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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: S5W-34175

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the long-term impact of medicines prioritised during the response to COVID-19 for people with a cancer diagnosis who have been prescribed continuous treatments, that do not offer patients time off from their treatment and therefore impact their quality of life.

The use of continuous treatment almost always allow greater numbers of patients to be eligible for these treatments, which are generally better tolerated and overall have advanced outcomes. Side effects do occur with ‘continuous’ or ‘maintenance’ treatment and should be managed appropriately. Some patients cannot tolerate continuous treatment and alternatives (such as ‘conventional’ chemotherapy) may still be required.

The purpose of COVID19 National Cancer Medicines Advisory Group (NCMAG) is to make rapid recommendations on routine access to alternative s treatment which are safer for patients during pandemic circumstances alongside the normal ‘standard of care’. This includes treatments that reduce the need to attend hospital and/or reduce the time spent in hospital and treatments that make the patient less vulnerable to infections. The option to use an NCMAG supported regimen will have been discussed with patients in a shared decision making process.

Question reference: S5O-04964

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 January 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what support it has put in place to help teachers deliver home schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5F-04746

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 January 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 January 2021

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to make the training of vaccinators as streamlined as possible.

Question reference: S5W-34176

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cost to NHS Scotland of continuous treatments prescribed to people with a cancer diagnosis under COVID-19 guidelines in comparison with any alternative cost-effective fixed treatment duration options.

Question reference: S5W-34174

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure the stability of oncology and haematology services in rural areas of south Scotland with regard to (a) maintaining a consistent workforce in response to any movement of clinicians towards urban centres and (b) enabling equity of access to patient care and treatment.

Territorial NHS Boards have been asked to produce local Mobilisation Plans, underpinned by the Re-mobilise, Recover and Re-design Framework . We have worked continuously with NHS Boards across Scotland to ensure Mobilisation Plans involve effective, anticipatory workforce planning which account for the continued delivery of essential services as well as the staffing requirements associated with emerging clinical and public health priorities.

In November, we published the Framework for Clinical Prioritisation of Elective Care , which outlines our expectation that NHS Boards that must maintain urgent elective and vital cancer services. We have been clear in our continued engagement with all NHS Boards that adequate staffing levels must be maintained to deliver these essential services.

Regarding cancer services, the Scottish Government recognises the continued need to address health inequalities in relation to outcomes in this area. We have published an equality impact assessment alongside our recent Cancer Recovery Plan . This assessment has highlighted various actions regarding equity of access to services. The assessment can be viewed here:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/equalities-impact-assessment-recovery-redesign-action-plan-cancer-services/ .

Question reference: S5O-04910

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 January 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to support the construction and development industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-33853

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 5 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33477 by Clare Haughey on 3 December 2020, whether it will now consider deleting the reference to chemical restraint that appears on page 18 of the Health and Social Care Standards.

I refer Mr Whittle to the answer provided for S5W-22466 on 23 May 2019. The legislation applicable for the use of chemical restraint makes clear that consent is required where an individual has capacity. Where an individual does not have capacity, the use of chemical restraint must only be applied in exceptional circumstances to the benefit of the individual.

The Health and Social Care Standards do not replace or remove the need to comply with legislation, which health and care services are expected to continue to follow. There are no plans to amend the Standards.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Question reference: S5W-33851

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 22 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider regulating health and social care services in order to ensure that they comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 is reserved, however, it applies to all employers in the UK without exception. Enforcement of this legislation is the statutory responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive.

Additionally the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) are responsible for the registration and regulation of Social Care staff in Scotland. The SSSC Codes set the national standards of practice that employees must follow in their daily work; where standards are not met the SSSC has the power to take action.

Question reference: S5O-04890

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 December 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to preserving community organisations and activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Question reference: S5W-33852

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 16 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the statement on page 65 of the final report of The Independent Review of Learning Disability and Autism in the Mental Health Act that "there is evidence that some psychotropic medication is being used in Scotland to manage behaviour rather than the purposes for which it was developed and approved".

Scottish Government are considering all 107 recommendations of the Independent Review of Learning Disability and Autism in the Mental Health Act in order to respond fully.

Preparations were underway to issue this response by April 2020 but this work was paused in March 2020 owing to the impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Scottish Government continues to carefully consider the recommendations to better fulfil our obligation to promote and protect the human rights of autistic people and/or people with learning disabilities living in Scotland.