Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-01288

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether its Covid Recovery Strategy includes the provision of funding for charities working to strengthen community resilience and support mental health.

Question reference: S6O-01285

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether its COVID-19 recovery planning will include measures to improve access to interpreters and translators for people using public services.

Question reference: S6O-01286

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how its cross-government Covid Recovery policies will take account of the recommendations of its COVID-19 Ventilation Short-Life Working Group.

Question reference: S6O-01298

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve water quality in Scotland's rivers.

Question reference: S6O-01306

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to safeguard food production.

Question reference: S6O-01295

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what level of grant per property will be made available to assist homeowners to achieve an EPC rating of band C or better by 2025.

Question reference: S6W-08990

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much NHS National Services Scotland has spent on the purchase of (a) PPE items and (b) lateral flow tests that were provided to unpaid carers in each month since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, also broken down by financial year.

Question reference: S6W-09002

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital beds there have been in NHS Fife in each of the last 10 years.

A set of data tables for the most recent and historical hospital bed numbers for each board is available in the annual PHS publication, which was released on 28 September 2021, which be found at https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/acute-hospital-activity-and-nhs-beds-information-annual/acute-hospital-activity-and-nhs-beds-information-annual-annual-year-ending-31-march-2021/

Data is available from financial year 2011-12 to financial year 2020-21. Hospital beds data is presented in the Table 4 – beds data file, and the measure of interest is Average Available Staffed Beds for All Specialties.

A set of data tables for the most recent and historical hospital bed numbers for each board is available in the annual PHS publication, which was released on 28 September 2021, which be found at https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/acute-hospital-activity-and-nhs-beds-information-annual/acute-hospital-activity-and-nhs-beds-information-annual-annual-year-ending-31-march-2021/

Data is available from financial year 2011-12 to financial year 2020-21. Hospital beds data is presented in the Table 4 – beds data file, and the measure of interest is Average Available Staffed Beds for All Specialties.

Question reference: S6W-09006

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the #LiveableNHSBursary campaign led by medical students, which includes calls for access to full maintenance loans for medical students in line with other professional healthcare courses, access to the NHS Learning Support Fund for medical students and a review of Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses, in light of the cost of living crisis.

The #LiveableNHSBursary campaign is focused on the situation faced by latter years medical students studying in England which is something we are unable to comment on. Scottish domiciled medical students are eligible for the standard student support package which is comprised of tuition fees and living cost support throughout all 5 or 6 years of their medical degree. Furthermore in February 2002 a £350 loan uplift for 2022-23 for higher education students was announced. This means that the most disadvantaged students can access £8,100 per year through bursary and loan and the Scottish Government remains committed that the total student support package reaches the equivalent of the Living Wage over the next three years.

In Scotland medical ACT is currently used to fund Travel and Subsistence for students in all regions and this is monitored in light of the changing economic climate and impact of locus of student placements in remote/rural settings.

Question reference: S6W-09082

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what scope there is for NHS boards to accept the results of tests carried out privately at the request of a patient.

If a patient chooses to purchase a test from a private provider, we recommend that they discuss the test’s suitability and their approach with their clinician. It would ultimately be the decision of their clinician whether to accept the result, based on the available evidence and their knowledge of the patient’s clinical history.

Specifically in relation to COVID-19 testing, as set out in our Test and Protect transition plan for any purpose which COVID-19 testing continues to be advised we will ensure that these tests remain available free of charge. This includes testing that is advised as part of a patient’s clinical care and to protect higher risk settings such as hospitals.

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