- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 31 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 12 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the health budget was spent on the National Wellbeing Hub in the financial year (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25.
Answer
The National Wellbeing Hub offers a range of self-service resources for staff across health, social care and social work on how to improve their wellbeing and resilience.
Less than 1% of the health budget was spent on the National Wellbeing Hub in financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25. The funding provided by Scottish Government is broken down as follows:
2023-24: £191,000 was allocated to the Hub.
2024-25: £96,000 was allocated to the Hub.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 31 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 12 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 16 full-time equivalent roles to support the mental health and wellbeing of the NHS workforce have been filled since the publication of this pledge in the national workforce strategy in March 2022.
Answer
Since March 2022, 16.8 whole time equivalent (WTE) posts have been in place. NHS Board partners provide quarterly reports on funding utilisation for Psychological Therapies for the Workforce.
In Quarter 3 of 2024-2025 (October 2024), the staff reported in post were 12.32 WTE, 0.8WTE in recruitment, 0.04WTE vacant.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many tests have been performed to date in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde by the capsule sponge diagnostic service.
Answer
As part of the Scottish Government’s Endoscopy Recovery and Remobilisation Plan (2021) nurse led Oesophageal Cell Collection Device services were rolled out across NHS Boards. To date, 11 Mainland Boards have active services with over 6,000 procedures delivered to August 2023. The OesophagealCell Collection Device is an alternative to endoscopy for diagnosis of pre and early oesophageal cancer as part of Upper GI Endoscopy Recovery Planning. The Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) continue to support the roll out, and evaluation of OesophagealCell Collection Device across Scotland.
Since starting in September 2020, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde have performed 1,680 oesophageal sponge cytology tests.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that there is access to capsule
sponge diagnostics for all who require this in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Answer
The Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) continues to support the roll out, and evaluation of the Oesophageal Cell Collection Device (CytoSponge) across Scotland.
However, whilst Scottish Ministers are responsible for determining the strategic policy of the NHS in Scotland, neither Scottish Ministers or officials are able to intervene directly in matters relating to clinical decision making as this is the sole responsibility of Healthcare professionals and Boards.
To specifically support scope based diagnostics we have published an Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan backed by £70 million. The plan focuses on key areas such as: Balancing Demand and Capacity; Workforce Training and Development; Infrastructure; and Innovation and Redesign. This plan has delivered:
- Four mobile endoscopy units across Scotland, providing 5-6 additional endoscopy rooms.
- A national endoscopy surveillance framework, introduced in February 2022, which has been implemented in all Health Boards and holds near-real time information for patients in Scotland having regular endoscopy checks (surveillance).
- Triage tools such as qFIT, and endoscopy alternatives such as Cytosponge, and Colon Capsule Endoscopy have also been introduced.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in 2024-25 to utilise capsule sponge technologies; how much will be allocated in 2025-26, and how many people it expects will be able to access these technologies.
Answer
From 2024-25, Boards have started to transition to business as usual for these tests and a small amount of funding was provided to support this transition. For NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde this equated to £36,450.
The Budget we set out on 4 December 2024 will throw the weight of the government behind performance improvements with almost £200 million to reduce waiting lists and help support reduction of delayed discharge. By March 2026, we expect no one to be waiting longer than 12 months for a new outpatient, inpatient treatment or day case treatment.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 3 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of the Spanish Tax Lease system, which is applied to finance agreements for the purchase of ships, making it possible for shipping companies to purchase ships built by Spanish shipyards at a 20% to 30% discount, and whether it (a) can and (b) will develop a similar system in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government is aware of the Spanish Tax Lease system.
The Spanish tax lease system refers to a Corporation Tax depreciation process.
Corporation Tax is entirely reserved to the UK Parliament, and so it would be beyond the devolved competency of the Scottish Government to introduce a similar system in Scotland.
It is the position of the Scottish Government that all tax powers, including those over Corporation Tax, be devolved to the Scottish Parliament so that the tax system can be redesigned to better suit the people and business who live and operate in Scotland.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 3 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland plans to dispose of its (a) Possilpark and (b) Springburn building.
Answer
The management of the Police Scotland Estate is an operational matter, and is the responsibility of the Chief Constable under the scrutiny of the Scottish Police Authority.
Police Scotland is considering the future of both the Possilpark (Saracen) Police station and their former police station in Springburn. Police Scotland consults widely on its plans for public facing properties, including disposal, in advance of any decisions being made.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 28 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the assessment of whether to include spinal muscular atrophy screening in health checks for newborns.
Answer
Scotland’s screening policy relies on recommendations from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific body that provides advice on screening policy to all four UK nations. To date, the UK NSC has not recommended Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) screening through the existing newborn blood spot test, and has stated it requires further evidence before a decision can be made.
The UK NSC continues to monitor and review the rapidly developing evidence base regarding SMA screening. Most recently, in November 2024, the interim results of a new modelling study into SMA screening for the UK context were presented at a workshop to stakeholders. The findings of this study, in conjunction with the proposed In Service Evaluation of SMA screening in some areas of England, will inform the UK NSC’s considerations regarding whether SMA screening should be recommended.
The UK NSC updates on significant developments regarding potential and existing screening programmes on their blog. This can be found at UK National Screening Committee – News and updates from the UK National Screening Committee
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the article Infinite and Everywhere, which was published in August 2024 by These Islands, and the reported view that
"renewables are a low return on capital business", that they
represent a different economic opportunity to oil and gas, and that "It is
the Union which unlocks Scotland’s potential in renewables".
Answer
The Scottish Government does not share this view.
The returns to Scotland from renewables are substantial. For example, the Fraser of Allander Institute estimates that in 2021 Scotland’s renewable energy sectors and supply chain supported over £10.1 billion of output, more than 42,000 full time equivalent jobs, and over £4.7 billion of Gross Value Added across the Scottish economy.
The reality is of course that some factors influencing our energy potential are governed at the UK level and decisions about that are taken in Whitehall. The Scottish Government is working collaboratively with the UK Government to ensure that decisions resulting from the ongoing Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) will be beneficial for Scotland’s people and economy.
The Scottish Government believes that an independent Scotland which maximises local renewable power generation can create greater energy self-reliance, reduce our exposure to the volatility of global gas prices, and ensure the lower cost of renewables is passed through to customers.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will update section 19 of the Historic Environment (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2011 to increase the maximum fine for offences in relation to unauthorised works and listed building consent above the current maximum of £50,000, recognising the effect of inflation, and whether it will consider pegging the fine to the independently assessed cost of restoring any damage.
Answer
The Scottish Government would advise that the question does not take into account section 8(4)(b) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997. While the summary conviction can carry a fine up to £50,000 the legislation also allows for a fine on conviction on indictment to which no maximum is provided.
