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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: S6F-00987

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 April 2022

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

Question reference: S6W-07709

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05100 by Humza Yousaf on 5 January 2022, whether it has received (a) six-month and (b) 12-month progress reports for the nine research projects on long COVID.

For reference details of the 9 projects are available from the Chief Scientist Office website

Long Covid Call – Chief Scientist Office (scot.nhs.uk)

Six-month progress reports have been received for all 9 projects

A twelve-month progress report has been received for project LTE/20/04

On 31 March 2022 the Chief Scientist Office hosted a virtual symposium where the lead investigators for each of the 9 projects presented the results obtained to date

Question reference: S6W-07529

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 19 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the use of confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements, and whether it has any plans to update the guidance and legislation on these in (a) general and (b) relation to sexual harassment, victimisation and assault cases.

Non-disclosure agreements (NDA) are used for a variety of purposes and may be included in a number of different contractual and settlement arrangements. The Scottish Government has no plans to review the use of NDAs at this time. In an employment context, the UK Government consulted on measures to prevent the misuse of NDAs in situations of workplace harassment or discrimination in 2019 and further information can be found here . Responsibility for employment law is a reserved matter.

Question reference: S6W-07418

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will take to ensure the safeguarding of Ukranians living in Scotland who experienced domestic abuse in Ukraine and are concerned that their former partner or family member may be given leave to remain in the UK as a result of the Russian invasion.

Asylum and immigration are reserved to the UK Parliament and handled by the Home Office. This includes decisions relating to leave to enter and remain in the UK. The Scottish Government has no control of these processes.

However, the Scottish Government is clear that all forms of gender based violence are completely unacceptable. We are committed to eradicating it within Scotland. We work to protect all women who flee abusive partners within Scotland and those who come here seeking refuge can expect the same level of protection that we provide to all women.

Police Scotland is committed to working with local authorities and partners to support the individuals and families who are fleeing the atrocities caused by the conflict in Ukraine. Where a report of domestic abuse is made, it will be taken seriously, victims will be listened to and it will be thoroughly investigated. This is a developing situation that requires a flexible approach, with examples of ongoing engagement including the:

Creation and circulation of a Scots Law booklet translated to the Ukrainian language to advise on how, why and when to call the Police;
Review of translation provisions to ensure we have Ukrainian language coverage;
Participation in key strategic groups to ensure delivery of a coordinated response;
Engagement with the Scottish Refugee Council to understand specific needs of displaced Ukrainians.

Within the first 100 days of this government we provided £5 million to rape crisis centres and domestic abuse services to help them cut waiting times, on top of £5.75 million we allocated in 2020-21 to help redesign frontline services. In addition, our Delivering Equally Safe (DES) Fund is providing £38 million over the next two years to organisations helping to prevent abuse and to aid recovery where it does happen. This includes funding to front line services across Scotland who provide a range of counselling, outreach and peer support to women and children experiencing domestic abuse.

Question reference: S6W-07537

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Claire Baker (On behalf of the SPCB) on 12 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether there are any Hikvision cameras in or around the Scottish Parliament building, and whether any such cameras have been installed since the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee report was published in July 2021 recommending that they not be used in the UK.

A project to deliver an essential upgrade of the Parliament’s security system was completed in 2019. Part of that project involved the upgrade of the Parliament’s CCTV system.

The specification required that all components, including CCTV cameras, successfully passed a security evaluation prior to installation. Careful consideration was also given to information handling and storage of CCTV images.

The SPCB can confirm that the Hikvision brand of CCTV camera has never been used at Holyrood. They were not used prior to 2019 and are not a component part of the current system.

Question reference: S6W-07530

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 11 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on replacing the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh.

NHS Lothian is currently developing plans for The Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion replacement project which is one ten new National Treatment Centres that form part of the National Treatment Centres (NTC) Programme.

NHS Lothian reports that progress of Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion replacement project continues at pace. Recent progress includes the successful appointment of the senior project team and work to complete the exemplar building design.

The NTC Programme, which is supported by a significant investment of over £400 million investment, will create the biggest single increase in ring-fenced elective care capacity in NHS Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-07523

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to (a) review and (b) update the National Care Standards for children and young people, and when the standards were last reviewed or updated.

The new Health and Social Care Standards came into effect in April 2018. These replaced the National Care Standards and are applied to a diverse range of services, including early learning and childcare and services for children and young people. The Health and Social Care Standards were updated on 31 March 2022, following a public consultation, to include two new standards on visiting rights for care homes for adults.

Question reference: S6W-07486

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 18 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 8 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with representatives of (a) NHS Scotland and (b) the charity sector on improving data collection on metastatic breast cancer.

The Scottish Government has had several discussions with lead breast clinicians. The most recent was on 18th March at a meeting with the group leading on quality performance indicators for breast cancer. The group has indicated an interest in improving data on breast cancer recurrence and metastatic disease.

The Scottish Government met with the charity Breast Cancer Now on 3rd November 2021 and requested updated evidence of need for improved data. This was received on 26th January 2022 followed by email exchanges over the recent months.

Question reference: S6W-07487

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 18 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 8 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps have been taken to improve data collection for metastatic breast cancer.

Question reference: S6W-07578

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many places have been provided in the National Clinical Skills for Pharmacists Programme for (a) 2021 and (b) the first three months of 2022.

From November 2020 to October 2021 a total of 551 delegate places of clinical skills training for pharmacists were delivered. 126 delegate places of clinical skills training for pharmacists were delivered from November 2021 to end of December 2021 and a further 316 delegate places of clinical skills training for pharmacists were delivered between January and March 2022.

These clinical skills training days are delivered by NHS National Education for Scotland (NES) as part of the Pharmacist Clinical Skills training contract. NES organise and run courses to support pharmacist prescribers and those in training to develop appropriate clinical skills, at both core and advanced levels.

In 2021-2022 NES have also to date commissioned a total of 244 Independent Prescriber training places (116 for Community/78 for Primary Care/50 for Hospital).