Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-04939

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that 183 police stations need repairs, 177 contain asbestos and four contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

Question reference: S6W-40379

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the uptake of Free Personal and Nursing Care has been in each local authority area, and what action it is taking to (a) address any regional disparities and (b) increase the overall uptake.

Question reference: S6W-40215

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many newly qualified paramedics have joined the Scottish Ambulance Service in the North Region since 2023.

Question reference: S6W-40203

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what oversight it has of the Strategic Network for the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 and what assessment it has been made of the delivery of services.

Question reference: S6W-40202

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-37580 by Jenni Minto on 22 May 2025, whether it will provide a breakdown of how the £4.5 million fund it announced in December 2024 to deliver specialist support for long COVID, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and other similar conditions has been allocated and spent.

Question reference: S6W-40205

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide information on the guidance given to GPs and patients regarding long COVID, and any plans for public updates or campaigns.

Question reference: S6W-40204

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the 2024 reports by (a) the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE), Accessing Long Covid services in Scotland and (b) Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, One in Five on long covid.

Question reference: S6W-40201

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that it meets the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and disability equality commitments in relation to long COVID services.

Question reference: S6W-39376

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives to (a) GPs and (b) other medical professionals to gather a greater understanding of pulmonary fibrosis, and to equip them with the training necessary to support people living with the condition.

The Scottish Government’s Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland (RCAP) sets out our vision for driving improvement in the prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment and support of respiratory conditions including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung disease. We continue to work with many types of clinical advisors on delivering improvements to respiratory care and much of this is related to workforce and training of medical professionals.

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has a key role in coordinating recruitment to, and overseeing, the quality of postgraduate medical training for both GPs and hospital specialists. The training curricula are written by Medical Royal Colleges and approved by the General Medical Council (GMC), who consider advice from a wide range of stakeholders, including NES. These are subject to regular review and updating, and the training is delivered by territorial NHS Boards.

Scottish Government remains committed to delivering the National Workforce Strategy (Health and social care: national workforce strategy - gov.scot) and achieving the overall vision for “A sustainable, skilled workforce with attractive career choices and fair work where all are respected and valued for the work they do”. Whilst no formal update has yet been published, significant progress has been made in a number of areas and we remain committed to providing a fuller update to the strategy at an appropriate time. Whilst the Strategy does not set out operational workforce planning requirements, it states how we are directing policy to support the achievement of our workforce.

Question reference: S6W-39374

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 7 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what long-term plan it has to support people with pulmonary fibrosis.

The Scottish Government’s Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland (RCAP) sets out our vision for driving improvement in the prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment and support of people affected by respiratory conditions including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung disease.

There is also a significant respiratory work programme managed by the Respiratory Speciality Delivery Group within NHS Golden Jubilee. They have pathways under development for severe asthma, COPD and sleep apnoea. Pulmonary fibrosis has been added to their workplan for this year, and we will continue to work closely with colleagues leading this work to ensure all key stakeholders are informed of its progress.

Our new Prescribing Guideline sets out our ambitions for better access to respiratory care, including for those living with pulmonary fibrosis. The guide keeps the person with respiratory conditions at the centre of their treatment and disease management, and we also have national workstreams focusing on access to pulmonary rehabilitation and smoking cessation.

The Scotland's Population Health Framework (https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-population-health-framework/) sets out the Scottish Government's and COSLA’s long-term collective approach to improving Scotland’s health and reducing health inequalities for the next decade. The Framework sets out how national and local government will work with public sector partners, community organisations and business to tackle the root causes of ill health.

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