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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: S6W-29980

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 1 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the current average waiting time is for cataract surgery across Scotland.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) uses the national waiting times datamart to collect electronic patient records covering the waits that patients experience waiting for treatment as an inpatient or day case under the Treatment Time Guarantee. This data source can be used routinely to identify the specialty of treatment. However, these records are unable to accurately capture procedural level data.

More detailed information on the procedure(s) that is planned or undertaken for a patient will be held locally by NHS Boards.

Although we are unable to provide procedural level data, the latest data for inpatient or day-case admission for ophthalmology is provided for reference.

Inpatient or Day case Admission: Waiting Times for Admissions

NHS Scotland, Ophthalmology, up to Month ending 30 June 2024

		Quarter ending
NHS Board of treatment	Indicator	30-Jun-24

NHS Scotland	Admissions	13 970
	Median (days)	57
	90th percentile (days)	313
	Of which: Waits over 12 weeks	5 521
	Of which: Waits within 12 weeks (%)	60.5

Source: Stage of treatment waiting times - Inpatients, day cases and new outpatients quarter ending 30 June 2024 - NHS waiting times - stage of treatment - Publications - Public Health Scotland

Question reference: S6W-29994

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 26 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29408 by Gillian Martin on 17 September 2024, when it anticipates that it will resolve the technical issues impacting the Scottish Energy Statistics Hub, and when these technical issues were first identified.

In November 2023 Scottish Government statisticians identified technical issues with the automatic data processing and updating of some of the data sources on the Energy Statistics Hub. This affected the formatted display of some of the figures and charts on the hub. Work is continuing to resolve the issue and updates are being processed as quickly as possible.

Updates to the underlying data sources and publication of Scotland's quarterly energy statistics are unaffected and there has been no delay in the quarterly publication of any of the Scottish Government’s energy statistics. The next Energy Statistics Quarterly publication is on Thursday 26 September 2024.

Key energy statistics are published on the Scottish Government website.

Question reference: S6W-29887

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an updated timeline for the roll-out of body-worn cameras to all Police Scotland officers.

The introduction of Body Worn Video is a priority for Police Scotland, and it is working to introduce it as soon as possible. The decision on how and when to roll out body-worn video is a matter for the Chief Constable with oversight provided by the Scottish Police Authority.

The Chief Constable and senior colleagues provided an update to the SPA Board on 22 August, assuring the Authority that progress is being driven at pace given the complexities of the programme. They highlighted their expectation that the devices will begin to be deployed on roll-out from Spring 2025 for the first tranche of over 10,000 officers and staff. This will be followed by a coordinated, sequenced roll-out thereafter for all other relevant officers and staff. The Chief Constable informed the Criminal Justice Committee on 11 September that she would update the Committee on specific timings when she is able to do so.

Question reference: S6W-29797

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27210 by Angela Constance on 13 May 2024, whether two prisoners are ever required to share a cell against the recommendation of the Cell Sharing Risk Assessment.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

A Cell Sharing Risk Assessment (CSRA) is conducted on every occasion where two (or more) individuals are required to share one cell.

A CSRA provides a generic assessment of the suitability for individuals to share cells with an option for additional detail and context regarding identified risks to be recorded. Once complete, the CSRA assessment will be used to make an informed decision on the individual’s suitability to share cells, based on known risk and operational necessity.

Individuals will never knowingly be asked to share a cell when it is in direct conflict with what has been recorded in the CSRA.

Question reference: S6W-29796

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27210 by Angela Constance on 13 May 2024, on how many occasions two prisoners have been required to share a cell against the recommendation of a Cell Sharing Risk Assessment, in each year since the introduction of the current Cell Sharing Risk Assessment framework, also broken down by prison.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29797 on 19 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6W-29541

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the electrification of Intercity passenger routes between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness to be complete.

The Scottish Government is committed to decarbonising its passenger rail network and is continuing with the rolling programme of electrification as funding permits.

This is set out in Transport Scotland’s Decarbonisation Action Plan, which is planned as a dynamic document, with a refresh of the Plan underway. The refresh will examine the electrification programme, informed by progress with rolling stock procurement.

Question reference: S6W-29542

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to removing all diesel passenger trains from the Scottish network by 2035.

Question reference: S6W-29543

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan.

The route from Glasgow to Barrhead was electrified in December 2023. Electrification from Glasgow to East Kilbride is due to complete in December 2025. Plans to decarbonise the Fife Circle and Borders are in development.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27663 on 3 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6W-29408

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when data beyond 2021-22 will be made available on the Scottish Energy Statistics Hub.

The Scottish Energy Statistics Hub is an interactive tool which compiles data from over 70 different sources with different time lags for each data source. The Hub currently contains data beyond 2021-22, such as renewable electricity projects within the planning system in Scotland which is available up to and including the first quarter of 2024.

Due to technical issues there is currently a delay in updating statistics on the Hub. However, key energy statistics are published on the Scottish Government website.

Question reference: S6O-03734

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to explore the feasibility of an islands scholarship to support higher education students studying in Scotland’s islands.