatment by homecare medicines services.

The average time to onboard a patient to a homecare service varies by homecare provider. Within the Service Level Agreements with the homecare providers, a minimum of 5 business days is required between the provider receiving the registration documents and prescription for the patient and first delivery. Delivery may take slightly longer to areas of the Highlands and Islands due to the remoteness of the locations, although this varies by homecare provider. If treatment is required to be started more urgently than the homecare provider can deliver, then initial supplies can be made locally to patients through hospital pharmacies before the homecare service is set up.

Question reference: S6W-14873

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in the last two years, (a) how many times and (b) for what length of time NHS Scotland has taken action to ensure that homecare medicines services return to the agreed standards.

NHS National Procurement in partnership with the Health Boards are responsible for the provision of medicine homecare services and have met with affected providers on a weekly basis over a 12 month period to address services provision and monitor return to good service levels.

When service problems arise, through performance management arrangements linked to service level agreement and contracts, there is work with providers to agree an action plan and then closely monitoring delivery of performance improvements against that plan until service levels return to agreed standards.

Question reference: S6W-15217

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the long-term solution for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful will begin during the current parliamentary session.

Delivery of a permanent and resilient solution to the landslip risks at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful is a priority and we continue to seek ways to achieve that as quickly as possible, noting that all of the options require complex civil engineering.

Transport Scotland continues to take forward the necessary design and assessment work at pace with a view to announcing a preferred route option this Spring. Following this further detailed design and assessment work on the preferred option, including an Environmental Impact Assessment, is required before we can complete the necessary statutory planning process to allow any land to be acquired and the project constructed.

Delivery of the long-term solution can only commence if it is approved under the relevant statutory planning process and thereafter a timetable for its progress can be set. We will continue to progress the necessary design work as a priority with a view to commencing work on the ground during the current parliamentary term subject to timely completion of the statutory process.

We are dutybound to properly follow the correct statutory planning process which rightly includes consultation with communities, landowners and others with a direct interest in the scheme. However, Transport Scotland continues to explore methods to reduce the timescales of each stage of the project, where possible, and progress work at pace on this essential project.

Question reference: S6W-14871

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of how the reported effect of inflation on staff (a) salary and (b) vacancy levels may be impacting the (i) performance and (ii) safety of homecare medicines services.

Question reference: S6W-14870

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns raised by the British Society for Rheumatology regarding patients experiencing delays to receiving and starting vital medications, what its position is on whether homecare medicines services are safe and fit for purpose.

Scottish Government is aware of recent difficulties experienced by some homecare providers. NHS National Procurement in partnership with Health Boards have worked closely with the homecare providers to improve service performance. All homecare providers are now demonstrating improved service levels.

Medicines homecare providers must demonstrate that they can meet the standards for registered pharmacies set by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). The standards are designed to create and maintain the right environment for the safe and effective practice of pharmacy and to improve the quality and safety of services provided to patients and the public. The GPhC inspect registered pharmacies to seek assurances that the standards are being met. Depending on the range of services provided, medicines homecare providers may also be registered with additional regulators such as the Care Inspectorate and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Question reference: S6W-15474

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when any remaining funding will be released to local authorities to allow them to fulfil the Scottish National Party manifesto commitment to issue every pupil in Scotland with an electronic device.

We are committed to ensuring that every school-aged child has access to a device to support their learning by the end of this parliament in 2026.

We have already provided £25m to local authorities, which supported the purchase of 72,000 devices and 14,000 internet connections for school children across Scotland.

The Capital Spending Review, published May 2022, set out high level spending plans for capital and provided an indicative allocation of £140 million to support the rollout of digital devices.

The budget published in December 2022 allocated £13 million budget for 2023/24. We will continue to develop delivery plans in partnership with Cosla and local authorities, including phasing and funding options for this commitment.