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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-24570

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many working groups it has established in each year since 1999.

Due to the scope and timeframe of the question, the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost as this data is not available from a single source. However, the Scottish Government has responded to FOI requests seeking information in relation to working groups in September 2021 and September 2023 which may be helpful. Links to those FOI responses can be found below:

Various questions relating to Scottish Government working groups: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Breakdown of Scottish Government groups: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ”

Question reference: S6W-24682

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the reported failures with paediatric audiology services in NHS Lothian, what action was taken for patients identified in the first and second audits as needing further follow up who did not attend or reply to a letter, and, for every child, whether (a) there was direct contact with their (i) family and (ii) named person or health visitor, (b) their GP was informed and (c) any contact was by a means other than a letter.

NHS Lothian have advised that they make significant efforts to support attendance at appointments with affected families and follow an enhanced did not attend (DNA) policy whereby if a patient doesn’t attend their first appointment, they are contacted by telephone by an Audiologist to discuss non-attendance. A further appointment is then verbally agreed, and a letter sent to the family confirming the new appointment date. If there is a second instance of failure to attend, a further phone call by an Audiologist is made to agree a new appointment date and to discuss any issues and/or barriers in relation to attending the appointment. However, if there is a third instance of failure to attend then a DNA letter is sent to the family and copied to the GP and/or Health Visitor informing them the patient has been discharged from the service. Even after this letter if sent, if the family feel they still require an appointment, they can contact the service within 4 weeks and will be offered an appointment.

The BAA selected the different cohort of patients and the number of patients to be reviewed in each of the cohort groups, which was based on an increased likelihood of risk of missed hearing loss and cohorts were stratified in this way by the BAA to maximise detection of missed or delayed cases of hearing loss and poor quality testing. NHS Lothian have confirmed that all children who have been identified through the original audit have had their care clinically reviewed and, where appropriate, have been recalled for review to ensure these children are receiving the right support and treatment. NHS Lothian have provided assurances on the process that they have in place to respond to patients who were not part of the original BAA audits but who, on review, have a pattern of care that reflects the issues highlighted by the BAA. Families are being directly contacted and offered a meeting with the Senior Management Team to discuss the findings and to agree an appropriate care plan, with a focus on ensuring the right support is in place. I have sought further assurance from NHS Lothian around those children that are predicted to have been missed, based on the cohorts and percentages reviewed and I will provide an update to the member in due course.

To date, out with the 2 BAA audits, 6 further cases have been identified and in line with previous arrangements, these families have been directly contacted and offered a meeting with the Senior Management Team to discuss the findings and to agree a future care and support plan.

All children and young people should receive the support that they need to reach their full potential. Education authorities are under a statutory duty to identify, provide for, and review the support that they provide for pupils with additional support needs. Decisions on support are a matter for individual education authorities. Education authorities also have duties to employ a teacher of the deaf where support is required for child or young person who is deaf or deafblind. NHS Lothian and Local Authorities work very closely to help ensure those affected receive the multi-agency support they need. In addition, in working closely with their colleagues within Speech and Language Therapy, NHS Lothian have increased the capacity of the specialist team that works with children with a hearing impairment to ensure appropriate support is available to affected children and families.

The Scottish Government commissioned an Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland which was published in August 2023 and in December 2023, announced that it accepted, in principle, all of the recommendations made as part of that review and work on implementation is now underway. Implementation will be undertaken with partners from the third sector, as well as the health service, which will allow us to ensure the voices of those with lived experience, including those affected within NHS Lothian, are front and centre as changes are made.

All teachers provide support to children and young people with additional support needs. The Additional Support for Learning Act places education authorities under duties to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils, including those affected by deafness. Education authorities also have duties to ensure that teachers who support children and young people with sensory impairments, including deafness, are appropriately qualified.

Any additional resources required to support the children affected would be a matter for the affected authorities to consider. Officials have engaged with the education authorities to support communication with NHS Lothian on this matter to help them identify any unmet needs.

The Scottish Government provides over £500,000 to voluntary sector organisations to support children and young people with additional support needs including sensory impairment. This includes funding to the Scottish Sensory Centre to support training to increase the capacity of staff in schools to provide effective support to deaf children and young people.

Question reference: S6W-24684

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the reported failures with paediatric audiology services in NHS Lothian, how many additional affected children have been identified who were not identified in the two audits.

Question reference: S6W-24685

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the reported failures with paediatric audiology services in NHS Lothian, whether it will commission an independent review of the needs of the affected children identified in both the audits, in order to assess any current social, education and health needs and the extent to which these are being met.

Question reference: S6W-24686

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the reported failures with paediatric audiology services in NHS Lothian, whether additional resources will be provided to meet any unmet needs identified for the affected children.

Question reference: S6W-24683

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the reported failures with paediatric audiology services in NHS Lothian, in light of the sampling not being based on risk, what its position is on whether there is a need for a review of a further sample of cases.

Question reference: S6W-24188

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many university students have been registered with a GP in each NHS board in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-24190

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding personal health alarms and the move to digital calls only by the end of 2025.

Since 2017, the Scottish Government has commissioned COSLA’s Digital Office for Local Government to implement a national programme for the transition of analogue to digital telecare. This approach has ensured a Scotland wide approach, the efficient use of resources and sharing of best practice in managing its complexity.

The Scottish Government, alongside COSLA’s Digital Office, continue to hold regular discussions with key partners including the telecoms industry, the Telecare Services Association (TSA), Ofcom and Local Authorities. Scottish partners are also actively sharing best practice and guidance with the other devolved nations.

At this point in time, telecare services across Scotland are on track to meet the end of 2025 analogue switch off.

Question reference: S6W-24189

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many cases of graffiti on public buildings have been reported to Police Scotland in each year since 1999.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.

The data we receive from Police Scotland for production of the Recorded Crime in Scotland National Statistics is a simple count of the numbers of crimes and offences, for each local authority, which the police have recorded and cleared up. We do not receive further details on the characteristics and circumstances of individual crimes, therefore we are unable to identify how many crimes of vandalism were in relation to graffiti or the location of these crimes.

Time series information on the total number of crimes of vandalism recorded by the police is available from the Recorded Crime in Scotland Accredited Official Statistics.

Question reference: S6O-02971

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the allocation of funding for the development of a national funding framework for adult and child hospices in Scotland.