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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-14221

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the remit is of its data reconciliation project, as outlined in its publication, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland: statistics – December 2022.

In November the Scottish Government began a data reconciliation project with the aim of gathering detailed case-level updates on the progress and outcomes of property checks by Local Authorities for the Expressions of Interest from volunteer hosts. This data was collected ahead of the launch of the Scottish Government’s Offers of Accommodation scheme and is intended to provide a baseline data set for the property matching app being developed. The returns will be analysed and published in the monthly Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland statistics series, as part of our commitment to data transparency.

Question reference: S6W-14583

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Tom Arthur on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on plans to hold a consultation on community wealth building legislation.

The 2021-22 Programme for Government confirmed our plans to introduce legislation on Community Wealth Building during this Parliamentary session.

I am pleased to announce that I have published a consultation paper on how to achieve this today. The consultation will run until 25 April 2023 and can be accessed at: https://consult.gov.scot/economic-development/community-wealth-building-consultation

This consultation is the opportunity for all interested stakeholders to participate in shaping the content of the legislation and I would welcome a wide range of views on the changes that are required to grow local wealth and give communities a greater stake in the economy.

Responses to the consultation will be considered and used to inform the development of the legislation.

Question reference: S6W-14182

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on the use of vaping products.

Question reference: S6W-14172

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which routes will see peak fare rail prices removed as part of the trial from April 2023.

Question reference: S6W-13962

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients and residents currently being cared for by health and social care services (a) do and (b) do not have access to free Wi-Fi (i) at their bedside and (ii) in public areas within their healthcare setting, broken down by NHS board.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

All Health Boards have a responsibility to ensure that that Wi-Fi is of a sufficient standard to support both patients and staff to have access to connectivity.

In 2019, Scotland undertook its first digital maturity assessment across health and social care which helped to prioritise key areas for investment. A further assessment is due to take place later this year which will include consideration of availability of Wi-Fi that we expect to inform further priorities.

There is no centrally held resource providing information about the Wi-Fi provision for residents in care homes. However, data obtained from participating care homes on the programme of work to fulfil the Digital Approaches in Care Homes Action Plan has indicated that an estimated 55% of care homes have Wi-Fi access throughout the premises, 38% have only partial Wi-Fi coverage, and 9% have no Wi-Fi access for residents.

Our digital in care homes programme was launched to complement the Connecting Scotland digital inclusion programme. It saw over 75% of all adult and children's care homes in Scotland take up the offer of digital devices, data packages, connectivity improvements and skills. This included providing increased Wi-Fi/MiFi capabilities for those who required this. The homes who took up this offer cover over 90% of all care home residents in Scotland with devices being used to help residents to remain connected to friends and family and to access key services such as the NHS.

Question reference: S6W-13964

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent in each year since 2007 on the provision of access to free Wi-Fi for patients and residents currently being cared for by health and social care services (a) at their bedside and (b) in public areas within their healthcare setting.

Question reference: S6W-14021

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Network Rail about ensuring that its infrastructure does not curtail or hold back renewable energy development infrastructure.

Interaction of utility and rail infrastructure is a commercial issue that is managed through contracts between those parties involved. The Scottish Government has no role in those commercial discussions, although if concerns are brought to our attention Scottish Government officials will seek to understand the basis of those concerns and reach out to relevant parties to encourage a swift solution.

Question reference: S6W-13984

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have accessed health and social care services via asynchronous communication in the last year, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-13990

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Digital Health and Care Strategy, what rights and responsibilities people have for using digital means to access information and services.

The “Health and Social Care Standards: my support, my life” set out a range of standards on what people should expect when using health, social care or social work services in Scotland. These include the use of technology to support independence and having more control over their own health and wellbeing, and for those in 24 hour care that they are connected to the internet. The Standards also set out an expectation that people can access the right information at the right time, and patients rights and responsibilities in relation to their information is further enhanced by the Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities which sets out expectations around confidentiality and handling of medical information.

Question reference: S6W-13972

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions (a) ministers and (b) its staff have flown (i) out of and (ii) in to Prestwick Airport since 2013, broken down by year.

Calendar year	Ministers	Officials
2013	0	2
2014	1	1
2015	0	1
2016	0	0
2017	0	0
2018	0	0
2019	0	0
2020	0	0
2021	0	0
2022	0	0

Calendar year	Ministers	Officials
2013	1	2
2014	0	0
2015	0	0
2016	0	1
2017	0	0
2018	1	1
2019	0	0
2020	0	0
2021	0	0
2022	0	0