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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-34954

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking with NHS Grampian to support the improved delivery of dermatology services, in light of reports that waiting times for urgent referrals for suspected cancer are more than five months, and waiting times for routine referrals are more than two years.

Each territorial Health Board across Scotland has agreed performance improvement plans in place, detailing what is being done at local level to drive improvements. The Scottish Government has a sustained focus on the delivery of these plans and meet with Cancer Management Teams in all Health Boards across Scotland frequently, including NHS Grampian, to identify challenges, explore solutions, and share best practice.

This year we have allocated an additional £30 million funding to reduce waiting times across a range of specialities, including diagnostics and cancer. As part of this, NHS Grampian were allocated almost £200,000 for the treatment of skin cancer.

If approved by Parliament, the Scottish Government’s budget for the coming year will invest a record £21.7 billion in Scotland’s health and social care services, including £200 million to reduce waiting lists and improve capacity.

In addition, our National Digital Dermatology Programme, backed by £1.8 million funding, will help to reduce long waits for outpatient dermatology appointments across Scotland’s NHS. This allows for images of skin conditions to be captured in Primary Care and securely transferred to clinicians so diagnoses and follow-up appointments can be arranged. This leads to a better and quicker service for patients – allowing clinicians to see patients in the right place sooner - and could potentially reduce demand for outpatient dermatology appointments by up to 50 per cent.

The Digital Dermatology Programme was launched in November 2024, with patients in Dumfries and Galloway and Greater Glasgow and Clyde the first to benefit from this new pathway, and is due to be deployed to all Health Boards, including NHS Grampian, by Spring 2025.

Question reference: S6W-34319

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 7 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many local authority planning decisions the Scottish Ministers have overturned in each year since 2021, broken down by local authority.

Question reference: S6T-02222

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 December 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of capacity in the NHS, in light of the critical incident declared by NHS Grampian on 28 November 2024.

Question reference: S6O-04057

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects its preparatory work to conclude and the review into Creative Scotland, which was announced in September 2024, to get underway.

Question reference: S6O-04043

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on the output of the working group that was established to review the visitor experience in the chamber.

Question reference: S6O-04016

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of increased employer national insurance contributions on primary care providers in Scotland's NHS.

Question reference: S6W-30735

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to fill computing studies teacher vacancies.

While local authorities are responsible for the recruitment and deployment of teachers, the Scottish Government is committed to maximising the number of jobs available in a range of subjects, including computing science.

The Teaching Bursary Scheme offers a £20,000 payment to career changers who are looking to undertake graduate teacher training in hard-to-fill STEM subjects, including computing science.

We are currently exploring a pilot programme that would create more computing science teachers through the University of Aberdeen. Once finalised, further detail will be announced.

In addition, we are working with Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science (STACS) to consider wider initiatives to promote teaching as a valued career choice for computing students.

We have also asked our Strategic Board for Teacher Education to develop advice on how we can encourage more people into teaching, particularly in subjects we know are challenging to fill.

Question reference: S6W-30222

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 8 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the "14 days notice" to the occupier, as required by paragraph 10(2) of Schedule 4 of The Electricity Act 1989 to permit a person "authorised to enter upon any land" to do so "as of right", is a (a) general notice, (b) notice published or posted locally or (c) specific notice issued directly to each individual occupier.

Question reference: S6F-03444

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2024

To ask the First Minister what support the Scottish Government is providing to NHS boards in order to reduce waiting times for breast reconstruction surgery.

Question reference: S6W-30043

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Aberdeenshire Council withdrawing its technical objection to the plans in February 2024, whether it will provide an update on the most recent timetable for the delivery of the A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement Scheme.

Following the publication of draft Orders, Transport Scotland received four objections to the proposed A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement scheme, including one from Aberdeenshire Council following its decision to close the existing Oatyhill Bridge to vehicular traffic.

Transport Scotland has been undertaking comprehensive engagement with all those who objected to the scheme proposals including that of Aberdeenshire Council and this work has successfully resulted in all objections now being removed.

Whilst resolution of the final objection represents a significant milestone for the scheme, it is necessary to publish supplementary Orders for a new bridge at Oatyhill. This is required to address the decision of Aberdeenshire Council to close the existing Oatyhill Bridge to vehicular traffic. Work is being progressed by Transport Scotland to prepare and publish these supplementary draft Orders as a priority.

It is important to note that whilst all objections to the scheme have been removed the supplementary draft Orders will carry their own statutory consultation period and should further objections be received then these would have to resolved before proceeding.

Delivery of the scheme itself can only commence when the scheme is approved under the relevant statutory authorisation procedures and thereafter a timetable for construction can be determined in line with available budgets.