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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-08667

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the Transvaginal Mesh Removal Reimbursement Scheme will be open for applications, and whether it will confirm the cut-off date for eligibility.

The Transvaginal Mesh Removal (Cost Reimbursement) (Scotland) Act 2022 (the 2022 Act) came fully into force on 3 May 2022. The 2022 Act gives powers to Scottish Ministers to make a scheme to reimburse women for the costs incurred in connection with qualifying mesh removal surgery.

The Transvaginal Mesh Removal Reimbursement Scheme 2022 has now been laid before Parliament – laying number SG/2022/87. The scheme will open for applications on 6 June 2022 and will remain open for a period of 18 months.

Reimbursement will mean that those women who previously felt they had no other option but to have mesh removal surgery out with NHS Scotland will no longer be at a financial disadvantage because of that choice. Women will be able to apply for reimbursement of the costs of surgery, and associated expenses, for themselves and one person who travelled with them. It should be noted that anyone who is eligible to apply and has previously made a successful application to the Mesh Fund will not be excluded from applying for reimbursement and any previous payment from the Mesh Fund will not be deducted. The Mesh Fund will close to new applications on 31 May 2022.

NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) are the administrators of the Scheme and application forms and further information on how to apply will be available on the mesh pages of their website Mesh Scheme | National Services Scotland (nhs.scot) .

The cut-off date, by which surgery has to have been arranged in order to be eligible for reimbursement, is specified in the Scheme and has been set at 3 June 2022. This will ensure that any woman who has made their own arrangements for surgery on or before this date will not be penalised for doing so and gives those in the process of making arrangements time to finalise them before the scheme opens. Section 1(3)(c) of the 2022 Act provides that the cut-off date could not be before the date of Royal Assent, which was 3 March 2022.

To be clear, anyone who wishes to have mesh removal surgery outside of NHS Scotland after 3 June 2022 should seek to do so through the official referral process as they will not be reimbursed if they make their own arrangements after that date.

It is expected that anyone seeking mesh removal after this date discuss their case with local clinicians within their own Health Board. If considered appropriate at that stage, they would then be referred to the Complex Pelvic Mesh Removal Service in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde for consideration by a full multi-disciplinary team (MDT). If, after careful consideration by both the MDT and the patient, it is agreed that surgery is appropriate, the patient can choose to be treated by the service already available in NHS Scotland or to be referred to a specialist NHS centre in England or to an independent provider. Each of these options will be available free of charge. I would encourage anyone who wishes referral to one of these services to make their wishes known to their clinical team, if they have not already done so.

Question reference: S6W-08390

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to gather data on restraint practices applied to care-experienced children while being securely transported.

To uphold the rights of children and young people who require secure transport, and to meet the Secure Care Standards and the Youth Justice Standards , the Scottish Government and COSLA led Secure Care Group seek to identify and develop solutions to the issues surrounding secure care transport in Scotland. A service specification is in development which will include an appropriate recording and monitoring process.

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on proposed children’s care and justice legislation, including seeking views on whether legislative reform is needed around the use of secure transport.

Question reference: S6W-08437

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it will make available for NHS dentists, in light of reported concerns from the British Dental Association that many practices are likely to reduce their NHS commitment.

The Scottish Government has delivered record investment into NHS dental services with a 9 per cent increase in the budget for NHS dental services in 2022-23.

From April, we have introduced revised payment arrangements which reward NHS dental teams according to their activity. Combined with the relaxation of infection, prevention and control measures, they are having a substantial positive impact in improving access and ensuring the sector is able to quickly return to more normal levels of activity and clear the backlog.

Question reference: S6W-08436

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-34970 by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 February 2021, whether it can provide a breakdown of any funding awards it has made since that answer to circular economy textiles projects.

Further to the response provided to S5W-34970, since February 2021 Zero Waste Scotland has awarded tailored consultancy support to two SMEs through the Circular Economy Business Support Service in order to help develop circular textiles propositions. Each support service provided to these organisations had a value of approximately £10,000.

As set out in the 2021-22 Programme for Government, we plan to introduce a new £2 million Textile Innovation Fund in the first half of 2022 to support businesses working in this sector to address issues associated with textile waste and throwaway culture.

Question reference: S6W-08455

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken in the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill to prevent the third-party sale of fireworks to non-licence-holders.

The potential for unintended consequences, including a possible increase in illicit firework sales, has been carefully considered throughout development of the Bill.

In terms of how measures within the Bill have been developed to mitigate against illicit sales, the licensing system does not only cover the purchase of fireworks but also their possession and use; and the Bill introduces a new offence to be in possession of a firework or use a firework in Scotland without a valid licence.

In addition, it will be an offence for a firework licence holder to supply fireworks to an unlicensed person.

A person who commits this offence is liable, on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale (or both).

Question reference: S6W-08459

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of land that is owned by each local authority is currently lying unused (a) with and (b) without planning applications pending.

Question reference: S6O-01126

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reasonable period of time for households to install interlinked fire alarms in line with the new legislation has now passed.

Question reference: S6O-01120

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the scoping exercise into the availability of specialist services within NHS boards for miscarriage and unexpected pregnancy complications will be completed.

Question reference: S6O-01138

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how its Super Sponsor scheme takes account of the preferences of Ukrainian refugees regarding settlement locations within Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-01128

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the implications are for Social Security Scotland of the redeployment of staff to the agency from the DWP.