Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-03987

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to research by Professor Denis Henshaw on the link between air pollution and child cancer.

It is widely documented that air pollution has a negative impact on health. However air pollution does not cause recognisably distinctive diseases and the sorts of illness that air pollution can exacerbate can also be affected by multiple other factors. The relationship between air pollution and health is extremely complex, and it is not possible to say with any certainty what impact air pollution can have on a specific individual. We do know that the very young, the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions are particularly vulnerable.

We welcome Professor Henshaw’s call for more research into the link between air pollution and child cancer, to further solidify whether there is a correlation.

Question reference: S6W-04132

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has taken any action to alert fire safety companies to the requirements on evacuation alert systems contained in British Standard 8629:2019.

Question reference: S6W-04036

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reported survivability bias in the Cancer Patient Experience Survey to ensure that experiences of patients with a less survivable cancer are captured.

The care experience survey programme, of which the Cancer Patient Experience Survey is part of, is due to be under review shortly to allow for the context of COVID-19.

The Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey is run in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support and is designed to be comparable with Cancer Patient Experience Surveys run in England and Wales. A change in methodology, such as altering the sampling frame, surveying people at different stages of treatment or surveying the relatives of those who have passed away, would result in survey results that are not comparable to the English & Welsh survey results. Such a change would require extensive consultation with stakeholders.

In order to capture the experience of patients with a less survivable cancer we are using tools such as Care Opinion and working with our third sector partners to collate best available evidence.

Question reference: S6W-04038

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02971 by Humza Yousaf on 12 October 2021, whether it will clarify which partners and stakeholders have been consulted, and what opportunities are available for other organisations to contribute to the development of the National Workforce Strategy.

As announced in the NHS Recovery Plan, by the end of 2021 the Scottish Government will publish a National Workforce Strategy.

We are co-producing this strategy with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA). We continue to work closely with a range of partners, both individually and collectively, and specifically through cross-sectoral reference groups including the National Workforce Planning Group, National Workforce Forum and the Scottish Partnership Forum (which includes representatives from across health and social care trades unions). Amongst others, we have engaged with the following organisations: (As engagement is on-going, this list will not be exhaustive)

Allied Health Professions Federation Scotland

British Medical Association

Care Inspectorate

Coalition of Care and Support Providers Scotland

Edinburgh University

GMB

NHS Scotland Health Board Chief Executives Forum

NHS Scotland Health Board HR Directors Forum

Integrated Joint Boards

Royal College of Nursing

Scottish Academy of Royal Medical Colleges

Scottish Care

Scottish Social Services Council

Skills Development Scotland

Social Work Scotland

Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers

Society of Personnel and Development Scotland

Unison

Unite

We continue to take representations on the content and scope of the strategy, and welcome views from across the sector.

Question reference: S6W-04003

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what data is collected regarding people who require ongoing support for disabilities resulting from a stroke.

The Scottish Stroke Care Audit does not currently measure ongoing support for disability needs. As part of the Programme for Government (PfG) stroke commitments, the stroke improvement team Rehabilitation Sub-Group is currently considering future updates to measure rehabilitation service delivery, patient outcomes and experiences.

All patients who require stroke rehabilitation should be offered it. Rehabilitation may be delivered via a variety of inpatient, early supported discharge and community teams.

Question reference: S6W-03949

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the actions ministers have taken under section 9 of the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020, regarding opportunities to advance equality and non-discrimination when exercising their functions under the Act.

Section 9 of the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 requires that the Scottish Ministers have regard to opportunities to advance equality and non-discrimination when exercising functions under Part 1 of the Act.

The following provisions under Part 1 of the Act confer functions on the Scottish Ministers, and details of measures undertaken to advance equality and non-discrimination when these functions have been exercised by Ministers is provided in the following table.

Act provision	Measures undertaken
Section 2, Schedule 1 – paragraph 8 (evictions – power to modify notice periods)	These functions were exercised in the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 (Eviction from Dwelling-houses) (Notice Periods) Modification Regulations 2020 (2020/270) to protect tenants and keep them safe in their home during the pandemic. Women are the majority of renters in the social rented sector, and people from non-white backgrounds are more likely than people from white backgrounds to live in the private rented sector - it was therefore crucial that a range of impact assessments were undertaken. This included significant contributions to both the Equality Impact Assessment and Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessments that were prepared and published as part of the wider work to implement the emergency Coronavirus legislation.
Section 5, Schedule 4 – paragraph 15 (community orders: power to vary requirements in community payback orders and drug treatment and testing orders)	These functions were exercised in the Community Orders (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Regulations 2021(2021/144), which used the power to vary community orders. Impact assessments, including an Equality Impact Assessment, were prepared and published to support scrutiny of this SSI. The regulations excluded orders imposed involving domestic abuse, sexual offences, and stalking to mitigate risks arising from the particular barriers that exist in relation to the reporting of those offences (and which are not found to the same extent with other offence types), and which the Scottish Government and other justice organisations have taken steps to reduce in recent years. These include action under Equally Safe, the Scottish Government’s national strategy to take action against all forms of violence against women and girls, ground-breaking domestic abuse legislation, investment in training and support, and campaigns.
Section 5, Schedule 4 – paragraph 19 (power to make regulations in relation to early release of prisoners)	This function was exercised to make The Release of Prisoners (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 (2020/138). The provisions of the Act, and the specific regulations set out in the SSI identified a cohort of prisoners who were considered for early release. The criteria which were applied related to the individuals’ previous offending (including exclusions for individuals sentenced for sex offences, domestic abuse or harassment offences – and a provision for prison Governors to exclude otherwise eligible individuals if there was evidence an early release would present a risk to a specific individual), as well as prisoner’s sentence length and time remaining to serve. As such, the criteria were uniform in their assessment of eligibility, irrespective of the individuals age, gender, or other potential discriminatory factors.
Section 7, Schedule 6 – paragraph 8(2) (power to postpone publication and laying of reports before the Scottish Parliament)	This functional provision was introduced by the Act and has been exercised to allow for publication of certain statutory reports to be delayed only in circumstances where publication by the required date would impede their ability to take effective action against coronavirus; otherwise publication would continue to be required as normal. The Scottish Government does not consider it to be a provision which could provide “opportunities to advance equality and non-discrimination when exercising their functions under the Act”. These are general, wide-reaching powers provided by the first Scottish Act without needing an SSI.
Section 7, schedule 6 – paragraph 9(2) (powers in relation to duties to publish or make available documents for inspection electronically)	This functional provision has been exercised by public authorities, particularly while access to public offices and libraries has been restricted, but due to the wide range of circumstances where Scottish Ministers or public bodies may have exercised these powers, it would be disproportionate to report on individual uses and so a record of its use is not available.The Scottish Government has recognised the online publication of certain documents, rather than them being made available for physical inspection, may have an impact on those who have less access to online technologies. Older people, disabled people and those with long-term health conditions have been identified particularly as using these technologies less than other groups. However, older people and those with long-term health conditions are also identified as being at greater risk from coronavirus. The Scottish Government recognised that the aim is to allow local authority business and other public services, including services for vulnerable groups, to continue and meet statutory requirements at any time while physical access is not permitted to prevent spread of the virus. These are general, wide-reaching powers provided by the first Scottish Act without needing an SSI.
Section 8, schedule 7- paragraphs 9 and 10 (power to make regulations in relation to duration of planning permission)	This provision gives Ministers power to alter the “emergency period” and the “extended period” referred to in the relevant provisions. These powers have been used to change these periods by: The Town and Country Planning (Emergency Period and Extended Period) (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Regulations 2020/254 – which changed the periods so that the emergency period would end on 31 March 2021 and the extended period would end on 30 September 2021. The Town and Country Planning (Emergency Period and Extended Period) (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Regulations 2021/100 (as subsequently amended by SSI 2021/142) – which changed the end of the emergency period from 31 March 2021 to 30 September 2021 and the end of the extended period from 30 September 2021 to 31 March 2022. The Town and Country Planning (Miscellaneous Temporary Modifications) (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Regulations 2021/292 - which changed the end of the emergency period from 30 September 2021 the end of 31 March 2022 and the end of the extended period from 31 March 2022 to the end of 30 September 2022. The Scottish Government does not consider it to be a provision which could provide “opportunities to advance equality and non-discrimination when exercising their functions under the Act”.

Question reference: S6W-03976

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will complete all flu vaccinations by the start of the flu season and by what date it expects to complete the vaccination programme for each of the eligible groups.

The seasonal flu vaccination programme started on 6 September and will run until March 2022. This year it is the biggest ever flu vaccination programme in Scotland reaching over 4 million people. So far, to the end of week 44, Public Health Scotland has reported that a total of 1,451,857 individuals, among different eligible cohorts, have received the influenza vaccine.

Flu vaccinations have started for those over the age of 70 years, and those at the highest clinical risk from flu. Flu vaccinations have also started for pregnant women, preschool children as well as primary and secondary pupils. Adults aged 60 years to 69 years and those aged 16 years plus with underlying health conditions have started receiving vaccination appointment letters. A portal has been launched for adults aged 50 years to 59 years, unpaid carers 16 years plus and adult (16 years plus) household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals allowing those groups to book flu appointments online ahead of flu season.

Question reference: S6W-03899

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to applications to study medicine, how many (a) were received and (b) were successful, broken down by each year since 2007.

Data on the number applications and accepted applicants is collected and published by the University and College Admissions Service (UCAS).

To note:

Applicants ’ are able to make up to 5 applications to study at Universities across the UK when applying through UCAS.
An ‘ Accepted Applicant ’ has been made an offer, met the conditions of the offer and accepted a place to study from one of their applications.
Tables include ‘Pre-clinical medicine’ and ‘Others in Medicine & Dentistry’ due to changes in UCAS subject coding in 2017.

The latest End of Cycle data can be found below.

Main Scheme Applications through UCAS to study Medicine at Scottish Providers

Subject Classification	Year of Application Cycle
Subject Classification	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
A1 - Pre-clinical Medicine	8,090	7,695	6,855	9,695	9,710	9,640	9,485
A9 - Others in Medicine and Dentistry	0	0	85	10	240	300	355

Subject Classification
Subject Classification	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
A1 - Pre-clinical Medicine	10,800	9,520	9,305	6,980	9,670	9,200	9,530
A9 - Others in Medicine and Dentistry	510	520	550	2,515	695	800	900

Source: UCAS End of Cycle 2020 Report

UCAS Undergraduate sector-level end of cycle data resources 2020 | Undergraduate | UCAS

Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.

Accepted Applicants through UCAS to study Medicine at Scottish Providers

Subject Classification	Year of Application Cycle
Subject Classification	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
A1 - Pre-clinical Medicine	960	1,010	990	1,025	1,095	940	960
A9 - Others in Medicine and Dentistry	0	0	10	0	35	35	30

Subject Classification
Subject Classification	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
A1 - Pre-clinical Medicine	975	980	1,015	840	1,065	1,155	1,290
A9 - Others in Medicine and Dentistry	45	60	70	280	135	145	135

Source: UCAS End of Cycle 2020 Report

UCAS Undergraduate sector-level end of cycle data resources 2020 | Undergraduate | UCAS

Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.

Question reference: S6W-03919

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding reports that ferries have to cease operations every day while being cleaned as part of COVID-19-related protocols, and what information it has on whether all other modes of transport are similarly treated.

Enhanced cleaning takes place on a regular basis on all vessels whilst they are in service. If a vessel is confirmed as having a positive covid case onboard, it is temporarily removed from service to allow a deep clean to take place by external contractors.

In terms of bus services – enhanced cleaning of all buses takes place daily, but they remain in service.

In terms of Trains - enhanced cleaning protocols remain in place for both ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper Ltd operations.

Question reference: S6W-03870

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of its commitment to establishing a National Register of Ancient Woodlands, and how it plans to work with planners and developers to protect ancient woodland and with land managers to enhance and restore ancient woodland conditions.

We are working closely with NatureScot and Scottish Forestry to determine the best approach to developing a new National Register of Ancient Woodlands. This will help us to determine how best to work with planners, developers and land managers as this project is developed. We're committed to working with a broad range of stake-holders and will make sure this includes cross-parliamentary representatives.

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