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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: S6F-03599

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 02 December 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 December 2024

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

Question reference: S6W-30857

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing routine prostate cancer screening for men in their 40s.

The Scottish Government, along with the other UK nations, relies on advice about screening programmes from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent expert advisory group.

Population screening for prostate cancer was last reviewed by the UK NSC in November 2020 when they concluded that the benefits of screening did not outweigh the potential risk of harm. As you may be aware, I have recently written to the UK NSC to ask them to review this matter again. The UK NSC chairman, Sir Mike Richards, has responded with assurance that this issue is a high priority for the Committee.

I am also encouraged that a large-scale study (TRANSFORM) has been launched to provide valuable evidence, looking at potential innovative screening methods and recruiting hundreds of thousands of men for the research. The UK NSC have committed to assessing evidence as it is published throughout the trial, and this will inform any future recommendation.

Should a recommendation be made to introduce prostate screening, the organisations that oversee screening will advise Scottish Ministers on how to take that recommendation forward.

In the meantime, men and those with a prostate who are concerned they have possible symptoms should speak to their GP. There is a list of symptoms available on the NHS website: Prostate cancer - NHS (www.nhs.uk).

Men aged 50 or over can also discuss taking a PSA test with their GP, even if they do not have symptoms.

Question reference: S6W-30975

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when its (a) ministers and (b) civil servants last met with representatives of each of the 131 public bodies.

Given the wide range of bodies that make up the public bodies landscape in Scotland, and that not all public bodies share the same relationship with Government, there are no set rules as to the frequency ministers and officials should meet with them. Ministers with portfolio responsibility for public bodies do meet with them on a regular basis, and I have met with multiple public bodies over the past 6 months.

Of the 131 public bodies referred to there are some public bodies such as Parliamentary Commissioner that Ministers are not responsible for, but those public bodies that Ministers have responsibility for, civil servants make up the public body sponsor team within the Scottish Government.

Sponsor teams are the first point of contact between an Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) and the Scottish Government. They provide advice, help and support to the public body and advice on accountability, governance and performance to Ministers and Portfolio Accountable Officers both on an ad-hoc basis and as part of regular meetings. Sponsorship is flexible, proportionate and responsive; and facilitates positive relationships between the body and the Scottish Government. Each public body will have a Framework Document that outlines the working relationship between itself and the Scottish Government. The Framework Document should be published on the public bodies website and will set out expectations for regular meetings.

Question reference: S6W-30771

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to measure long-term trends in NHS dental activity and assess if activity has improved year on year, given there has been reform in the system

Question reference: S6W-30773

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether reform to the NHS dental payment system in 2023 has meant it is not possible to compile data in a way that allows for examination of longer term trends.

Question reference: S6F-03526

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 November 2024

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

Question reference: S6W-30681

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 8 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many live homeless applications there were in each local authority area on Christmas Day 2023, and how many (a) adults and (b) children these related to.

The following table gives the number of live homeless applications at December 25th 2023 for each local authority, along with the number of adults and children these applications refer to.

	Live cases at 25 December 2023	Number of adults	Number of children
All	30,557	35,361	17,002
Aberdeen City	707	763	306
Aberdeenshire	219	255	133
Angus	730	820	232
Argyll & Bute	371	434	166
Clackmannanshire	318	361	173
Dumfries & Galloway	540	606	217
Dundee City	813	885	320
East Ayrshire	387	414	188
East Dunbartonshire	359	398	216
East Lothian	842	928	266
East Renfrewshire	507	657	361
Edinburgh	6,815	8,276	4,099
Eilean Siar	107	126	54
Falkirk	1,161	1,288	548
Fife	1,847	2,036	686
Glasgow City	5,800	6,920	3,988
Highland	772	860	359
Inverclyde	195	201	63
Midlothian	727	804	515
Moray	198	214	65
North Ayrshire	459	532	185
North Lanarkshire	874	972	461
Orkney	192	233	125
Perth & Kinross	141	156	39
Renfrewshire	353	392	89
Scottish Borders	425	533	272
Shetland	94	105	17
South Ayrshire	449	478	216
South Lanarkshire	1,650	1,900	1,282
Stirling	563	649	355
West Dunbartonshire	481	520	224
West Lothian	1,461	1,645	782

Question reference: S6W-30442

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to (a) Epilepsy Scotland, (b) Epilepsy Connections, (c) Quarriers' non-clinical and non-residential care services, (d) Cerebral Palsy Scotland, (e) MS Society Scotland, (f) Parkinson's UK and (g) MND Scotland in each year since 2019.

The following funding has been given to the identified charities, both directly and indirectly:

a) Epilepsy Scotland

YEAR	Direct SG Funding	Funding via Intersectional Partners	Total Funding
Jan-Mar 2019	£8,000.00	£0	£8,000.00
2019 - 2020	£0	£0	£0
2020 - 2021	£42,453.27	£2,000	£44,453.27
2021 - 2022	£16,960.40	£9,990.00	£26,950.40
2022 - 2023	£46,902.92	£10,000.00	£56,902.92
2023 - 2024	£25,923.00	£99,917.00	£125,840.00
2024 - 2025	£0	£92,971.00	£92,971.00
Total since January 2019			£355,117.59

(b) Epilepsy Connections

YEAR	Direct SG Funding	Funding via Intersectional Partners	Total Funding
Jan-Mar 2019	£0	£0	£0
2019 - 2020	£0	£0	£0
2020 - 2021	£0	£0	£0
2021 - 2022	£9,987.00	£4,222.00	£14,209.00
2022 - 2023	£0	£0	£0
2023 - 2024	£0	£0	£0
2024 - 2025	£0	£0	£0
Total since January 2019			£14,209.00

YEAR	Direct SG Funding	Funding via Intersectional Partners	Total Funding
Jan-Mar 2019	£0	£9,000.00*	£9,000.00
2019 - 2020	£6,152.25	£59,452.00	£65,604.25
2020 - 2021	£22,914.76	£113,774.00	£136,688.76
2021 - 2022	£163,214.43	£214,483.00	£377,697.43
2022 - 2023	£130,939.57	£268,007.00	£398,946.57
2023 - 2024	£10,909.20	£297,102.00	£308,011.20
2024 - 2025	£23,203.00	£138,929.00	£162,132.00
Total since January 2019			£1,458,080.21

*a quarter of an annual payment of £36,000.00 in 2018-2019

(d) Cerebral Palsy Scotland

YEAR	Direct SG Funding	Funding via Intersectional Partners	Total Funding
Jan-Mar 2019	£0	£12,500.00*	£12,500.00
2019 - 2020	£11,938.50	£50,000.00	£61,938.50
2020 - 2021	£37,106.50	£120,308.00	£157,414.50
2021 - 2022	£59,558.50	£50,000.00	£109,558.50
2022 - 2023	£48,270.50	£52,500.00	£100,770.50
2023 - 2024	£43,460.00	£62,490.00	£105,950.00
2024 - 2025	£2,640.00	£39,375.00	£42,015.00
Total since January 2019			£590,147.00

*a quarter of an annual payment of £50,000.00 in 2018-2019

(e) MS Society Scotland

YEAR	Direct SG Funding	Funding via Intersectional Partners	Total Funding
Jan-Mar 2019	£0	£0	£0
2019 - 2020	£0	£0	£0
2020 - 2021	£68,123.00	£0	£68,123.00
2021 - 2022	£66,513.33	£0	£66,513.33
2022 - 2023	£33,256.67	£0	£33,256.67
2023 - 2024	£20,702.00	£0	£20,702.00
2024 - 2025	£20,702.00	£0	£20,702.00
Total since January 2019			£209,297.00

(f) Parkinson's UK

YEAR	Direct SG Funding	Funding via Intersectional Partners	Total Funding
Jan-Mar 2019	£0	£0	£0
2019 - 2020	£75,000.00	£0	£75,000.00
2020 - 2021	£26,983.00	£0	£26,983.00
2021 - 2022	£93,402.00	£0	£93,402.00
2022 - 2023	£60,124.00	£0	£60,124.00
2023 - 2024	£31,175.00	£0	£31,175.00
2024 - 2025	£0	£0	£0
Total since January 2019			£286,684.00

(g) MND Scotland

YEAR	Direct SG Funding	Funding via Intersectional Partners	Total Funding
Jan-Mar 2019	£0	£0	£0
2019 - 2020	£11,698.29	£0	£11,698.29
2020 - 2021	£0	£0	£0
2021 - 2022	£55,545.01	£0	£55,545.01
2022 - 2023	£0	£0	£0
2023 - 2024	£27,950.90	£0	£27,950.90
2024 - 2025	£0	£0	£0
Total since January 2019			£95,194.20

Question reference: S6W-30686

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards completing the partial electrification of the Fife Circle, in light of its final completion being due by December 2025.

As reported in the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26, Major capital projects progress update (December 2023), I can advise that a refresh of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan is underway. Timescales for this project will be updated in the light of current affordability constraints as part of the wider programme and the rolling stock procurement exercise.

Meanwhile, progress with development work for this project continues and I am pleased to confirm that a contract to provide a new electrification Feeder Station at Thornton has been placed with National Grid PLC.

Question reference: S6W-30863

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided in each of the last five years for research projects aimed at developing a more reliable prostate cancer screening test.

The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office supports open competitive grant and fellowship schemes for applied health research in Scotland across a wide remit that is inclusive of consideration of applications for research relating to prostate cancer. Applications submitted to these schemes are assessed through independent expert peer-review with funding recommendations made by independent expert committees. While projects on prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment have been awarded funding in the course of these schemes, in the period from 2019 to date, no funding awards have been made for research specifically relating to prostate cancer screening test development.