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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-02532

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2023

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on when the Scottish Government will review its ban on alcohol consumption on ScotRail train services.

Question reference: S6F-02537

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2023

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

Question reference: S6F-02528

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-02529

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-22493

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any paper on the potential implications of losing intensive care status in neonatal units.

The Best Start recommendation to move to a model of three intensive care units in Scotland was based on evidence that this will improve outcomes for the smallest and sickest babies.

The Framework for Practice ‘Criteria to Define Levels of Neonatal Care including Repatriation within NHS Scotland’, published on 25 July 2023 describes the care that can be provided at each level of neonatal care. It outlines that Local Neonatal Units can continue to care for babies requiring short periods of intensive care in accordance with agreed pathways.

In addition the British Association of Perinatal Medicine published ‘ Optimal Arrangements for Neonatal Intensive Care Units in the UK’ in 2021, which provides a framework for practice for neonatal care. This sets out the optimal arrangements for neonatal intensive care to provide the lowest mortality and morbidity, and the best baby and parent experience.

Question reference: S6W-22531

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its post-implementation review into short-term let licensing, whether it plans to undertake any stakeholder engagement and consultation ahead of the review, and what the nature of any stakeholder involvement in the review will be.

I wrote to the Local Government Housing and Planning Committee on 27 October 2023 to set out the scope of the implementation update on short-term let licensing. In this letter I have committed to provide an update to Parliament in early 2024. A copy of this letter is available on the Scottish Parliament website at:

https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/local-gov/correspondence/2023/shorttermlets27oct.pdf

Question reference: S6W-22561

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support disabled people in accessing gym facilities.

The Scottish Government understands the importance of physical activity in Scotland and the positive impact that has on physical, mental and social health and wellbeing. We should all feel included, and able to take part and access the benefits of being active.

It is the responsibility of local authorities, under the Local Government and Planning Act 1982, to ensure that there is adequate provision of facilities for recreational, sporting, cultural and social activities within the local authority. This should include the provision of gym facilities that are accessible and inclusive, with a fair pricing structure.

sportscotland’s 2022-23 annual review of local authority charges for sports participation in Scotland highlighted 27 local authorities, offered a concessionary scheme for disabled people which provided reduced or free use access to sports and leisure facilities.

Question reference: S6W-22498

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it considered regarding the potential consequences of separating a mother from their newborn in connection with the proposed location of neonatal intensive care units.

The Best Start emphasises parents as key partners in caring for their baby and aims to keep mothers and babies, and families together as much as possible in the crucial early weeks, with services designed around them.

The new model of care aims to minimise the separation of families, and to support parents with babies in neonatal care. We have a number of measures already in place to support families:

Providing accommodation for parents to stay on or near neonatal units;
Roll out of the Young Patients Family Fund (formerly the Neonatal Expenses Fund) to support families with the costs of travel, accommodation and food whilst their baby is in neonatal care;
and
Repatriating babies to their local neonatal units as soon as clinically possible.

Under the new model of care mothers in suspected extreme pre-term labour are transferred before they give birth (in-utero) to maternity units in the hospitals that have neonatal intensive care units. Experience from the Early Implementer Boards indicates that this will happen in the vast majority of cases. On occasion when it is not possible to transfer mothers before they give birth, the baby will be stabilised and transferred to a NICU by the specialist neonatal transport service ScotSTAR, and the mother will be transferred to the maternity unit in the same hospital as her baby.

Question reference: S6W-22499

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the scoring methodology and underpinning detail used in identifying which neonatal services should be retained.

The Options Appraisal Report , published on 25 July 2023 describes the process undertaken to determine the three final Neonatal Intensive Care Units, and the feasibility analysis and testing that followed the conclusion of that process. Annex A of the Report includes the criteria and weighting used for the Options Appraisal Process. Annexes C and D of the report outline the data that supported the Options Appraisal process.

Further detail on the methodology and the scoring of individual units can be found as part of the following Freedom of Information request:

Information relating to Options Appraisal Report: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-22492

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the reports into the pilot schemes for neonatal service changes in NHS (a) Ayrshire and Arran and (b) Fife.