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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-24869

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 8 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason dentists treating patients privately are reportedly unable to issue NHS prescriptions, in light of reported concerns that this means that patients who are unable to get NHS dental appointments have to pay for both appointments and any medication.

Question reference: S6W-24859

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 8 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that thousands of people in the Galloway and West Dumfries constituency have been deregistered as NHS dental patients, and the reported lack of NHS dental services, what measures it is considering to ensure the continuation of free dental prescriptions.

Question reference: S6W-24927

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 7 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how its national Good Food Nation Plan will support food production in Scotland.

High-quality, nutritious food which is sustainably produced is key to our wellbeing – in economic, environmental, social and health terms. The national Good Food Nation Plan sets out six over-arching Outcomes which indicate key areas to further develop our status as a Good Food Nation. These Outcomes have been developed with regard to a range of issues and principles set out in the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022, including the fact that each part of the food system plays an important role in the provision of food. The importance of supporting food production is particularly reflected in Outcome 4: “Our food and drink sector is prosperous, diverse, innovative, and vital to national and local economic and social wellbeing. It is key to making Scotland food secure and food resilient, and creates and sustains jobs and businesses underpinned by fair work standards.”

As well as the national Plan itself, we are also currently consulting on the list of specified functions that will, once set out in secondary legislation, give practical effect to the Good Food Nation Plan. The consultation can be found at https://consult.gov.scot/agriculture-and-rural-economy/national-good-food-nation-plan/ .

Question reference: S6W-24814

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 5 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what work has been done to upgrade the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) funding formula, and when any update will be published.

The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring funding is distributed equitably across the country as set out in the 2021-22 Programme for Government. The existing National Resource Allocation Formula (NRAC) is updated on an ongoing basis for a range of factors including population demographics, relative health needs and remote and rural factors. We will continue to assess the need for a more detailed review of the formula, in line with developments in National Care Service funding and Integration reform.

The formula is inherently complex and the review will take time. However, work to determine how the review should be taken forward is underway, with initial meetings of the Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation (TAGRA) having taken place, considering the next steps to determine scope and timing of the review.

Further work is required prior to confirmation of a timeline for the publication of the updated formula.

Question reference: S6W-24868

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its evaluation is of the provision of NHS dental services in Dumfries and Galloway in the last year.

The Scottish Government is aware of emerging access issues within NHS Dumfries and Galloway, noting that this is an area which has suffered disproportionately with dental workforce issues in the past – an issue which has only been heightened by the significant loss of EU workforce as a result of Brexit.

Whilst a formal evaluation on the provision of NHS dental services in Dumfries and Galloway over the last year has not been undertaken, as it is a matter for the NHS Board, Scottish Government is working closely with the Board through an Annual Delivery Plan to mitigate against the drivers of access issues. This includes regular meetings to strategically plan on the design and implementation of more sustainable dental services across the Board area. While this work continues, unregistered patients will continue to be able to access emergency and urgent care via Public Dental Service clinics.

Question reference: S6W-24861

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a complete breakdown of the fee structure for NHS dental payments (a) before and (b) after 1 November 2023.

Question reference: S6W-24863

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for how long NHS Dumfries and Galloway has qualified for the Scottish Dental Access Initiative.

Question reference: S6O-03077

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on transport infrastructure projects in the south of Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-03002

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support and improve the network of community hospitals.

Question reference: S6W-24254

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the forthcoming Regional Marine Plans will be required to identify locations where seaweed cultivation is to be supported.

The development of the marine planning framework will build on the existing consenting regime for aquaculture developments. Planning permission for finfish and shellfish farms are determined in accordance with National Planning Framework 4 and Scotland’s National Marine Plan. Seaweed farming is subject to the requirements set out under section 15 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 regarding decisions of public authorities affected by marine plans, including the National Marine Plan and any Regional Marine Plan, once adopted.

We will seek to ensure that National Planning Framework 4 and National Marine Plan 2 are aligned and consider any updates which are required to Planning Circular 1/2015: relationship between the statutory land use planning system and marine planning and licencing - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Regional marine plans are developed by Marine Planning Partnerships, and must conform with the National Marine Plan currently in effect. The content of the regional marine plan is for these partnerships to determine based on local priorities.

In 2017 The Scottish Government published a Seaweed Cultivation Policy Statement to help facilitate the growth of the sector by setting out policy on the suitability of seaweed cultivation in different scenarios. This provides those wanting to operate in this sector with a better understanding of the type of development that may be given approval.