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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-29089

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 26 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many inspections of premises in Scotland with gambling licences have been carried out in each year since 2010.

Question reference: S6O-03627

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its humanitarian aid funding, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the distribution of humanitarian aid to Gaza, in light of recent developments, including Ireland, Spain and Norway’s recognition of the state of Palestine.

Question reference: S6O-03592

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken to consider the impact that Brexit has had on Scottish food and drink exports.

Question reference: S6O-03551

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to develop a Green Industrial Strategy, what discussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the role of hydrogen production in boosting economic growth.

Question reference: S6W-27575

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the monitoring and evaluation plan as a component of the HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan 2023-2026.

The monitoring and evaluation plan is being developed by Public Health Scotland (PHS). The first stage of this is for PHS to develop key indicators for monitoring progress. These are currently being drafted and PHS will be consulting on them shortly. Following this there will be further work to identify gaps in monitoring progress and address these. The finalised plan is expected to be published by the end of the financial year.

A new PHS-led blood borne virus and sexually transmitted infection dashboard is also scheduled for launch in 2024-25 which will help to monitor progress on elimination at national and NHS board level.

Question reference: S6W-27571

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what specific funding has been allocated to deliver the actions in the HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan 2023-2026.

The Scottish Government has confirmed a budget of around £1.7m per year to deliver the actions contained within the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus (SHBBV) Action Plan 2023-26. This includes a range of projects that support HIV transmission elimination, details of which were published with the SHBBV plan.

Within this, the Scottish Government has also provided funding for the national HIV anti-stigma campaign (£250,000 in 2022-23), the development of an ePrEP clinic (£400,000 in 2022-23), emergency department opt-out testing pilots (£145,000), online postal self-sampling for STIs and HIV (£119,000 in 2023-24, and £300,000 per year allocated in 2024-25 and 2025-26) and the Terrence Higgins Trust HIV self-test service (around £100,000 per year).

Question reference: S6W-27572

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether local projects will be eligible for funding to achieve the aims of the HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan 2023-2026.

An open bidding process was issued in 2023 for projects to support delivery of the Scottish Government’s sexual health and blood borne virus goals. The successful projects were published alongside the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Action Plan and include a number of local initiatives which contribute to the aims of the HIV Transmission Elimination (HIVTE) Delivery Plan. Further funding for some actions within the HIVTE plan is still to be finalised.

Question reference: S6W-27570

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider extending the current HIV and blood borne virus testing pilot from three months to one year.

The Scottish Government has no immediate plans to expand emergency department opt-out blood borne virus testing beyond the current three-month pilots. It is important that decisions about any further expansion are based on the best available evidence.

A review will be undertaken once all three areas have completed their pilot projects and local evaluations later this summer. However, decisions about further interventions will also be informed by the findings of a Scottish Government-funded research project aimed at identifying optimal approaches to testing to reduce undiagnosed blood borne viruses, which are expected in spring 2025.

Question reference: S6O-03538

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its cross-government support for learning disabilities, autism and neurodiversity, what discussions the education secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how its proposed Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill will help people into work.

Question reference: S6W-27574

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing mandatory HIV awareness training and education for health and social care staff.

As part of the HIV Transmission Elimination (HIVTE) Delivery Plan, the Scottish Government has committed to developing a proposal to address HIV awareness across the health and social care sector. Funding has already been provided to NHS Education for Scotland to develop training materials for healthcare practitioners in non-HIV specialist roles and a specialist educator post has been funded to support the provision of training across Scotland. The HIVTE plan recognises that this work may require further expansion. We will work with relevant authorities to maximise uptake of training, and will consider whether NHS and local authorities should be encouraged to make this mandatory.