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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-23120

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 6 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on what date its four-day working week public sector pilot will (a) begin and (b) conclude.

The Scottish Government will commence work on the 4 Day Working Week public sector pilot by the end of the calendar year. The pilot will take place over a 12 month period.

A number of public bodies expressed an interest in the 4DWW public sector pilot. Pilot participants are still being finalised, as are details of when participants will join the 4DWW pilot and initiate changes to their working week. Further details will be provided in due course.

Question reference: S6W-23121

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 6 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff will be involved in its four-day working week public sector pilot, broken down by (a) department or agency and (b) civil service pay band, and how many staff members (i) are currently participating in the pilot (ii) have agreed to participate but not yet started the pilot and (iii) have still to be identified to take part in the pilot.

Question reference: S6W-23119

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 5 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter to the COVID-19 Recovery Committee from the then Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work, dated 28 March 2023, whether it will set out the ways in which it has taken forward the aims of the Centre for Workplace Transformation through (a) the National Strategy for Economic Transformation projects, (b) other initiatives and (c) discussions with partners.

The CfWT was intended to be a “centre of expertise” to test new ideas around post-pandemic ways of working, providing research and advice to support innovative solutions to improve workplace productivity and wellbeing as well as being the support mechanism for the 4DWW pilot. There are a number of institutions and programmes dedicated to improving workplace productivity and wellbeing and engaging with businesses at scale.

The work of the enterprise and skills agencies is closely aligned to the aims of the CfWT. For example, Scottish Enterprise’s Workplace Innovation service helps businesses to implement fair and innovative people practices that have positive impacts on performance, productivity, engagement and wellbeing. Likewise, Highland and Islands Enterprise Innovation Programme helps organisations to improve productivity by increasing sales through the development of new products or services, or making process improvements through adopting technologies or new working practices. These initiatives play an important role in promoting ‘what works’ in improving workplace productivity and wellbeing, and proactively communicating these messages to businesses.

Just Transition Plans for sectors, sites and regions will be a key vehicle for managing our rapid transformation to a net zero, climate resilient economy. Plans are outcome-focused and our national just transition outcomes explicitly call for climate action that helps businesses thrive, supports fair work and good, green jobs and enhances wellbeing. We began with our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (JTP) and will be followed by JTPs for Agriculture and Land Use, the Built Environment and Construction, and Transport, as well as a site-based plan for the Grangemouth industrial cluster.

There are also synergies with the CFWT concept’s focus on the future of work and our commitment to explore ways of promoting and encouraging flexible and inclusive workplaces that benefit all workers. We are currently providing £153,575 in funding to flexible working experts, Flexibility Works, to promote and support employers across Scotland to adopt flexible workplaces.

Question reference: S6F-02622

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2023

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

Question reference: S6W-23005

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the findings of the NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland review of the increase in neonatal mortality will be published.

We have commissioned Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) to undertake a review of the increase in neonatal mortality across Scotland in 2021-22. The review will seek to understand whether there are any contributing factors to this increase, drawing on relevant data and reports, identifying any learning points and making recommendations for improvements. The report was scheduled to be published later this year. However, HIS have required to carry out additional work, which has impacted on the timeline. It is now expected that the report will be published in the new year.

Question reference: S6W-23006

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20204 by Jenni Minto on 14 August 2023, whether the National Hub to review all child and neonatal deaths has published its first report.

In February 2023, the National Hub published a report which provided an overview of activity undertaken since the launch of the Hub in October 2021. The report can be viewed at National Hub overview report: Year 1: 01 October 2021 - 30 September 2022 (healthcareimprovementscotland.org). The first data report for the National Hub for Reviewing and Learning from the Deaths of Children and Young People will be published in the new year.

Question reference: S6W-23034

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20632 by Shona Robison on 11 September 2023, whether the (a) stage 1 desktop and (b) stage 2 visual inspection of the Scottish Government Estate has been competed, and, if so, what the outcome of each of these inspections was.

Question reference: S6W-22988

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of drugs deaths in the Lothian region in each year since 2018 have been linked to fentanyl or other synthetic opioids such as Captagon.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The annual National Records of Scotland publication on drug-misuse deaths does include data on the geographic split of drug deaths by substance, but the categories only include ‘any opioid’, ‘heroin/morphine’, ‘OST’, and a few medicinal opioids (such as codeine). There is not any information provided specifically on fentanyl, or any other synthetic opioids, broken down by geographical area.

Across Scotland the number of deaths where fentanyl was implicated since 2018 are as follows:

	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Number of deaths where fentanyl implicated	12	25	7	7	6

The separate Public Health Scotland operated RADAR system does publish some data on synthetic opioid detection in post-mortem forensic toxicology testing which is available at the following link, but this is not broken down by geographical area - https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/rapid-action-drug-alerts-and-response-radar-quarterly-report/rapid-action-drug-alerts-and-response-radar-quarterly-report-october-2023/#section-6-2

There is no mention in the NRS statistics of any deaths from the amphetamine stimulant Captagon, or under its chemical name fenethylline.

Question reference: S6W-22936

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to ascertain for what reason excess deaths in Scotland are reportedly far higher than pre-COVID-19 levels, at 3,255 to date in 2023, and what information it has that may explain any such increase.

The Scottish Government closely monitor excess deaths statistics and work closely with our analytical partners Public Health Scotland (PHS) and National Records of Scotland (NRS) to understand the causes of excess deaths.

NRS are responsible for publishing Scotland’s excess deaths statistics, which includes breakdowns by cause of death.

A British Medical Journal editorial from the four UK Chief Medical Officers acknowledged that the UK, like many other European countries is currently experiencing substantial excess mortality. This editorial highlights the reasons behind this excess mortality are likely to be multifactorial, including persisting direct and indirect effects of COVID-19, surges in flu and respiratory infections, significant pressures on NHS acute services, and reductions in secondary prevention as an inevitable part of the response to COVID-19.

Question reference: S6W-22678

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy raised any concerns in relation to human rights during his visit to the United Arab Emirates in October 2023.

The Scottish Government is committed to upholding its robust standards when it comes to Human Rights. I visited the UAE between 24-27 October and met senior government and business leaders to promote Scotland’s planned COP28 business programme and advance our bilateral trade and investment relationship with the UAE. I took the opportunity to raise Human Rights as part of the discussions around the Scottish Government’s commitment to creating a wellbeing economy to drive not just a wealthy society but a fair and just society. It was agreed to share further insight and intelligence about this work in Scotland and also to learn more about the measures the UAE has taken to tackle issues in their own society.