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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-19926

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the latest known levels of the starting salary for a (a) nurse and (b) junior doctor in Scotland, and on how this compares to the levels in (i) England and (ii) Wales.

A) The starting salary for a Band 1 nurse in Scotland for 2023-24 is £30,229. This pay offer is a consolidated pay increase of 15.8% over the previous two years.

i) The starting salary for a Band 1 nurse in England is £28,407.
‎ii) The starting salary for a Band 1 nurse in Wales is £28,834.

B) The starting salary for NHS Scotland Junior Doctors in 2022-23 is £27,653.

i) The starting salary for a Junior Doctor in England during 2022-23 was £29,384.
‎ii) The starting salary for a Junior Doctor in Wales during 2022-23 was £27,115.

Junior Doctors in Scotland are on a different set of contractual arrangements to their counterparts in England and Wales and whilst their base salary is lower, they receive a higher banding supplement than their counterparts in England and Wales.

The BMA are considering a pay offer of 12.4% for 2023-24. If accepted, a doctor at the beginning of their career would see their salary increase to £31,082 in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-19865

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 July 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Christine Grahame (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate on 28 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it has any plans to update the current Scottish Parliament educational resources published in the Scots language, in order to reflect the composition and the processes of the current parliamentary session.

There are no immediate plans to update our current educational resources into the Scots language. Our language policy is under review and once approved by the SPCB, it will determine what languages we offer resources in for the future.

Our current policy position is: “The SPCB publishes information in different languages to facilitate the engagement of people who live in Scotland with their Parliament. Languages selected for translation are reviewed on a regular basis and are updated to reflect population trends and perceived need.”

As part of our review, we have engaged with, and continue to engage with, stakeholders and monitor educational and linguistic trends. There are currently some resources in Scots and to date, these have met the level of demand we have from schools and MSPs.

I will update the Member as our review progresses and when it is approved. In the meantime, our Education Services team are happy to work with the Member and schools to see which resources that would be of use in Scots and to provide these within the school year that starts in August.

Question reference: S6W-20182

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 July 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenni Minto on 25 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will update the Parliament on the Best Start recommendation to design a new model of neonatal service to accommodate the current levels of demand, with a smaller number of intensive care neonatal units, supported by local neonatal and special care units.

The Scottish Government has remained committed to implementing the new model of neonatal intensive care as set out in The Best Start. That will see the most preterm and sickest babies receive specialist complex care in fewer centres. Evidence tells us long term health outcomes will improve for those babies if cared for in higher volume units.

We have been working with expert clinicians to plan for this service change and have identified that the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Aberdeen Maternity Unit should be the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) for babies and women requiring the most specialised care.

No neonatal units in Scotland will close. This is about ensuring the smallest and sickest babies are born where the they can readily access the very specialist care and services they may need.

Further information on the appraisal approach and framework can be found at

Information for parents can be found at Discharge Planning - Scottish Perinatal Network

Question reference: S6W-19844

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 July 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Elena Whitham on 7 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has come to a position on the recommendations of the Drug Deaths Taskforce 2021 report on drug law reform.

The Scottish Government has assessed the evidence presented by the independent Drug Deaths Taskforce, as well as the extensive evidence internationally on drug law reform, and today publish our response 'A Caring, Compassionate and Human Rights Informed Drug Policy for Scotland'. This outlines the need to consider urgent changes to our laws to support a public health approach to drug dependency.

Through our National Mission we are already working within existing powers to reduce drug deaths, and while there is more to do, we need every part of the system to support change and better outcomes. At present the legislative framework we operate within does not fully support our evidence-based public health approach. It is for this reason we explore alternatives, based on the best available evidence, which could be implemented whether through refinements to existing legislation, or through constitutional change, whether further devolution of powers or independence. We continue to stand ready to work with the UK Government to support the implementation of these policies.

A Caring, Compassionate and Human Rights Informed Drug Policy for Scotland is available here - https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781835210093 .

Question reference: S6W-19200

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve cancer services in the future.

Today, we have published our 10-year Cancer Strategy for Scotland , with an underpinning three-year Cancer Action Plan for Scotland . Our strategy sets out our long term vision for cancer services in Scotland. It takes a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways, from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care. The action plan takes stock of the current pressures faced by the NHS and identifies how we can progress to our final vision. In 10 years’ time we see a Scotland where more cancers are prevented, and where our compassionate and consistent cancer service provides excellent treatment and support throughout the cancer journey, and improves outcomes and survival for people with cancer. We will continue to work closely with the NHS to ensure there is appropriate capacity to respond to patients’ needs. Notably, we aim to reduce later stage disease (stages III and IV) by 18 percentage points. This will ensure patients are being diagnosed earlier, which makes cancer easier to treat and ultimately improves outcomes.

Question reference: S6W-19016

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 750 additional nurses, midwives and allied health professionals from overseas, as announced in October 2022, with associated funding of £8 million, have been recruited by NHS boards across Scotland.

As a result of intensive work by Health Boards the target has been exceeded and an additional 800 staff from overseas have been recruited of which 293 are already in posts across the country to date, and a further 507 in train due to arrive, with the majority taking up posts in the first quarter of this financial year. This builds on the previous year where 200 staff were recruited from overseas, meaning an additional 1,000 staff have been recruited in the last 18 months, bolstering our existing workforce.

Question reference: S6O-02363

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that rural communities, including Dumfries and Galloway, benefit from current and future renewable energy projects.

Question reference: S6O-02350

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government through which means rural communities can object to any of its proposed policies that would have a direct impact on their local sources of employment, culture or natural environment.

Question reference: S6W-18161

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the handling of COVID-19.

On 27 April 2023 the National Incident Management Team (NIMT) met to discuss the latest position on COVID-19 in Scotland. In the light of their latest assessment the NIMT has proposed, and the Chief Medical Officer has agreed, that they will no longer meet. As the WHO has made clear, the COVID-19 pandemic is not over but our view is that it does now appear to be in the calmer phase of the pandemic which was discussed in COVID-19 Scotland’s Strategic Framework Update published in February 2022. Scotland no longer produces a separate threat level for COVID, and the UK no longer produces an alert level. Public Health Scotland now reports on COVID-19 alongside its surveillance of other respiratory disease pathogens. Other countries have also recently moved away from emergency responses standing apart from normal measures to protect public health.

COVID-19 has not gone away, and we continue to encourage the Scottish population to take sensible precautions, including taking up the offer of vaccination when invited, to protect themselves and others. As part of our enhanced surveillance system we continue to monitor, assess and be ready to respond to COVID-19 and other threats to the health of the population of Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02255

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to lay regulations to restrict the marketing and advertising of vaping products, following the publication of the responses to its consultation, Tightening rules on advertising and promoting vaping products, on 27 September 2022.