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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-26429

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to young people whose referral to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) has been rejected.

Question reference: S6W-26430

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information and signposting to alternative support is communicated to families and young people in cases where a referral to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) has been rejected.

We expect NHS Boards to follow the National CAMHS Service Specification , which sets out that CAMHS services " provide support and personalised, meaningful signposting to the child/young person and their family/carers, with informed consent, to access other services within the children and young people's service network, in cases where families' needs are best met elsewhere."

Appropriate redirection and alternative support will vary across NHS Boards depending on the services available locally, and the needs of the child or young person involved. For many children and young people, such support is likely to be community based, and should be easily and quickly accessible. Since 2020, we have provided local authorities with over £50 million to develop and deliver mental health and wellbeing supports and services, with a further £15 million committed for 2024-25.

As specified in the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services Framework , there should be strong links between CAMHS and the community supports in all areas, with services taking a whole-system approach to ensure that children and young people experience streamlined pathways and get the right support at the right time.

Question reference: S6W-26431

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS Borders to ensure that the 18-week child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) waiting time standard is met.

For all NHS Boards including NHS Borders, tailored support is provided giving access to professional specialist advice, making sure that they have robust plans place and are continually monitoring their implementation. Regular and structured engagement with NHS Borders at official level also takes place regularly.

In addition all Boards have been asked to submit trajectories setting out a timeline for clearing any long waits. These will be updated annually and used to inform further targeted improvement work to ensure all Boards meet CAMHS waiting times standards.

Question reference: S6T-01924

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next review the New Build Heat Standard.

Question reference: S6O-03251

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on the waiting time for external stakeholder parliamentary events sponsored by MSPs.

Question reference: S6W-25843

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 12 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been convicted of livestock worrying since the increased penalties were introduced in November 2021.

The worrying of livestock by dogs is completely unacceptable and is something the Scottish Government takes very seriously and recognises the distress and the serious welfare and financial implications it may cause.

From November 2021 to September 2023, 21 accused have been convicted with, at least one, protection of livestock from dogs charge. In all the cases, the charges were under the dogs (protection of livestock) act 1953 section 1(1)&(6).

Question reference: S6W-25733

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what recent steps have been taken to improve diagnosis times for those affected by brain tumours.

The Scottish Government published our ten year Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033 along with an initial three year Cancer Action Plan ( Cancer Plan for Scotland 2023 – 2026 ) in June 2023.

Over the next 10 years, our strategic aim is to improve cancer survival and provide excellent, equitably accessible care. The Strategy and Plan take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care. We continue to place an emphasis on the less survivable cancers, including brain cancer, and improving their outcomes.

As part of this strategy, we developed a new Earlier Cancer Diagnosis Vision.

The vision includes continuing to deliver our Detect Cancer Earlier Programme, working with primary care clinicians to ensure they have direct access to diagnostic tests and quality education sources, as well as developing public campaigns to educate and empower those with possible symptoms of cancer to act early.

In addition to this work and in order to support radiology diagnostic capacity, we have funded mobile scanners to provide additional capacity for MRI and CT supporting cancer patients across NHS Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-25734

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to people with optic discs showing signs of papilloedema, whether cancer pathways exist in all NHS boards for optometrists to refer patients directly to secondary care.

Community optometrists across Scotland will normally refer patients who require secondary care directly to the hospital eye service in the relevant Health Board. Patients with suspected papilloedema require an emergency referral in common with some other ophthalmic conditions. Pathways for direct emergency referrals from community optometrists exist in all Health Boards in Scotland and are used regularly.

Question reference: S6W-25708

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 4 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to Rape Crisis Scotland in each financial year since 2020-21, and how much it will provide in the financial year 2024-25.

Please see below the funding that has been provided to Rape Crisis Scotland (RCS) in each financial year since 2020-21. Please note for 2023-24, we have provided the total committed spend for the current financial year, which may change by April 2024.

We cannot confirm the amount of funding which will be provided to RCS for the financial year 2024-25 at this time. However, we can confirm that RCS will receive funding through the Children, Young People and Families Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities fund, through ‘100 days’ funding and the Delivering Equally Safe fund amongst others in 2024-25.

Please note that, in addition to funds provided to Rape Crisis Scotland, we also provide funding to local Rape Crisis Centres through the Delivering Equally Safe fund. Additionally, some of the funds provided to Rape Crisis Scotland are distributed by them to local Rape Crisis Centres.

Financial Year 2020-21 - £3,342,646

Financial Year 2021-22 - £5,654,322

Financial Year 2022-23 - £4,587,738

Financial Year 2023-24 - £4,557,276* (committed spend for financial year)

Question reference: S6W-25732

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 4 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether any consideration has been given to expanding the referrals criteria that are used by healthcare professionals in primary care to refer patients to Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services.

Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services are a useful addition to how cancer can be diagnosed in Scotland. They provide primary care with access to a new fast-track diagnostic pathway for patients with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer, such as weight loss and fatigue.

The University of Strathclyde published a final evaluation report on 29 February 2024 reflecting on the first two years of RCDSs operating in NHS Scotland. This work was commissioned to inform roll-out, including optimal components. Following its release, we’ll work with Boards across Scotland to consider the findings and ensure learning is embedded.

Meanwhile, a clinical refresh of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer is underway to help ensure those with symptoms suspicious of cancer are put on the right pathway at the right time. These guidelines have been developed for primary care clinicians to aid clinical decision making and support. Referrals are closely monitored to ensure capacity and support is available for those on an Urgent Suspicion of Cancer (USC) pathway.