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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: S5W-26372

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 22 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish School of Primary Care comment that it created "an integrated model of working that shows promise for addressing the inverse care law’", for what reason funding for the Govan SHIP project has been discontinued.

Question reference: S5W-26371

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce a practitioner health programme, similar to that in England.

A proposal, for bespoke practitioner support to help doctors suffering from mental illness and addictions is expected in the coming weeks from NHS Education Scotland. This will be fully considered by the Scottish Government, in the context of our ongoing efforts to improve the working lives of staff, across our health service.

Health Boards already provide a range of confidential services and initiatives to support all staff. These include employee assistance programmes, occupational health and counselling services, and pastoral support. These services take into account the challenges faced by health professionals. Scottish Government funding has also given blue light responders access to the Lifelines Scotland wellbeing programme.

Question reference: S5F-03729

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2019

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5W-26178

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when further information will be made available about the community wellbeing services that were announced in its Programme for Government.

The Scottish Government is jointly chairing a Children & Young People’s Mental Health & Wellbeing Programme Board in partnership with COSLA. The Board is currently developing a delivery framework for the community mental health and wellbeing services for children and young people announced in the Programme for Government. This work is nearing completion and arrangements to implement the framework will be announced shortly thereafter.

Question reference: S5W-26013

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 12 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how the additional £1 million allocated to supporting children experiencing food insecurity during school holidays will be spent.

Question reference: S5W-26012

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 11 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Healthy Body Image for Children and Young People Advisory Group will publish an interim report on its findings.

Question reference: S5W-25782

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 6 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by (a) job title and (b) NHS board of the 80 new Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) staff employed through the £4 million given to the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Task Force.

As a result of the £4 million made available to recruit additional Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) staff across Scotland, funding was allocated to recruit 85.65 whole time equivalents. A breakdown of the posts by job title and NHS board is as follows;

Health Board	Whole Time Equivalent
Ayrshire and Arran	5.50
Borders	2.20
Dumfries and Galloway	2.00
Fife	6.80
Forth Valley	3.40
Greater Glasgow & Clyde	19.05
Grampian	9.80
Highland	5.83
Lanarkshire	7.17
Lothian	16.30
Orkney	0.50
Shetland	0.40
Tayside	6.00
Western Isles	0.70
Grand Total	85.65

Job Title	Whole Time Equivalent
Nursing	42.42
Psychology	20.90
Allied Health Professionals	9.20
Administration	7.03
Psychiatry	3.80
Medical	1.00
Other	0.80
Pharmacist	0.50
Grand Total	85.65

An update on progress towards recruitment is expected to be published in winter 2019-20.

Health Board	Whole Time Equivalent
Ayrshire and Arran	5.50
Borders	2.20
Dumfries and Galloway	2.00
Fife	6.80
Forth Valley	3.40
Greater Glasgow & Clyde	19.05
Grampian	9.80
Highland	5.83
Lanarkshire	7.17
Lothian	16.30
Orkney	0.50
Shetland	0.40
Tayside	6.00
Western Isles	0.70
Grand Total	85.65

Job Title	Whole Time Equivalent
Nursing	42.42
Psychology	20.90
Allied Health Professionals	9.20
Administration	7.03
Psychiatry	3.80
Medical	1.00
Other	0.80
Pharmacist	0.50
Grand Total	85.65

Question reference: S5W-26007

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 6 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to build on current infant feeding services with the aim of reducing the drop-off in breastfeeding rates at six to eight weeks by 10% by 2025, as expressed in A Healthier Future - Scotland's Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan.

We are supporting breastfeeding services by providing additional investment of more than £2 million. This additional funding is enabling Health Boards and third sector partners to meet the cost of local and national initiatives and quality improvement projects specifically aimed at improving the breastfeeding experience for women and supporting them to breastfeed for longer.

The Infant Feeding statistics published on 29 October 2019 show an increase in any breastfeeding at 6-8 weeks from 42% in 2017-18 to 43% in 2018-19. They also show an increase in babies ever being breastfed, from 64% in 2017-18 to 65% in 2018-19.

Question reference: S5W-26010

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 6 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to upskill frontline staff to support parents and carers when making decisions about their child’s diet and nutrition, as outlined in A Healthier Future - Scotland's Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan.

Question reference: S5W-26009

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 6 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has consulted on a pre-conception action plan, as outlined in A Healthier Future - Scotland's Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan.

We are working with NHS Health Scotland to develop a pre-conception framework which will improve the information and support available to all women of child bearing age across Scotland, as well as their partners. The draft framework will focus on a range of factors associated with having a healthy pregnancy, birth and improving future child health. This will be available for consultation in the early part of 2020.