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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-08667

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the Transvaginal Mesh Removal Reimbursement Scheme will be open for applications, and whether it will confirm the cut-off date for eligibility.

The Transvaginal Mesh Removal (Cost Reimbursement) (Scotland) Act 2022 (the 2022 Act) came fully into force on 3 May 2022. The 2022 Act gives powers to Scottish Ministers to make a scheme to reimburse women for the costs incurred in connection with qualifying mesh removal surgery.

The Transvaginal Mesh Removal Reimbursement Scheme 2022 has now been laid before Parliament – laying number SG/2022/87. The scheme will open for applications on 6 June 2022 and will remain open for a period of 18 months.

Reimbursement will mean that those women who previously felt they had no other option but to have mesh removal surgery out with NHS Scotland will no longer be at a financial disadvantage because of that choice. Women will be able to apply for reimbursement of the costs of surgery, and associated expenses, for themselves and one person who travelled with them. It should be noted that anyone who is eligible to apply and has previously made a successful application to the Mesh Fund will not be excluded from applying for reimbursement and any previous payment from the Mesh Fund will not be deducted. The Mesh Fund will close to new applications on 31 May 2022.

NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) are the administrators of the Scheme and application forms and further information on how to apply will be available on the mesh pages of their website Mesh Scheme | National Services Scotland (nhs.scot) .

The cut-off date, by which surgery has to have been arranged in order to be eligible for reimbursement, is specified in the Scheme and has been set at 3 June 2022. This will ensure that any woman who has made their own arrangements for surgery on or before this date will not be penalised for doing so and gives those in the process of making arrangements time to finalise them before the scheme opens. Section 1(3)(c) of the 2022 Act provides that the cut-off date could not be before the date of Royal Assent, which was 3 March 2022.

To be clear, anyone who wishes to have mesh removal surgery outside of NHS Scotland after 3 June 2022 should seek to do so through the official referral process as they will not be reimbursed if they make their own arrangements after that date.

It is expected that anyone seeking mesh removal after this date discuss their case with local clinicians within their own Health Board. If considered appropriate at that stage, they would then be referred to the Complex Pelvic Mesh Removal Service in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde for consideration by a full multi-disciplinary team (MDT). If, after careful consideration by both the MDT and the patient, it is agreed that surgery is appropriate, the patient can choose to be treated by the service already available in NHS Scotland or to be referred to a specialist NHS centre in England or to an independent provider. Each of these options will be available free of charge. I would encourage anyone who wishes referral to one of these services to make their wishes known to their clinical team, if they have not already done so.

Question reference: S6O-01145

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many early learning and childcare providers, including private providers, received funding from the £9.8 million Childcare Sector Omicron Impacts Fund that opened for applications in March this year.

Question reference: S6O-01116

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to dentists in East Dunbartonshire to allow them to take on more NHS patients.

Question reference: S6W-08445

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 May 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Maree Todd on 6 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, following the meeting between the Minister for Public Health, Women's Health and Sport and members of the Life After Essure support group, what actions it has decided to take to help raise awareness of the Essure contraceptive device and its possible complications among clinicians and patients in Scotland.

I can confirm that my officials and I met with members of the Life After Essure support group on 31 March. I was grateful for the opportunity to hear the experiences of the women first hand, and found the meeting very helpful.

What became clear was the need for a consistent approach for any women experiencing complications as a result of this device. As such, I can confirm that I have agreed to write to GPs and other relevant clinicians in order to highlight the concerns that have been raised. In addition, I have also undertaken to give consideration to what further action can be taken to ensure that there is increased awareness amongst both patients and clinicians.

I will be happy to provide further updates in due course.

Question reference: S6O-01043

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the UK Government to discuss devolving immigration powers to Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-08172

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 April 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Keith Brown on 21 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide a full response to the report by the Working Group on Misogyny and Criminal Justice in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-01016

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-07633

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 14 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the starting salary for a police officer in Scotland, and how this compares with (a) England and (b) Wales.

At present, in Scotland a new constable will start on a salary of £26,737, and we understand that in England and Wales the lowest starting salary for a graduate is £21,654, and £19,164 for a PCDA (Police Constable Degree Apprentice).

More information on Police Officer salaries in Scotland can be found on the Police Scotland website using the following link: Pay and Grading Structure - Police Scotland

Question reference: S6O-00895

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what work and action across government it is undertaking to support local authorities and local communities in their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6O-00871

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much of, and through what application process, the Covid Economic Recovery Fund will be allocated to East Dunbartonshire Council.