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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: S6F-02510

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2023

To ask the First Minister what support the Scottish Government is offering to NHS Lothian to contact the parents and guardians of the over 23,000 children who reportedly may have received substandard testing to identify deafness, including support to identify any other young children who have not received the required standard of auditory brainstem response testing.

Question reference: S6F-02511

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to alleviate poverty in Scotland, in light of reports that the UK is in violation of international law in relation to poverty levels.

Question reference: S6F-02501

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-02500

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-22757

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 November 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Graeme Dey on 6 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the proposed General Practice Armed Forces and Veterans' Recognition Scheme.

In May 2021 the Armed Forces Personnel and Veterans Joint Group – Strategic Oversight Group set a priority to develop a Veteran aware GP accreditation programme, now called the General Practice Armed Forces and Veterans Recognition Scheme (“the Scheme”). The aim of the scheme is to raise awareness among General Practice of some of the health challenges that veterans and Armed Forces Families face as a result of military service and improve person centred outcomes and care for the armed forces community.

Following the incorporation of feedback from practices who agreed to be part of an initial pilot, I can confirm that the Scheme will be open to all General Practices in Scotland on 6 November 2023.

General Practices who wish to sign up to the Scheme, should contact gp-afv@gov.scot for more information.

Question reference: S6W-22389

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were admitted to hospital as a result of malnutrition in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (a) age and (b) NHS board.

The term ‘malnutrition’ can be used to mean a range of different conditions. The definition used here comprises a specific group of diagnoses which would be used to identify cases of protein/energy malnutrition (ICD-10 codes E40-E46 only).

The number of patients admitted to hospital as a result of malnutrition in each of the last 10 years, broken down by age, is as follows:

Age Range	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
0-39	9	10	12	10	13	11	14	9	8	10
40-49	9	6	8	7	8	12	5	11	8	6
50-59	13	10	10	14	15	20	17	10	11	17
60-69	13	19	12	14	22	16	10	22	12	14
70-79	9	13	10	17	12	*	10	18	8	10
80+	14	5	5	5	7	8	10	7	6	6

Source: Public Health Scotland (SMR01)
‎

The number of patients admitted to hospital as a result of malnutrition in each of the last 10 years, broken down by NHS board, is as follows:

NHS board	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
NHS Ayrshire & Arran	11	6	7	7	10	7	7	8	6	*
NHS Borders	5	*	0	*	*	5	*	0	5	*
NHS Dumfries & Galloway	*	*	*	5	*	*	*	*	0	5
NHS Fife	*	*	5	5	*	14	6	5	8	5
NHS Forth Valley	*	*	5	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
NHS Grampian	5	9	*	*	*	6	8	13	5	7
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde	15	19	18	17	17	8	14	8	6	14
NHS Highland	5	*	5	7	10	10	7	10	5	10
NHS Lanarkshire	6	6	7	7	10	6	*	8	6	*
NHS Lothian	7	8	*	9	10	8	12	15	6	9
NHS Orkney	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
NHS Tayside	5	*	*	*	5	*	*	5	*	*
NHS Shetland	0	0	*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Not applicable	0	0	0	*	*	0	0	0	0	0
NHS Western Isles	0	0	0	0	0	0	*	0	*	0

Source: Public Health Scotland (SMR01)

‘*’ Indicates values lower than five that have been suppressed due to the potential risk of disclosure and to help maintain confidentiality.

Question reference: S6W-22384

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consult on proposals to establish a Future Generations Commissioner by the end of 2023.

In the 2022-23 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government reaffirmed our commitment to explore a Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill to support greater implementation of the National Performance Framework and ensure that the interests of future generations are considered in decisions made today.

Ministers and officials have been engaging with several stakeholders including meeting with Ms Boyack MSP earlier this month. This has assisted with developing policy proposals.

The proposed Bill may seek a statutory requirement that ensures public bodies and local authorities consider the long-term consequences of their decisions for the wellbeing of people in Scotland, including those not yet born. We are considering whether a Future Generations Commissioner is the most appropriate way to ensure the support and accountability which would need to accompany such duties. It will be important to consult widely on this broad policy area to ensure that any legislation is effective.

Question reference: S6W-22314

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether a copy of hearing test results will be offered to people with a hearing impairment as a matter of routine when accessing audiology services, as is the case in NHS England.

The Scottish Government published Quality Standards for Paediatric Audiology Services (2009) and Quality Standards for Adult Hearing Rehabilitation Services (2009) which both state that patients (and their families in the case of children) should be given a copy of their ‘Individual Management Plan’ following visits to services.

It is for Health Boards to ensure that this takes place in line with the quality standards set out.

Question reference: S6W-22214

Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in the (a) Clackmannanshire and (b) Stirling Council area have received the Winter Heating Payment since its introduction to date.

The first release of Official Statistics on Winter Heating Payment was published on 6 June 2023. It provides information on Winter Heating Payment, including the number of payments issued by local authority, from launch up to 30 April 2023. The publication shows that there were 4,110 payments issued to clients in the Clackmannanshire local authority and 5,030 payments issued to clients in the Stirling local authority.

The Official Statistics for Winter Heating Payment can be found at: https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/winter-heating-payment-statistics-winter-2022-2023 .

Question reference: S6W-22118

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 6 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it currently provides for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) classes for asylum seekers and refugees.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone in Scotland whose first language is not English can contribute to Scotland’s future and the society they live in. Having support to learn English is key for many refugees and asylum seekers to communicate, enter education, find employment, and access information on healthcare, housing and other services that they require. In 2021-22 the volume of funded ESOL activity in colleges amounted to £22,709,353. The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) provides an overall funding allocation to colleges, which they then allocate to learning and teaching across their curriculum areas (including ESOL), informed by data and insight, and based on regional demand, regional and national priorities, the needs of their local economies, communities and learners, as well as intelligence from partners. In addition, through the Supporting New Scots Fund, the New Scots partnership awarded a total of £179,431.00 to nine organisations across Scotland to deliver ESOL provision for refugees.