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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-13986

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Digital Health and Care Strategy, whether it has developed an online triage system, and, if so, how many patients have used the system, and what services they have been directed to, broken down by NHS board.

The Scottish Government supports the further development and implementation of online triage, rather than the development of a single online triage system. An example of this is the recent publication by NHS 24 of their ‘NHS 24 Online’ app, and the Self Help guides on NHS Inform.

We are aware as well of a number of online platforms being used by some GP practices which support triage, and we will continue to develop principles of good access to General Practice through the General Practice Access Short Life Working Group, after which further consideration will be given the use of online triage systems.

Other key developments such as the Digital Front Door will also support enhanced access to services and information to help people better manage their health and care.

Question reference: S6W-14024

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13529 by Maree Todd on 16 January 2023, how often the Scottish Public Health Workforce Development Group meets; when it last met, and who the members of the group are.

The Scottish Public Health Workforce Development Group last met on 11 January 2023 and meets approximately every two months.

The Group members are representatives from the Scottish Directors of Public Health, NHS Education for Scotland, the Registrar Public Health Group, the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland, Voluntary Health Scotland, Public Health Scotland, the Committee of the Faculty of Public Health in Scotland, Scottish Government (Health Workforce/Health Improvement/Health Protection), the Scottish Health Promotion Managers Group, COSLA and the Scottish Community Development Centre.

Question reference: S6W-14089

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Digital Health and Care Strategy, what it is doing to develop digital services as part of social care reform.

Through the Digital Social Care programme of work, the Scottish Government is doing a range of things to support social care reform, delivery of which is ongoing. This includes work to support building strong digital foundations, skills and leadership, and enhancing digital services. Further details can be found in ' Care in the Digital Age: Delivery Plan 2022-23 ' and details about the programme can be found here: Digital Social Care | TEC Scotland . An update to the Delivery Plan will be published later this year with delivery priorities for 2023-24, and will include an overview of progress against existing commitments.

Question reference: S6W-14071

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12397 by Jenny Gilruth on 6 December 2022, whether it will provide an update on how many journeys have been completed by young people using a free bus pass through the Young Persons' (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme, based on the latest information available.

Question reference: S6W-14017

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations in the Inland Waterways Association 2022 report, Waterways for Today.

The Scottish Government notes the recommendations included in the Waterways for Today report and recognises the importance of the issues raised by the Inland Waterways Association. The report highlights some of the positive work that Scottish Canals has undertaken in recent years, including the groundbreaking Glasgow Smart Canal.

Scottish Canals has benefitted from significant increases in Grant in Aid awards in recent years. Since 2019, the Organisation has received an annual uplift in resource funding from the Scottish Government and substantial increases to the capital grant allocation. This highlights the value that the Scottish Government places on Scotland’s canal network.

Question reference: S6W-14031

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13612 by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023, whether the targets for (a) 2021-22 were met and (b) 2022-23 will be met; whether, as part of that national target, local targets have been set for each NHS board, and how many treatment initiations have taken place in each NHS board since the targets were reinstated.

The Scottish Government remains committed to eliminating Hepatitis C as a major public health concern by 2024. We must nonetheless recognise the impact the pandemic has had across the whole health sector, including the detection and treatment of Hepatitis C. During the financial year 2021-22, 1,390 individuals across Scotland started direct-acting antiviral hepatitis C treatment. This is set out in a report on the PHS website: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/surveillance-of-hepatitis-c-in-scotland/surveillance-of-hepatitis-c-in-scotland-progress-on-elimination-of-hepatitis-c-as-a-major-public-health-concern-2022-update/

National target data for 2022-23 will be published as soon as the full data has been collected and subjected to the appropriate data quality checks.

Data on targets and treatment initiations at Health Board level cannot be provided centrally as it has not been subjected to the required data quality procedures. However, the Scottish Government can confirm national treatment targets are broken down to indicative levels by NHS Board area to assist with their planning.

Despite the challenges resulting from the pandemic, the PHS report linked above shows there is evidence to indicate that Scotland has already achieved the WHO target to treat 80% of those diagnosed with Hepatitis C.

Question reference: S6W-14047

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent Health Foundation report highlighting an increase in avoidable deaths in women in the most deprived areas, and what action it plans to take to support women living in poverty.

We thank the Health Foundation for publishing the report detailing the findings of their independent review into health inequalities. Sadly, the report confirms what we already know: that excess mortality is significantly driven by deprivation, and this continues to have an impact on life expectancy.

Women in poverty will benefit from a range of actions we are taking. This includes delivery of our new Getting it Right Together approach across health and social care, improving access to mental health services, strengthening the Universal Health Visiting Pathway and expanding our Welfare Advice and Health Partnerships – placing money advisors in 180 GP practices in some of Scotland’s most deprived areas.

Women’s health is key priority for this government, which is why Scotland was the first country in the UK to publish an ambitious Women’s Health Plan in August 2021. The Plan sets out actions which aim to address women’s health inequalities by raising awareness around women’s health, improving access to health care for women across their lives, and reducing inequalities in health outcomes for women and girls, so that all women and girls enjoy the best possible health throughout their lives.

Question reference: S6W-14030

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many speeding tickets were issued to drivers on the A9 between Perth and Inverness in each year from 2012 up to and including 2022, broken down by whether they were related to (a) mobile safety cameras, (b) traffic police and (c) average speed cameras.

Question reference: S6W-14036

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13610 by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023, when it anticipates the new guidance for new eligibility criteria will be ready.

Question reference: S6W-14033

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and (b) Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport last met with (i) the chair of the Scottish Respiratory Advisory Committee and (ii) lead clinicians involved in the implementation of the Respiratory Care Action Plan.