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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-36860

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to deliver a pilot of the minimum income guarantee for unpaid carers, as set out in the recent proposal by Carers Scotland and IPPR Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-36839

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress on its work with COSLA in relation to abolishing non-residential social care charges in the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S6W-36837

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has undertaken of any impact of non-residential social care charges on the uptake of social care by people eligible or already in receipt of social care.

Question reference: S6W-36838

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to abolishing all non-residential social care charges in the current parliamentary session, and, if so, by what date all such charges will be abolished.

Question reference: S6W-35534

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the causes of the reported delay in implementing the fracture liaison service audit, and what steps it is taking to prevent further delays.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) are responsible for the delivery of the Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) audit which was commissioned by Scottish Government in July 2024. PHS has informed Scottish Government that there was a delay in recruitment required for audit development, however this has now been completed. PHS are now working at pace in line with the business case requirements to establish this new audit.

Question reference: S6W-35281

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what annual funding has been made available for HIV transmission elimination since that goal was set in 2020.

HIV transmission elimination is funded as part of the wider Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus (SHBBV) budget. Many of the interventions which support this have wider impacts on sexual health improvement and blood borne virus elimination.

Prior to the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Action Plan 2023-26, the SHBBV Framework was supported by approximately £2 million, to support delivery of the outcomes between 2018 and 2021. This funding came to an end in March 2021.

Due to the pandemic, during 2021-22 interim arrangements were made for third sector organisations to continue to receive funding under the Framework from an SHBBV budget of around £0.8 million, with an additional £0.5 million allocated as part of COVID-19 planning to support recovery actions.

The SHBBV budget is approximately £1.7m per year since 2023-24. This supports delivery of the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Action Plan 2023-26, including a range of projects focused on HIV transmission elimination (details of which were published with the Plan).

Other specific projects the Scottish Government has funded include the national HIV anti-stigma campaign (£250,000 in 2022-23), the development of an ePrEP clinic (£400,000 in 2022-23), emergency department opt-out testing pilots (£145,000 in 2023-24), online postal self-sampling for sexually transmitted infections and HIV (£119,000 in 2023-24 and £300,000 in 2024-25), the Terrence Higgins Trust HIV self-test service (around £120,000 per year) and a workforce education project led by Waverley Care to reduce stigma in health and social care settings (£95,000 in 2024-25).

Question reference: S6W-35282

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to fund an extension of emergency department opt-out HIV testing.

Question reference: S6W-35283

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider the merits of a national HIV testing week for Scotland.

A national HIV testing week was carefully considered by the HIV Transmission Elimination Scoping Group, including clinical and public health experts, who did not recommend that it should be prioritised in the short to medium term. Based on the Group’s advice, our HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan 2023-26 sets out our approach to addressing stigma and promoting HIV testing on a consistent, year-round basis. However, the Scottish Government has committed to reviewing the potential costs and benefits of a national testing week once priority actions to expand capacity and improve access to testing have been progressed.

Question reference: S6W-35113

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to assist young carers, including supporting them in being able to access (a) short breaks and respite, (b) education and (c) employment.

Under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 every young carer has a right to a personalised support plan, called a young carer statement. The process of producing the statement must include identifying the young person’s needs, such as support to take a break, or to succeed in their own personal goals. To strengthen these rights, we are planning to use the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill currently in Parliament to amend this Act and establish a right to breaks for carers.

In addition to this, the published Scottish Budget for 2025-26 includes an uplift of £5m for the voluntary sector Short Breaks Fund, bringing the fund to £13m. Short breaks through this fund are delivered via several schemes, all of which can benefit young carers in different ways. This includes the Young Scot Young Carer package, aimed at all young carers aged 11-18.

We recognise the importance of young carers being identified in schools so that they can be supported in achieving their educational and wider goals, as set out in our National Carers Strategy.

To help achieve this, we fund a full time Education Officer post at Carers Trust Scotland to work with Education Scotland, the General Teaching Council for Scotland, and the Scottish Qualification Authority on improving young carer awareness, identification, and support in education. This has led to an accredited e-training module to help education staff understand, identify, and support young carers.

Young carers should also receive support under the Additional Support for Learning Act. Education authorities have duties to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils. This includes support for children and young people with caring responsibilities.

Additionally, we funded Young Scot to work with young carers to create a page on the Young Scot website, which hosts information and resources for young carers about what support is available to them at key transitions, including going from Secondary School onto further education or work. Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is also highlighting to career advisers the additional support young carers may need at this pivotal time. SDS will continue to look at how we can support young carers as they move into employment.

Question reference: S6W-35111

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Services in Scotland: An updated analysis of Health Board survey data as of July 2024, which was published in November 2024 and (a) suggested that there was a lack of services for children and young people with ME/CFS and (b) noted that only one NHS board reported any provision for children and young people with ME/CFS.

We recognise the importance of good quality care for children and young people living with ME/CFS.

The Scottish Budget 2025-26 includes £4.5 million to deliver specialist support across the country for long COVID, ME/CFS and other similar conditions. We are carefully considering how this new investment can best benefit people with these conditions across Scotland.

ME/CFS can present a broad range of symptoms, and we know there is no ‘one-size fits all’ response. Children and young people with ME/CFS who require investigation or input from secondary care specialities may access this via an appropriate GP referral, according to their needs.

We have funded the dissemination of an online learning module on ME/CFS for GPs and health professionals in Scotland, which is improving participants’ ability to diagnose and manage ME/CFS. NHS Education for Scotland have also published a Practice Based Small Group Learning module about ME/CFS for GPs and Primary Care professionals.

There are a number of national policy and strategic drivers which aim to ensure children and young people receive the best quality care & support. The Maternal and Child Health page on the Scottish Government website outlines the latest pieces of work towards our priorities in supporting children and young people.

The Health and Social Care Standards set out what we should expect when using health, social care or social work services in Scotland. We have also set out guidance regarding health and social care and supporting disabled children, young people and their families.

We want every child and young person in Scotland to reach their full potential. All support and planning for children and young people with ME/CFS should be underpinned by Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) - the national approach in Scotland to supporting the wellbeing, and to improving outcomes, of our children and young people.