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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: S6W-09241

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that all checks that it has carried out since the publication of its Guidance on due diligence: human rights (a) fully comply with the guidance and (b) take account of the nature and sensitivity of the relationship with the person or organisation being checked, and what the (i) minimum and (ii) maximum scope and depth of these checks has been.

Question reference: S6W-09608

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02344 by Humza Yousaf on 30 September 2021, whether it will provide an update on how many calls to the Scottish Ambulance Service have been responded to (a) within (i) under 10, (ii) 10 to 29, (iii) 30 to 59 and (iv) 60 to 120 and (b) after over 120 minutes in each calendar year since 2007, also broken down by NHS board area.

Question reference: S6W-09575

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to re-establish the NHS 24 Musculoskeletal (MSK) Helpline, which was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6W-09534

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place in Dumfries and Galloway for the early detection of blood cancers.

The Scottish Government is committed to finding cancer early, when the chance of survival and even cure is higher. NHS Dumfries & Galloway established Scotland’s first Early Cancer Diagnostic Centre in May 2021. The Centre provides primary care with a new referral route for patients with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer, such as weight loss, fatigue and nausea – this is often how blood cancers present.

In addition, we continue to invest in our £44m Detect Cancer Early Programme which adopts a whole-system approach to diagnosing and treating cancer as early as possible across Scotland. The NHS Recovery Plan, published August 2021, commits an additional £20m for the Programme.

Question reference: S6W-09561

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 01 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what work is currently underway, or how it plans, to address the reported rural recruitment issues being experienced in (a) podiatry and (b) other allied health professions.

As part of the Scottish Government’s work to develop a sustainable healthcare workforce, we continue to look for opportunities to increase levels of recruitment and retention of healthcare staff in rural areas through the development of our Remote and Rural workforce recruitment strategy.

Furthermore, the Allied Health Professions (AHP) Education and Workforce Policy Review is currently examining recruitment and retention across the country. Whilst recommendations have not yet been agreed, a subgroup focussing on workforce and recruitment will provide recommendations later this year.

Question reference: S6W-09454

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time has been for (a) adults and (b) children to receive hospital treatment from audiology services, following a GP or other referral, in each NHS board in each year since 2014.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) receives monthly data from most NHS Boards on the number of patients covered by the 18 weeks Referral to Treatment (RTT) standard seen within each specialty, including audiology. Due to the aggregate nature of this data collection, the requested detail on average length of wait and age are not available.

However, the following table shows the total number of patients seen and the number that waited over 18 weeks to be seen for audiology services across NHS Scotland, from January 2014 to December 2021 – the latest complete calendar year. This includes all patients reported as seen on the 18-week Referral to Treatment (RTT) pathway for audiology.

Total patients seen and number of patients that waited over 18 weeks, January 2014 – December 2021, NHS Scotland, Audiology

Calendar Year

Total Number Seen

Number seen within 18 weeks

Number seen after 18 weeks

Unknown

2014

103,960

95,527

7,891

542

2015

107,894

998,82

7,499

513

2016

107,742

94,918

93,140

170

2017

94,918

82,647

12,218

2018

93,140

74,373

18,731

2019

92,673

71,274

21,341

2020*

47,793

31,677

16,052

2021*

60,750

47,164

13,543

Source: PHS 18 Weeks RTT Database

Note:

* Due to the complexities of 18 weeks RTT local data collection and reporting, the length of wait cannot be accurately measured by the Board of treatment for all patients.

* There is missing data for these years, as NHS Grampian have been unable to submit data since February 2020, NHS Ayrshire and Arran have not submitted data since April 2020 and NHS Tayside have been unable to submit data since May 2021. This should be taken into consideration when interpreting the data.

Question reference: S6W-09362

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Programme pipeline update (March 2022), whether it will provide an update on what commercial discussions Transport Scotland has had with Peel Ports regarding infrastructure work at Ardrossan Harbour.

Question reference: S6W-09346

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08743 by Jenny Gilruth on 14 June 2022, whether it will provide the information requested regarding when it will replace the 25 Class 43 HSTs in the ScotRail fleet; whether it will confirm whether Transport Scotland's position remains that such replacement will occur only when "Network Rail has completed the electrification of all or most of the routes they serve", as reported in The Herald on 21 May 2022; when it anticipates that "the electrification of all or most of the routes they serve" will be completed, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.

The replacement of train fleets in Scotland, including the HSTs, is aligned with the phases of the Decarbonisation Action Plan, a link to which is provided here:- Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan | Transport Scotland

This timescale is of course subject to continuous review in line with delivering the decarbonisation of the rail network in Scotland affordably and practicably and any other relevant developments, including recommendations arising from the Steering Groups considering the recommendations of, and subsequent analysis from the recent RAIB report into the Carmont accident.

Question reference: S6W-09359

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the current timelines are for (a) delivering the vessel concept design and (b) the award of the first vessel construction contract in the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.

Question reference: S6W-09727

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 22 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to enable local authorities to use licensing or planning powers to manage the number of fast food outlets in their area.

Independent licensing (i.e. local) authorities already have powers under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 to operate a variety of licensing schemes, including for example a late hours catering licence regime, if they so choose.

Draft National Planning Framework 4 (2021) proposed planning policy which would not support the clustering of some non-retail uses including hot food takeaways and permanently sited vans, where further provision would undermine the character and amenity of centres or the health and wellbeing of centres and their communities, particularly in disadvantaged areas.

The comments received through the Parliamentary scrutiny and public consultation processes for the Draft are being analysed, prior to laying a revised National Planning Framework 4 in the Scottish Parliament for approval in the autumn.