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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

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Question reference: S6W-30962

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 11 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29907 by Dorothy Bain on 26 September 2024, how many contracts and service level agreements for pathology and mortuary services the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has; whether all contracts and service level agreements require pathologists to meet with the nearest relatives if they wish to discuss the post mortem examination findings; what training pathologists are given to ensure that, when they meet with the nearest relatives to discuss the post mortem examination findings, information is provided “in a respectful and sensitive manner”; what checks are in place to ensure that (a) pathology training standards are maintained and (b) practitioners are kept up to date with best practice; which organisation oversees training standards in pathology and their uniformity across Scotland; what the terms of reference are for the Death Investigation Improvement Board, and who the members are; what plans COPFS has to engage with service users, regarding reported experiences of service delivery, to inform the Death Investigation Improvement Board; what the current metrics in Scotland show in relation to the experiences reported in the independent review of the forensic pathology response to the Hillsborough disaster, and what metrics are planned to enable (i) comparable and (ii) more accurate measurement of performance in Scotland compared with (A) that reported in the independent review of the forensic pathology response to the Hillsborough disaster and (B) international best practice.

COPFS has 16 contracts and service level agreements in place for pathology mortuary and toxicology services across Scotland.

All pathology agreements require pathologists to discuss post mortem findings with bereaved relatives if requested. Their assistance is invaluable to relatives seeking to understand the circumstances of their loved one’s death and is greatly appreciated by COPFS.

All doctors receive undergraduate medical school education in patient communication. This continues into forensic pathology training and consultancy when meeting with families to discuss post mortem findings. All doctors are expected to work within the standards set out by the General Medical Council for good medical practice.

The Royal College of Pathologists and NHS Education for Scotland oversee training standards in pathology and their uniformity across Scotland.

The purpose of the Death Investigation Improvement Board is to take forward three key areas for improvement in the death investigation system – (i) raising public awareness of the death investigation service, sharing lessons learned to reduce the incidence of avoidable deaths, (ii) providing bereaved relatives with the timeous provision of information they need to ensure they can effectively participate in the process and (iii) reducing the journey time for concluding death investigations, including FAIs.

The Board is chaired by the Deputy Crown Agent, Specialist Casework and its membership has representatives from each of the specialist death investigation units, Communications and Business Management.

The Board has a number of ongoing workstreams, including the creation of a Lived Experience Advisory Panel to enable participants with experience of the death investigation process to help inform improvements to the process by providing independent advice to the Board on issues such as the provision of information to relatives.

COPFS regularly meets and engages with pathology providers on a range of issues, including communication with bereaved relatives. These also allow discussion on any feedback received. Consideration is being given to the terms of the review and any further appropriate measures to be put in place.

Question reference: S6O-03881

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-29907

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 26 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the findings of the independent review of the forensic pathology response to the Hillsborough disaster, conducted by forensic science expert, Glenn Taylor, which identified seven areas for reform, what further action forensic pathology services in Scotland can take to ensure that they engage and communicate in ways that properly understand what families coming into contact with them are experiencing.

COPFS has contracts and service level agreements with universities, local authorities, Scottish Police Authority and the NHS for pathology mortuary and toxicology services across Scotland to allow the discharge of our death investigation duties.

As part of those agreements, pathologists will meet with nearest relatives if they wish to discuss their post mortem examination findings. In our experience, these discussions are of great assistance to families in understanding what happened to their loved ones and pathologists are experienced at providing that information in a respectful and sensitive manner.

We are reviewing those agreements with all service providers and the report’s findings will be taken into account in our discussions.

COPFS ensures that nearest relatives are kept informed of decisions in relation to a post mortem and are offered a copy of the pathologist’s report if they wish.

We have also established a Death Investigation Improvement Board and work is ongoing to improve the quality and level of information provided to nearest relatives in the early stages of the investigation, including what is involved in the post mortem examination process.

Question reference: S6O-03719

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to invest in supporting youth culture in the Cunninghame South constituency.

Question reference: S6O-03657

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the contribution that housebuilding makes to the Scottish economy.

Question reference: S6W-28502

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 July 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Angela Constance on 9 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to respond to reported concerns by bereaved families and victim organisations regarding media coverage of child homicide victims.

I committed to publishing a public consultation on this issue during the passage of the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill and following engagement with bereaved families and hosting a roundtable involving victims organisations, media representatives and others.

The consultation is now open and was published on 9 July 2024, will run for
‎ 12 weeks until 1 October, and will provide an opportunity to contribute to future policy approaches to this sensitive, complex and emotive issue. A link to the consultation paper is provided here: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836014812

Question reference: S6O-03493

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

Question reference: S6O-03465

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the fourth National Planning Framework specifically in relation to revocation of the Special Development Order at the Ardeer peninsula.

Question reference: S6O-03413

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how a public health approach to justice can reduce crime and make communities safer.

Question reference: S6O-03278

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many citizens, including residents of the Cunninghame South constituency, have accessed free public transport through the national concessionary scheme in the last year.