Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-08752

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 14 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Birthrights report, Systemic racism, not broken bodies, on racial injustice and human rights in UK maternity care.

The Scottish Government welcomes the publication of Birthright’s report - Systemic Racism, not Broken Bodies , published on 23 May 2022 - and we are considering its findings carefully, alongside the actions and recommendations from all audit reports and the MBRRACE-UK confidential enquiries. Our expectation remains clear: that mothers and babies receive high-quality, person-centred maternity care, tailored to their needs, with quality and safety central to decision-making.

We are participating in the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Race Equality Taskforce . The Scottish Government’s Senior Medical Officer for Maternity and Women’s Health is a member of the Taskforce, which will make recommendations for actions in maternity services to tackle the inequity in outcomes for pregnant women and babies from minority ethnic communities.

Question reference: S6W-08821

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 14 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to FIVEXMORE's Black Maternity Experiences Survey, in particular the finding that 43% of respondents reported feeling discriminated against during their maternity care.

The Scottish Government welcomes the publication of FIVEXMORE’s [The] Black Maternity Experiences Survey – a Nationwide Study of Black Women’s Experiences of Maternity Services in the United Kingdom , published on 24 May 2022, and we are considering its findings carefully, alongside the actions and recommendations from all audit reports and the MBRRACE-UK confidential enquiries. Our expectation remains clear: that mothers and babies receive high-quality, person-centred maternity care at all times, tailored to their needs, with quality and safety central to decision-making.

We are participating in the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Race Equality Taskforce . The Scottish Government’s Senior Medical Officer for Maternity and Women’s Health is a member of the Taskforce, which will make recommendations for actions in maternity services to tackle the inequity in outcomes for pregnant women and babies from minority ethnic communities.

Question reference: S6F-01175

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 June 2022

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the finding of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine report, Beds in the NHS, that, since 2010, 4,227 hospital beds have been taken out of active service in NHS Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-01166

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Funding Council in light of the reported ongoing governance concerns at South Lanarkshire College.

Question reference: S6O-01135

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how Historic Environment Scotland ensures that communities are adequately consulted when considering whether a building should be listed.

Question reference: S6W-08003

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 11 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the next Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey or equivalent will (a) gather and (b) publish data about (i) the use of and (ii) attitudes towards vaping products and e-cigarettes.

There are currently no plans to recommission the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Attitude Survey (SALSUS).Over the past 4 years, the Scottish Government has been working with local authorities in developing a Health and Wellbeing Census.This Census is currently underway in Scottish schools and contains some key, high-level data which were previously collected in SALSUS.This includes questions on e-cigarettes, with both S2 and S4 pupils being asked about their frequency of use of these products. An additional question on usage and where these products were purchased is also asked of S4 pupils.

Results from the 2021-22 HWC are expected to be published towards the end of 2022.

Question reference: S6W-08004

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people aged under 18 are recorded as having been supplied with vaping products in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Enforcement of legislation around the sale and purchase of NVP's is carried out by Local Authorities as part of the ETSEP (Enhanced Tobacco (and NVP) Sales Enforcement Programme) overseen by The Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS), and funded by the Scottish Government. These activities in relation to this are reported annually to the Scottish Government with figures provided on a national basis.

The following table shows verified sales of NVPs to under 18s, following test purchase failures during trading standards activity over the past five financial years.

Financial Year	17-18	18-19	19-20	20-21	21-22
Aberdeen	1	5	7		1
Aberdeenshire		2
Angus	1	9	1
Argyll & Bute	1		1
City of Edinburgh		6	4
Clackmannanshire	0	0	0	0	0
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar	0	0	0	0	0
Dumfries & Galloway	0	0	0	0	0
Dundee City		4	1
East Ayrshire		1
East Dumbarton			2
East Lothian	0	0	0	0	0
East Renfrewshire	0	0	0	0	0
Falkirk	0	0	0	0	0
Fife		5
Glasgow City	19	14	11
Highland			2
Inverclyde		2	2
Midlothian	0	0	0	0	0
Moray	2		1		2
North Ayrshire	9		7
North Lanarkshire	7	8	5		6
Orkney	0	0	0	0	0
Perth & Kinross	0	0	0	0	0
Renfrewshire	0	0	0	0	0
Scottish Borders					1
Shetland	0	0	0	0	0
South Ayrshire	1	0	0	0	0
South Lanarkshire	0	0	0	0	0
Stirling [and Clackmannan]	0	0	0	0	0
West Dunbartonshire	0	0	0	0	0
West Lothian	0	0	0	0	0

Question reference: S6W-08005

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether research has been commissioned for the next Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey or equivalent, and, if so, when it anticipates that this data will be published.

There are currently no plans to recommission the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Attitude Survey (SALSUS). Over the past 4 years, the Scottish Government has been working with local authorities in developing a Health and Wellbeing Census. This Census is currently underway in Scottish schools and contains some key, high-level data which were previously collected in SALSUS. Results from the 2021/22 HWC are expected to be published towards the end of 2022.

Question reference: S6F-01051

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 May 2022

To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on what the Scottish Government is doing to support households through the cost of living crisis.

Question reference: S6W-07643

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 25 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to motion S6M-00923 in the name of Jackie Baillie (Growing Need for Specialist Huntington’s Disease Services), which called for an expansion of specialist Huntington's disease services, in light of the motion being supported by 99 MSPs across all parties, whether it will consider the introduction of a peripatetic Huntington's disease specialist service to support families affected by the disease in areas with no service, limited services or gaps in service.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone living in Scotland with Huntington’s Disease is able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

The Scottish Huntington’s Association (SHA) submitted an application to the latest round of funding provided via the Neurological Care and Support – a National Framework for Action , to support the recruitment of a Peripatetic Huntington’s Disease Specialist.

Applications for funding were assessed and scored by a panel however, unfortunately, the SHA’s application was not successful.

Despite the application being unsuccessful, we want to better understand the need for further provisions and service development across neurological conditions, including Huntington’s Disease, and Scottish Government officials plan to meet with SHA to further explore the issue.

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