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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-09961

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether future cancer survival statistics will include an analysis of deprivation.

Question reference: S6W-09878

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it can make to (a) Ofgem and (b) energy supply companies regarding the reported issue of waiting times of more than three months for meters to be installed, exchanged or repaired in the Western Isles, in light of reports that this has become a significant issue for island consumers in the last 12 months due to an absence of energy company engineers on the islands and an unwillingness by companies to utilise local engineers.

I know that many consumers across Scotland are facing long waits for energy meters to be installed and this has been a source of much frustration.

Regulation of energy markets, including in relation to the installation of meters, remains reserved to the UK Government meaning that the Scottish Government's potential actions in regards to this are limited.

My officials have raised this issue with Ofgem, the energy regulator.

Question reference: S6W-10006

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the cost of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.

The Scottish Government published an update to the 2018 Climate Change Plan in 2020, including over 200 policies and proposals which will drive our delivery of emissions reduction between 2020 and 2032.

The Scottish Government is currently in the process of developing the next climate change plan which covers the period from 2025 to 2040. The Scottish Government has committed to fully costing the next Climate Change Plan as set out in the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019.

Our focus now is on delivering the existing plan as well as the polices that have been developed since to achieve our climate objectives. The challenging nature of delivering these targets will depend on a national endeavour, with action from all sectors of society. The updated plan sends a clear market signal which should give businesses the confidence to act, invest and achieve our climate targets, driving new green jobs, growing a thriving sustainable and fair economy.

All these actions require co-operation from the UK Government to maximise action in reserved actions. Our updated Plan set out the main asks of the UK Government and calls on them to match Scotland’s climate ambition in a credible way. As we develop our next plan and the vision for 2040, we will be required to go further and require reductions in currently reserved areas to achieve the 90% reduction by 2040.

Question reference: S6W-09997

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported rise in the cost of energy, what steps will be taken to ensure that park home residents receive the full benefit of support available to households, rather than site owners.

Energy markets are reserved to the UK Government. As part of our response to the rising cost of energy, the Scottish Government has raised concerns that many consumers who are not registered directly with a licenced energy supplier may not receive a £400 energy rebate. Although no solution is currently in place, the UK Government has advised that, this Autumn, it intends to widen support to include those consumers who are not currently reached through the Energy Bills Support Scheme such as park home residents.

Question reference: S6W-09937

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have been supported through Hospital at Home services in each year since they were introduced.

Hospital at Home services have been developing in Scotland for a number of years, with the first service established in Lanarkshire in 2011, followed by Fife in 2012 and the Lothian Partnerships between 2013 and 2016, and Dundee in 2018.

To further support development the Scottish Government commissioned Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) to develop the Hospital at Home Guiding Principles, which were subsequently published in January 2020 ( https://ihub.scot/project-toolkits/hospital-at-home/hospital-at-home/ ). In April 2020 HIS began providing improvement support to partnerships developing a Hospital at Home service, supported by Scottish Government funding. To date, this support has increased the number of partnerships in Scotland providing a Hospital at Home service to 20.

The following table provides details of the number of patients supported by a Hospital at Home service, by Financial Year and Health Board between 2014-15 and 2021-22.

Health Board	2014/15	2015/16	2016/17	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21	2021/22*
Ayrshire & Arran								30
Borders								41
Fife	610	1,652	1,740	1,641	1,418	1,374	1,203	1,175
Forth Valley						*	*	497
Grampian					*	*		*
Greater Glasgow & Clyde								*
Lanarkshire	519	1,966	2,350	2,531	2,523	2,434	2,461	2,249
Lothian	130	1,331	1,607	1,979	2,096	2,289	2,453	2,514
Orkney					*
Tayside							180	223
Western Isles							*	122
Total	1,259	4,949	5,697	6,151	6,182	6,365	6,378	6,866

1. The data was extracted from SMR01_HAH_PI, July 2022.

2. Health Boards included are NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Borders, NHS Fife, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Grampian, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Lothian, NHS Orkney, NHS Tayside, NHS Western Isles.

3. (*) indicates values that have been suppressed due to the potential risk of disclosure and to help maintain patient confidentiality. This is applied to cells where there are low numbers of people.

4. A patient could have one or more admission to Hospital at Home services within the financial year (FY). The same patient could be counted in each year but not counted more than once within the same FY.

5. Figures for 2021/22 are provisional (p) and subject to change.

6. Source: Public Health Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-09881

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage proactivity by NHS Lothian in helping to address any urgent needs of children whose hearing issues were not diagnosed or treated, in light of the reported failures in diagnosing and treating hearing loss within NHS Lothian’s Paediatric Audiology Services.

The Scottish Government meet regularly with NHS Lothian in relation to their current status on the NHS board performance escalation framework, this involves the Board working through and reporting progress against a formal Recovery Plan that covers all the BAA recommended actions. The telephone helpline, established by NHS Lothian, also continues to be in operation to allow families to make direct contact with NHS Lothian about any audiology concerns.

Question reference: S6W-10176

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 23 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Resource Spending Review on 31 May 2022, whether any support will be made available for (a) new health services and (b) activities beyond those already committed to for the remainder of the current parliamentary session.

The Resource Spending Review set out broad parameters for resource spend to 2026-27, provided an overarching financial framework to support the focus on delivery of key Scottish Government priorities and put in place a foundation for ongoing efficiency and reform. It was not a budget, with the normal processes of the Programme for Government and annual budget being where policy and funding decisions are made.

Question reference: S6W-09880

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the outcome of its correspondence with NHS board chief executives regarding any systemic failures highlighted in British Academy of Audiology reports, particularly regarding its request that chief executives examine their services, provide it with assurance on quality of care, and advise of any specific actions being taken in light of the reports.

The Scottish Government has always been clear the triangulation of learning from complaints and incidents must be a corner stone of clinical governance and improvement and that is why we wrote to NHS Board Chief Executives about the British Academy of Audiology (BAA) reports in December 2021.

In their returns Boards outlined specific actions which included the development of local action plans, review of protocols and guidelines, additional training and professional development sessions. All Chief Executives confirmed a Lead Director and single point of contact in the service for the Independent Review of Audiology which will examine governance and quality assurance arrangements for audiology services in Scotland as a part of its remit.

Question reference: S6W-09930

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is, regarding any potential impact on veterans in Scotland, on the UK Government’s £5 million Veterans’ Health Innovation Fund, and whether it plans to introduce a similar scheme in Scotland.

The Scottish Government welcomes any activity that can lead to a positive impact on the health of our veteran community.

As the armed forces are subject to the reserved responsibility of the UK Government, the Veterans’ Health Innovation Fund is open to applications from Scottish projects as well as projects from the rest of the UK.

It is a one-off fund being administered by the Defence and Security Accelerator on behalf of UK Office of Veterans’ Affairs and is open to projects – including in Scotland – that will drive forward innovation in techniques and pathways for meeting veterans’ physical and mental health needs. It aims to ensure treatment is informed by the latest research and developments in clinical care.

The Scottish Government is a member of the fund’s steering board. The steering Board will determine which projects are successful against set criteria and be put forward for UKG ministerial approval.

Question reference: S6W-09960

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the cancer survival statistics published on 5 July 2022 did not contain any analysis of deprivation in the same way as the previous cancer survival statistics published in January 2021.