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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-16946

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the appointment of a new Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy, whether it will provide an update on what plans it has to tackle the number of drug deaths in Lanarkshire, in light of reports that the area had the second-highest number of drug deaths in Scotland during the last quarter of 2022.

The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering work across Government, Parliament and beyond, to reduce drug-related deaths throughout Scotland, including Lanarkshire, and our National Mission will help achieve that. The National Mission has reviewed and learned from best practice at home and internationally and concluded that a public health approach to drugs is the most effective way forward.

A key part of that National Mission is the delivery of our Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards and in Lanarkshire there is an Oversight and Implementation Group which has been established to oversee the implementation of these Standards. The group meet monthly and has Pan-Lanarkshire representation, including lived experience and family representatives.

They have submitted implementation plans to the Scottish Government, are reporting monthly on their progress, and are working with the Public Health Scotland led MIST (MAT Implementation Support Team) who are supporting areas to implement the standards.

NHS Lanarkshire is one of the highest performing Board areas in Scotland with regards to low waiting times. They continue to meet and exceed the waiting times target that 90% of people referred for help with problematic drug or alcohol use will wait no longer than three weeks for specialist treatment that supports their recovery.

There is a pan-Lanarkshire response to near-fatal overdoses in place via the Scottish Ambulance Service, and they have commissioned third sector outreach organisations to further support those with problem substance use and they have also implemented peer support initiatives. In addition to this work to support people still in active addiction, they also have a strong local recovery communities network.

Question reference: S6O-02213

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last engaged with Social Security Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02169

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its interim goals of reaching 50% of disabled people in employment by 2023 and 60% in employment by 2030.

Question reference: S6F-02048

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 April 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to Alcohol Focus Scotland’s emergency call to urgently take action to prevent further deaths and reduce harm from alcohol.

Question reference: S6O-02136

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Connections Framework will help to address any demographic challenges.

Question reference: S6O-02108

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the NHS Lanarkshire Annual Report of the Director of Public Health for 2021-22, which was published this March.

Question reference: S6O-01992

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last engaged with NHS Lanarkshire.

Question reference: S6W-14584

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 15 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with COSLA about ensuring resilience within local authorities to continue delivering externally-commissioned statutory services in the event of provider failure.

I regularly meet with representatives of COSLA including through a monthly relationship meeting with their Presidential Team. Those discussions provide the opportunity for COSLA to raise areas of priority for local government with me and we jointly consider what support the Scottish Government can potentially provide - discussion on this specific issue have not taken place to date.

It is for individual councils to plan for the operation of services, including contingency planning, particularly where these are needed to fulfil their statutory duties. The Scottish Government does engage with and involve COSLA on behalf of local authorities on what they might need to support those responsibilities, including funding but also guidance and other materials.

Question reference: S6O-01899

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards its 2032 affordable housing target.

Question reference: S6W-14019

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish the updated National Litter and Flytipping Strategy.