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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-08093

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make access to early medical abortion via telemedicine permanent and, if so, within what timescale.

Question reference: S6W-08094

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that over 400 cases of drink spiking were reported to Police Scotland between October 2021 and February 2022.

The act of drink spiking is utterly abhorrent and the Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to continue working with partners to tackle this unacceptable behaviour. Police Scotland have recorded over 492 crimes of ‘Drugging’ and ‘Administering a substance for sexual purposes’, since October 2021, and continue to work closely with Scottish Government to monitor the situation. These can be broken down as follows:

	Oct 2021	Nov 2021	Dec 2021	Jan 2022	Feb 2022	Mar 2022
Drugging	119	170	72	32	36	46
Administering a substance for sexual purposes	3	2	2	1	3	6

Source: Recorded Crime in Scotland Monthly Official Statistics

On 4 November and 8 December 2021, I chaired urgent roundtables on spiking to discuss to discuss the prevalence of spiking crimes and to agree what action should be taken. It was agreed that the key immediate and ongoing activity should focus on ensuring consistent messaging and prevention activity, including training for night time industry staff, to both raise awareness and help keep people safe. The roundtable will be reconvened in June, and again in September, to ensure readiness of partners ahead of the new academic year.

Police Scotland have reported a downward trend in recorded spiking incidents since November last year, however we continue to monitor the situation closely and to ask for the public to remain vigilant.

Question reference: S6W-08090

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Public Health Scotland's recent research findings on perinatal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether it plans to introduce new policies or guidance on postnatal visiting, including partner and sibling visiting only.

The Scottish Government welcomed the publication of this report and is considering its conclusions and any actions to be taken, whether nationally or locally, as a result of the research findings. In particular, the information will inform our ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic in areas such as antenatal education, telecare and visiting.

We published our maternity and neonatal visiting guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): hospital visiting guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) which aligns with wider NHS guidance and the lifting of restrictions, and includes advice on partner and sibling visiting.

Question reference: S6F-01094

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 May 2022

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will convene an emergency summit on abortion healthcare in response to anti-abortion rights action in Scotland and around the world.

Question reference: S6W-07902

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Public Health Scotland regarding data and transparency in relation to return chronic pain patients, and (a) when and (b) how frequently waiting time information for return chronic pain patients will be published.

Question reference: S6W-08060

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure deaf and disabled people are involved in the changes that will lead to a just transition.

The Scottish Government is committed to working across society to deliver lasting action that secures a just transition to climate resilience and net zero for Scotland. Our Just Transition Plans, representing a large degree of our policy, will identify concrete steps to manage the economic and social impacts of the transition fairly. We have committed to co-designing our Just Transition Plans to ensure they are underpinned by diversity and inclusion and support wider objectives on furthering equality and human rights across all protected characteristics. We will be publishing details on our approach to co-design, including the involvement of deaf and disabled people, shortly.

Question reference: S6W-07901

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce treatment time targets for return chronic pain patients.

Chronic Pain services in Scotland are currently unable to gather electronic data on return appointments in a consistent manner and one that could support routine national data collection by Public Health Scotland (PHS).

We have published a draft Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery for public consultation in December 2021 which invited ideas and views on a proposed commitment to continue work with Public Health Scotland to increase national reporting and analysis of data to improve services for people with chronic pain.

Responses to the consultation are currently being analysed and we will publish our response to the findings, including how these views have been used to shape the final Framework and actions to improve pain management data collection and reporting, later this year.

Question reference: S6W-08151

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to FAVOR UK's Advocacy Project 6 month report.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring a human rights-based approach is delivered across all our public services. We recognise the key role that peer-led advocacy has to play in ensuring the rights of people who use drugs are fully protected.

Advocacy work is delivered across Scotland by a number of organisations and contributes to the delivery of our National Mission to reduce drug deaths and improve lives. The Scottish Government therefore welcomes FAVOR UK’s Advocacy Project and the positive impact this service is reported to have made to the lives of the individuals supported during the first 6 months of the project.

The report identifies systematic challenges that the Scottish Government is seeking to address through the National Mission. We recognise the vital role that residential rehabilitation can play and in recognition of this we have committed £100 million over the life of the National Mission to allow more people to access such services.

The Scottish Government aims to increase the number of statutory funded residential rehabilitation placements by 300% over the next five years. We have announced funding for four projects which combined will provide a total increase of 85 beds in Scotland by 2025/26, increasing rehabilitation capacity from 425 to 510 beds. It is envisaged that at least 1,000 people every year will be able to access government funded residential rehabilitation services by 2026.

The report also details the value of people who use drugs being supported to make informed choices in relation to their treatment options. The Scottish Government recognises the importance of this and the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards will ensure that people have a say in the type and choice of treatment being made available to them .

Question reference: S6W-08150

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07061 by Maree Todd on 14 March 2022, when the evaluation of early medical abortion will begin; when it is expected to be completed, and what the terms of reference of the evaluation are.

The evaluation of early medical abortion at home began in October 2021, with of the final report currently due in autumn 2022. The evaluation seeks to provide further evidence regarding the safety, and efficacy of the current early medical abortion at home arrangements and to consider the experiences of women in Scotland accessing abortion early medical abortion services. It will also review practices and procedures in each NHS Board area and, where appropriate, identify areas of good practice.

Question reference: S6W-08089

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when a (a) Women's Health Champion and (b) Women’s Health Lead in every NHS board will be appointed, as stated in its Women's Health Plan.

We published the Women’s Health Plan in August 2021. The actions in the Plan are divided into short term (one year), medium term (one to three years) and long term (three years or more) timescales.

As set out in the Plan we will be appointing a national Women’s Health Champion. In addition, a Women's Health Lead will be established in every NHS board to drive change and share best practice and innovation. These are medium term actions but scoping work is underway and further announcements will be made in due course.