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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-22124

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to consult on proposals to restrict the promotion of less healthy food.

As I set out in my statement to Parliament in May, I will begin to take forward a more focused consultation in the autumn on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict the promotion of less healthy food and drink where those are sold to the public. We have begun engaging with stakeholders as part of this process. It is important that engagement on our proposals is extensive and as inclusive as possible.

Question reference: S6W-22572

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to press the Scottish Information Commissioner to issue a decision on a complaint (Case ID: 202200650) about the non-disclosure by SEPA of environmental information relating to salmon farming, which was requested on 12 January 2022.

Question reference: S6W-22434

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its reported decision to downgrade neonatal services at University Hospital Wishaw, what engagement it had with any affected families before making this decision.

Families told us, as part of the Best Start engagement process, that they wanted the best care possible for their babies. Evidence tells us that the very smallest and sickest babies will get the best outcomes if they care cared for in high volume units.

This change will affect families in many different parts of Scotland, and the Chief Executive of Bliss sits on the Best Start Programme Board and was a participant in the options appraisal process, representing the views of neonatal families.

Scottish Government will be consulting with families in the affected areas on implementation of the new model, so that we can take account of their concerns when the pathways and processes for the new model of care are designed. This will affect a very small number of families, however, it is important that we hear the voices of those families to input into design of service delivery.

Neonatal units will also continue to seek parent feedback locally to ensure opportunities to improve experiences of care for families are identified.

Question reference: S6W-22421

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take regarding the reported temporary housing issues in Fife.

We are aware of the pressures in temporary accommodation that many local authorities, including Fife Council, are facing and are working with them on what support is needed to reduce their use of temporary accommodation. The Minister for Housing is due to meet again with Cllr Hamilton, Fife’s Housing Convenor, on 7 November.

We have committed to reducing the use of temporary accommodation by 2026 and are acting on the recommendations of the expert Temporary Accommodation Task and Finish Group. We will invest at least £60 million for local authorities and social landlords to acquire properties for use as affordable homes, as part of our wider £752 million Affordable Housing Supply Programme investment this year. We are also asking social landlords to increase allocations to homeless households and to bring empty homes and void properties back into use, and are supporting councils to develop targeted plans, supported by an additional £2 million in 2023-24.

The Scottish Government is continuing to meet with the local authorities most under pressure to discuss what is required to help reduce their use of temporary accommodation. The Scottish Government has established a Short Term Housing Supply Group to consider how to address the barriers to increasing housing supply in the short term. We are working with COSLA, ALACHO, the Scottish Housing Regulator, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and the Glasgow West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations to consider what we need to do differently in the next two to three years to reduce the use of temporary accommodation.

Question reference: S6W-22472

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to ensure that public transport is not disrupted or cancelled because of antisocial behaviour.

Anti-social behaviour is clearly unacceptable on Scotland's public transport, and in wider society, and we are committed to tackling it. The police, local authorities and other agencies are responsible for tackling anti-social behaviour at the local level. These agencies, empowered by the Scottish Government, work in a concerted and co-ordinated way with local people to co-ordinate activities to tackle the problem of anti-social behaviour in communities.

Formal Warnings, Fixed Penalty Notices and Anti-social Behaviour Orders, alongside positive diversionary and early intervention activities can be used. Police Scotland and Local Authority Anti-Social Behaviour teams support bus operators to enforce their conditions of carriage and British Transport Police is responsible for law enforcement on Scotland’s rail network.

To tackle the issue of Anti-Social behaviour, BTP formed a Safer Transport Strategic Group bringing together partners from the wider transport network with the aim to create a safe space on all modes of transport through partnership working.

In regards to monitoring data and recorded incidents of anti-social behaviour on Scotland’s railway the British Transport Police holds this and can be contacted at external.affairs@btp.co.uk.

Question reference: S6W-22435

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government by what stage of pregnancy it expects women to have had a face-to-face meeting with their named midwife.

The antenatal booking appointment is usually the first contact point between the primary or named midwife and pregnant women. We expect all women to have an initial assessment of their health, obstetric and social needs completed, and be offered appropriate screening referrals and other care options by the 12th full week of pregnancy.

The Scottish Government Local Delivery Plan standard for early access to antenatal care states that at least 80% of pregnant women in each Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) quintile will have booked for antenatal care by the 12th week of gestation. This standard has been met or exceeded consistently since 2013-14. Public Health Scotland published its latest annual statistical report on antenatal booking, Antenatal Booking in Scotland , in March 2023, which shows that 92.8% of pregnancies were booked by 12 weeks in the year ending 31 December 2022.

Question reference: S6W-22482

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21841 by Richard Lochhead on 25 October 2023, who does have a remit to intervene should a broadband provider choose not to proceed with their commercial build plans.

The decision on whether or not to proceed with planned commercial rollout of broadband infrastructure is a matter solely for the relevant broadband infrastructure provider and their own internal governance. However, the Scottish Government is working to incentivise further commercial build through the series of pledges that comprise our Full Fibre Charter, and I am encouraged by discussions that took place with suppliers at last month’s Charter Forum.

Any homes or businesses not in a supplier’s commercial build plans, and which cannot access a superfast connection, are being supported to access a minimum of a superfast service through the Scottish Government’s R100 programme.

Question reference: S6W-22135

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21281 by Dorothy Bain on 21 September 2023, what its position is on whether a wait of five months for a family to receive a post-mortem report is acceptable.

Bereaved families should not have to wait to receive final confirmation of the cause of death and it is imperative that information about their loved one is provided as soon as possible. As the Lord Advocate noted in her response to S6W-21281, there have been delays in reporting post-mortem results, which is unacceptable. She also recognised that collaborative work has been done to resolve the delays, and that significant progress is expected within the next few weeks.

The Lord Advocate has responsibility for the investigation of all sudden, suspicious, accidental and unexplained deaths in Scotland – including providing bereaved families with the final confirmation of the cause of death of a loved one following receipt of the post mortem report. The Lord Advocate set out her position on post-mortem toxicology delays in her answer to question S6W-21281.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6T-01624

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking following Reform Scotland’s recent report, NHS 2048: Future-proofing Scotland’s Health and Social Care, which found that 11 NHS boards have seen waiting times for hip operations at least double from the point of decision since 2019.

Question reference: S6T-01623

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take in response to reports of widespread violence against police officers and firefighters over the Bonfire Night period.