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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: S6O-00947

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support Ukrainian refugees will receive after arriving at a welcome hub in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-00927

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the provision of community first responders in island communities.

Question reference: S6O-00926

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action it is taking to tackle the reported staffing shortages within the NHS.

Question reference: S6W-07320

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 23 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, aligning with the recent independent review it commissioned of the Scottish Strategy for Autism, what plans are in place to carry out an independent review of its Keys to Life strategy, which was launched in 2013, and the impact the strategy has had on the lives of people who have learning disabilities.

We have no plans to conduct an independent assessment of the Keys to Life Learning Disability strategy. We worked with people with a learning disability and autistic people in planning and publishing our Towards Transformation Learning Disability and Autism plan last year. This plan recognises the additional pressures of the pandemic as well as the aims of the Keys to Life strategy. The plan sets out key agreed actions to improve the lives of people with a learning disability and autistic people, to which we are fully committed and on which we have been working in partnership with our stakeholders.

Question reference: S6W-07191

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 23 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in 2019-20, how many people under the age of 19 accessing services for mental ill health were offered talking therapy but declined the service and chose antidepressants as first-line treatment.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people are able to access the right support for their mental health without stigma, including medication where this is the most appropriate intervention.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on the numbers of children and young people who have been offered talking therapy or who have refused talking therapy as a treatment option.

Prescribing is a clinical decision based on a prescriber’s judgment as to what they believe to be in the best interests of the patient. The prescribing of antidepressants to children and young people is undertaken in consultation with the patient and, where appropriate, with their family, to ensure that patient choice is also central to decisions taken regarding treatment and care.

Medication is one aspect of treatment, alongside psychological therapy or other therapeutic interventions, available as an option for children and young people who require support. We continue to invest and improve access to other services, including by providing £16 million per annum to ensure that every secondary school in Scotland has access to counselling support; and by investing £15 million in community-based mental health and wellbeing services as part of our focus on early intervention and prevention.

Question reference: S6W-07211

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to allow local authorities to trial the use of e-scooters in public places.

Question reference: S6W-06868

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what contribution stroke unit care provides to recovery from stroke, and whether it reports on this metric.

There is evidence that access to a stroke unit improves outcome for stroke patients.

The Scottish Stroke Care Audit (SSCA) monitors the quality of care provided by the hospitals in all NHS Boards and access to a stroke unit is a standard measured by SSCA, alongside other standards associated with improved patient outcomes. Performance against the standards, and more detail on service models can be found here:

Scottish stroke improvement programme 2021 national report - Scottish stroke improvement programme - Publications - Public Health Scotland .

Question reference: S6W-07384

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 23 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to incorporate the Armed Forces Covenant into law in relation to (a) local government, (b) the NHS and (c) other devolved public bodies in Scotland.

While we do not currently have such plans under consideration, we always keep such matters under review. However, we do continue to engage with MOD as it seeks to further embed the Armed Forces Covenant into legislation through the Armed Forces Act, which received Royal Assent on 15 December. We worked closely with MOD in advance of its introduction to ensure it is fit for purpose in Scotland and continue to work with MOD as they develop the statutory guidance. However, we are satisfied that the Covenant provisions in the Armed Forces Act do not fall within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-07342

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 23 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any (a) environmental, (b) financial and (c) other impact of ash dieback, and what (i) action it is taking and (ii) support it has offered to relevant stakeholders, including local authorities, to deal with ash dieback.

Ash dieback is impacting rural and urban landscapes and ecosystems. Current evidence indicates that at least 50% – 75% of Scotland’s approximately 11 million mature ash trees could be lost to this disease over the next two decades.

a) Environmental impacts: Ash trees play an important role in Scottish ecosystems, and support many other species such as invertebrates, birds and lichens. Ecosystem continuity is a key concern for the long-term recovery of affected landscapes.

b) Financial impacts: Current estimates suggest that ash dieback could potentially cost Scotland in the range of £4 million - £20 million per annum as the disease progresses.

c) Other impacts: The safety of arboricultural and forestry professionals as well as the public is a central emerging issue, as ash dieback and associated secondary pathogens can lead to tree brittleness, potential branch shedding and root weakness. Priority needs to be given to ash trees showing significant health issues in higher risk locations such as near public roads, paths, railways and utilities infrastructure.

i) Action Scottish Government is taking:

Scottish Forestry convened the Ash Dieback Risk Group in January 2020. The group, which brings together expertise from local authorities and sectors such as forestry, transport, utilities and nature conservation, was formed to provide a forum for sharing experience and coordinating actions, and to help advise the Scottish Government on policy development relating to the management of ash dieback.

ii) Support the Scottish Government has offered to relevant stakeholders, including local authorities, to deal with ash dieback:

Scottish Forestry has worked with The Tree Council to produce a Scottish Toolkit for Ash Dieback Action Plans to help Scottish local authorities, public bodies and other large-scale land owners and managers to prepare their own Ash Dieback Action Plans in response to the inevitable safety and environmental issues that affected trees will create.

Question reference: S6W-07364

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 23 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to lay commencement regulations for the provisions of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2021 that are not yet in force.

The Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021 makes provision in two areas relating to protection for people at risk of domestic abuse.

Part 1 of the Act will provide additional protection for people who are at risk of domestic abuse by providing the police and courts with new powers to remove a suspected perpetrator of domestic abuse from the home of a person at risk through a scheme of domestic abuse protection notices and orders.

An implementation group including Police Scotland, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Scottish Women's Aid is continuing to consider how to progress the necessary elements to allow for commencement of Part 1 of the Act.

The group is overseeing the development of training and operating procedures, legal aid issues, court rules and associated processes for courts’ consideration of applications for protective orders; including how input of views of relevant children can be provided to inform the court’s consideration of applications within the short timescales set by the Act, support for people for whose protection an order is made, any guidance that may be needed for those using the legislation and steps needed to monitor and evaluate the use of the legislation once in effect. It is also considering the impact on court programming of the new powers including the likely significant financial costs arising. Within this context the group is giving consideration to the timetable for when this Part of the Act can be commenced.

Part 2 of the Act makes it easier for a local authority or registered social landlord to transfer a tenancy to a victim of domestic abuse. This aspect of the Act is not directly linked to Part 1 of the Act. The steps necessary for implementation are being taken forward and include secondary legislation, changes to court procedures, forms and model tenancy agreements as well as working with stakeholders to develop statutory guidance. Commencement of the provisions and publication of the guidance on the social tenancy provisions is scheduled for the end of 2022.