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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-10131

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what advice and support the Never Use Alone phone line, run by the charity We Are With You, provides.

The Never Use Alone phone line is a number that an individual can call when they are about to use drugs alone. The staff will ask for some basic information before the person uses, including: what you want to be called; the number you are calling from, so the operator can call back if cut-off; an exact location and how emergency service could gain access; and what substance the individual is about to take. If that individual stops responding after they have taken the substance, the operator will notify emergency services of the location and possible overdose, so a medical professional can get to them as quickly as possible.

Additional information provided through the service includes: details about local drug services, including injecting equipment provision and information about accessing same-day prescribing; information about postal naloxone (provided through Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol); and other support services such as mental health and housing. All callers are treated with respect and in a non-judgmental way.

The dedicated WAWY service co-ordinator has also conducted awareness raising, information and harm reduction sessions with a range of Alcohol and Drug Partnership services, prevention and overdose response teams, residential treatment services, homelessness services, needle exchanges and recovery cafes. These have taken place all across Glasgow, Paisley and the Ayrshires.

Question reference: S6W-10130

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have used the Never Use Alone phone line, run by the charity We Are With You, since its launch, and, of those, how many have been referred to (a) drug treatment services and (b) other forms of support.

From November 2021 to 1 July 2022, and from the 3 areas used in the initial pilot (Glasgow and North and South Ayrshire), there have been:

•102 calls to the line in total - 38 were outside opening hours, 24 chose to hang up before speaking with an advisor.

•40 calls were answered

•23 of these calls resulted in a supervised consumption, (70% injected or smoked heroin, 20% injected or smoked cocaine).

•None of the calls required the intervention of emergency services

Everyone who accessed the service was offered a link to drug treatment services. All of those who used the supervised consumption element of the phone line were already engaged with drug treatment services.

Everyone who called the service was offered postal naloxone and injecting equipment provision (IEP). Postal naloxone was requested by 8% of people who called the phone line and this was provided in every case.

Referrals were also made to: mental health support (3%); homelessness/housing support (3%); other support (13%). Foodbank information was also supplied to 10% of callers .

Question reference: S6W-10208

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the 1,330 drug-related deaths recorded in 2021, in how many of these cases were toxicology results outstanding after (a) one month (b) three months (c) six months (d) nine months, (e) 12 months and (f) 15 months, broken down by (i) alcohol and drug partnership and (ii) NHS board.

All toxicology results relating to drugs-related deaths recorded in 2021 were reported within 9 months of receipt of the sample, with 2 cases being reported within one month; 1,313 cases within 1 to 3 months; 9 cases within 3 to 6 months; and one case within 6 to 9 months. There were no results outstanding after 9 months. Cases are recorded by Procurator Fiscal Area. The incidence of the cases have been mapped on to NHS Boards and Alcohol & Drugs Partnerships areas as set out in the following table.

No. of cases reported within 1 month of receipt	No. of cases reported within 3 months of receipt	No. of cases reported within 3 to 6 months of receipt	No. of cases reported within 6 to 9 months of receipt	Procurator Fiscal Area	Alcohol & Drugs Partnerships	NHS Board
	29			Ayr	South Ayrshire	NHS Ayrshire & Arran
	1			Campbeltown	Argyll & Bute	NHS Highland
	32			Dumbarton	West Dunbartonshire	NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
1	33	1		Dumfries	Dumfries & Galloway	NHS Dumfries & Galloway
	64			Dundee	Dundee City	NHS Tayside
	4			Dunoon	Argyll & Bute	NHS Highland
	169	4	1	Edinburgh	City of Edinburgh	NHS Lothian
	81			Falkirk	Falkirk	NHS Forth Valley
	20			Forfar	Angus	NHS Tayside
	78			Glasgow Central West (A) Division	Glasgow City	NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
	186			Glasgow East (E) Division	Glasgow City	NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
	110	2		Glasgow South (G) Division	Glasgow City	NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
	15			Greenock	Inverclyde	NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
	158			Hamilton	South Lanarkshire	NHS Lanarkshire
	11			Jedburgh	Borders	NHS Borders
	85			Kirkcaldy	Fife	NHS Fife
	89			Kilmarnock	East Ayrshire	NHS Ayrshire & Arran
	44			Livingston	West Lothian	NHS Lothian
	3	1		Oban	Argyll & Bute	NHS Highland
1	60	1		Paisley	Renfrewshire	NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
	21			Perth	Perth & Kinross	NHS Tayside
	10			Selkirk	Borders	NHS Borders
	10			Stranraer	Dumfries & Galloway	NHS Borders
2	1,313	9	1	Total

Question reference: S6O-01161

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is responding to the findings of the evaluation of the Small Business Bonus Scheme that it commissioned, which was carried out by the Fraser of Allander Institute.

Question reference: S6O-01099

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with the Levenmouth Rail Link, including the planned reopening date.

Question reference: S6W-08008

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement the reported upcoming UK Government’s Alcohol Treatment Guidance; if it does, whether this implementation will be supported by a framework of standards, and, if so, how, and against which indicators will outcomes be monitored in order to ensure improvement.

We are committed to ensuring that alcohol treatment in Scotland is consistent and of high quality. We are supporting the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, which has been leading on the development of new UK-wide clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment.

We expect the draft guidance to be published for consultation this year. We will work with our partners to ensure that it is suitable for Scotland and how the guidance could be implemented effectively and consistently across the country.

The forthcoming UK clinical guidelines will act as a platform to develop alcohol specific treatment targets. The intention would be that these would launch in 2024.

Question reference: S6W-07987

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 08 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the career development of highly-skilled clinical researchers.

The Chief Scientist Office as part of the Scottish Government provides fellowship schemes to support the career development of health researchers within Scotland. Details are available from the CSO website. Fellowships – Chief Scientist Office (scot.nhs.uk)

Clinical Academic Fellowship Scheme

This scheme is for clinical professionals early in their career to obtain a PhD. The eligibility for this includes medics in training, GP’s, Nurses, Midwives, Allied Health Professionals and health care scientists.

Early Postdoctoral Scheme

An early postdoctoral scheme which will provide 3 years of funding to health researchers with less than 2 years postdoctoral research experience. This is open to both clinical and non-clinical researchers who are proposing projects within CSO’s overall remit of early translational (experimental medicine), clinical and applied health research and social care.

NES/CSO Lectureship Scheme

A joint scheme run with NHS Education Scotland (NES) for speciality medics in training who have completed a PhD. This scheme provides 50% research time while they complete their training.

NRS Career Researcher Fellowships

This scheme has been running for over 10 years and supports GP’s and NHS-funded clinical staff in developing a research career within their post. The award provides funding for protected time (2 sessions a week) to contribute to, conduct and lead clinical research.

Question reference: S6F-01059

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 May 2022

To ask the First Minister whether the Medication Assisted Treatment Standards have been fully embedded across Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-01041

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting Historic Environment Scotland to deliver its inspection programme, and related remedial works, on the condition of, and impact of climate change on, heritage sites.

Question reference: S6O-00929

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is targeting investment to improve services for people with problem alcohol use.