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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-23851

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many outpatient appointments there have been at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh in each year since 1999.

Table 1 provides the number of attended outpatient appointments in consultant-led clinics at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion by financial year from 2004/05. It is not possible to provide figures for 1999-2003, as prior to 2004 activity at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion was recorded under the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh along with activity from other facilities on the Lauriston Place site.

Table 1: Outpatient attendances at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, 2004-05 to 2022-23

Financial Year	Outpatient attendances
2004-05	51,010
2005-06	51,831
2006-07	50,609
2007-08	49,589
2008-09	49,630
2009-10	54,461
2010-11	57,669
2011-12	55,854
2012-13	58,010
2013-14	60,133
2014-15	58,072
2015-16	59,457
2016-17	60,494
2017-18	60,737
2018-19	65,955
2019-20	62,670
2020-21	42,169
2021-22	56,878
2022-23	59,240

Source: Public Health Scotland

Question reference: S6W-23856

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W- 21565 by Natalie Don on 4 October 2023, whether it will publish the outcomes of the research by The Lines Between before the end of 2023.

Question reference: S6W-23852

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many training opportunities have been available for students at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh in each year since 1999.

The University of Edinburgh advised approximately 200-250 of their students per year attend undergraduate medical placements at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion since 1999. The University of Aberdeen advised that one student had attended in 2023 with no other Scottish Medical School reporting sending any students.

It should be noted that undergraduate medical students in Scotland other than those from the University of Edinburgh are not routinely sent to Edinburgh for Ophthalmology placements.

Question reference: S6W-23855

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many deaths have been attributed to thrombosis in Scotland in each year since 1999.

Table 1 - deaths from thrombosis-related conditions, 2000-2022.

Figures provided go back to 2000 and not 1999 as requested, as this is the period for which the National Records of Scotland have consistent data.

Year	Coronary thrombosis - all due to (1)	Coronary thrombosis - many due to (2)	Cerebral thrombosis (venous and arterial) - all due to (3)	Cerebral thrombosis (venous and arterial) - many due to (4)	Peripheral arterial thrombosis - many due to (5)	Venous thrombosis at various sites - all due to (6)	Venous thrombosis at various sites - many due to (7)	Other conditions caused by thrombosis - all due to (8)	Other conditions caused by thrombosis - many due to (9)
2000	7,508	4,793	78	3,888	229	2	193	0	18
2001	7,326	4,469	70	3,647	261	2	197	0	14
2002	7,269	4,295	51	3,702	264	2	202	0	9
2003	6,962	4,346	44	3,365	248	2	170	0	17
2004	6,311	4,340	33	3,258	245	6	161	0	21
2005	6,046	4,123	31	2,922	265	4	142	0	15
2006	5,494	3,782	20	2,834	302	1	137	0	10
2007	5,340	3,767	21	2,732	278	3	128	0	20
2008	4,997	3,625	20	2,799	315	2	133	0	9
2009	4,682	3,334	23	2,490	335	5	132	0	8
2010	4,577	3,266	26	2,382	291	1	137	0	12
2011	4,266	3,293	19	2,294	335	3	147	0	13
2012	4,073	3,366	5	2,248	334	1	126	1	7
2013	3,827	3,325	18	2,247	345	3	139	0	9
2014	3,497	3,254	14	2,073	362	2	151	0	12
2015	3,538	3,499	21	2,097	350	11	142	0	10
2016	3,629	2,943	24	1,965	296	6	136	0	13
2017	3,887	2,751	15	2,018	325	6	152	1	17
2018	4,023	2,527	23	1,978	340	5	111	8	16
2019	4,034	2,455	24	1,932	331	4	133	7	9
2020	4,173	2,494	23	2,039	320	5	148	4	6
2021	4,140	2,835	22	1,965	340	2	149	7	13
2022	4,125	2,927	28	1,985	366	5	140	3	10

ICD-10 codes used in each of the above categories

(1) - ICD-10 codes I21, I22, I23.6, I24.0. Includes, for example, ICD-10 code I21.9, which covers "acute myocardial infarction, unspecified".

(2) - ICD-10 code I25, which covers "chronic ischaemic heart disease".

(3) - ICD-10 codes I63.0, I63.3, I63.6, I67.6, O22.5, O87.3. Includes, for example, ICD-10 code I63.3, which covers "cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of cerebral arteries".

(4) - ICD-10 codes G08, I63.2, I63.5, I63.8, I63.9, I64, I65, I66, I67.2, I67.8, I69.3, I69.4. Includes, for example, ICD-10 code I64, which covers "stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarction".

(5) - ICD-10 codes I74, K55.0, K55.1, K55.9. Includes, for example, ICD-10 code I74.9, which covers "embolism and thrombosis of unspecified artery".

(6) - ICD-10 codes H34.8, I81, O22.2, O22.3, O87.1.

(7) - ICD-10 codes I80, O22.9, O87.0, O87.9. Includes, for example, ICD-10 code I80.2, which covers "phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of other deep vessels of lower extremities".

(8) - ICD-10 code I51.3.

(9) - ICD-10 codes O69.5, D73.5, G95.1, H34.2, I82, N28.0, N48.8, N50.1

Source: National Records of Scotland

Question reference: S6W-23854

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support it has made available to help cover the costs of running vital medical equipment for patients at home.

The Scottish Government is acutely aware that energy consumers, and especially consumers that receive treatment at home, are feeling the impact of price hikes in the cost of energy. Increased energy costs are just one of a range of cost pressures NHS Boards need to manage in order to deliver services that best meet the needs of their local populations.

The Scottish Government has pledged almost £3 billion in this financial year that will contribute towards helping families and households face the increased cost of living. This includes the provision of services and financial support not available elsewhere in the UK, that is helping to reduce everyday costs and increase incomes.

The energy costs in running home oxygen concentrators is reimbursed to patients by the holder of the national contract, Dolby Vivisol.

The answer to question S6W-23137 on 4 December 2023 details our work with Health Boards to achieve national consistency in the approach to reimbursement of electricity costs in relation to home dialysis.

Any reimbursement of energy costs relating to other vital medical equipment for patients at home remains the responsibility of the NHS Board.

The Scottish Government continues to work with Boards to address financial pressures across the system to support recovery and reform and delivery if financially, environmentally and socially sustainable health and care services. This is backed by investment of £73 billion in health and social care across the Resource Pending Review period, and a further £1.3 billion capital funding to 2025-26.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6W-24191

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 29 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to each Regional Growth Deal, broken down by how much has been allocated to each individual project.

The Scottish and UK Governments have committed over £3 billion to the City Region Deals programme and its associated investments. Information on the individual projects funded through the growth deals are outlined in their associated deal agreements.

Deal	Signed	SG Funding	UKG Funding	Full Deal/HOT Documentation
Aberdeen City Region Deal	November 2016	£125 million	£125 million	Aberdeen Full Deal Doc
Ayrshire Growth Deal	November 2020	£103 million	£103 million	Ayrshire Full Deal Doc
Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal	March 2021	£85 million	£65 million	Borderlands Full Deal Doc
Edinburgh & South-East Scotland City Region Deal	August 2018	£300 million	£300 million	Edinburgh Full Deal Doc
Glasgow City Region Deal	August 2014	£500 million	£500 million	Glasgow Full Deal Doc
Inverness and Highland City Region Deal	January 2017	£135 million	£53 million	Inverness Full Deal Doc
Islands Growth Deal	January 2023	£50 million	£50 million	Islands Full Deal Doc
Moray Growth Deal	December 2021	£32.5 million	£32.5 million	Moray Full Deal Doc
Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal	February 2020	£45.1 million	£45.1 million	Stirling Full Deal Document
Tay Cities City Region Deal	December 2020	£150 million	£150 million	Tay Cities Full Deal Document
Argyll & Bute Growth Deal	Heads of Terms: February 2021	£25 million	£25 million	Argyll and Bute HOT Doc
Falkirk Growth Deal	Heads of Terms: December 2021	£40 million	£40 million	Falkirk HOT Doc
Total Investment		£1,590.6 million	£1,488.6 million

We have also committed a further £319 million to further projects and programmes linked to the deals which will help to achieve regional economic ambitions. These are further projects proposed by deal partners which the UK Government would not match fund, but which we judged to be important to achieving regional economic ambitions.

Growth Deal: Linked Investments	SG Funding
Aberdeen City Region Deal additional investment	£254 million
Falkirk Growth Deal additional investment	£10 million
Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal additional investment	£5 million
Tay Cities City Region Deal additional investment	£50 million
Total investment	£319 million

Question reference: S6O-02948

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address any challenges in relation to the accessibility of traditional skills programmes to ensure that young people have access to the same career opportunities.

Question reference: S6W-23437

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 20 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with stakeholders regarding the incorporation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government into Scots law, in light of its support for the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill.

Question reference: S6W-23436

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 20 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting the progress of the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill.

The Scottish Government remains fully committed to supporting Mark Ruskell MSP in progressing his Members’ Bill to reconsideration stage as soon as possible. The Verity House Agreement includes an explicit commitment for Ministers to do this.

Now that the amended United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill has been passed by Parliament, we are preparing suggested amendments to the Members’ Bill to assist.

Question reference: S6W-23688

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 19 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22410 by Jenni Minto on 7 November 2023, within what timescale it will publish the outcome of the work that it is undertaking with NHS boards on national consistency regarding reimbursement policies for electricity costs relating to home dialysis.