Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 360 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-21758

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 September 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Maree Todd on 27 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Independent Review of Inspection, Scrutiny and Regulation of Social Care Support in Scotland recommendation report will be published.

I can confirm Dame Sue Bruce, the Chair of the Independent Review of Inspection, Scrutiny and Regulation of Social Care Support in Scotland, has submitted her findings to Ministers and the Independent Review of Inspection, Scrutiny and Regulation Recommendation Report alongside the IRISR Call for Evidence Analysis Report have been published on 27 September 2023.

Dame Sue Bruce has made 38 recommendations and I will consider these in full before setting out a full response.

I am content with the recommendation report provided by Dame Sue Bruce and I will consider the recommendations in full before setting out a full response and make a statement to Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-21363

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to paying the Scottish Child Payment to student nurses, midwives and paramedics for the duration of their education and placements.

Scottish Child Payment is delivered using Section 79 of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, which enables Scottish Ministers to top-up a qualifying reserved benefit, such as Universal Credit.

The groups mentioned may qualify for Scottish Child Payment if they are eligible for one of the qualifying benefits. However the eligibility criteria for students when applying for Universal Credit is stricter than that for individuals who are not undertaking studies and is set by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Eligible student nurses and midwives in Scotland continue to receive the highest level of support across the United Kingdom, including our non-means tested, non-repayable annual bursary of £10,000, plus associated allowances.

Question reference: S6O-02520

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the role of its international offices in promoting Scotland internationally.

Question reference: S6W-21107

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the external review of the paediatric Scottish National Spine Service in NHS Lothian.

In March 2023, the Scottish Government requested Public Health Scotland (PHS) to undertake an independent review of the Paediatric Scottish National Spinal Service (SNSS) which is hosted in NHS Lothian.

The review was requested to identify any variance between the number of cancellations reported by PHS and those held locally by SNSS. PHS confirmed cancellation data held by SNSS is aligned to PHS reported data.

PHS also assessed the application of National Waiting Times Guidance for children that were referred to SNSS, particularly focusing on children that required further diagnostic tests before a decision to treat was made. PHS found NHS Lothian to be adhering to and applying the waiting time guidance correctly.

Therefore, PHS concluded through this external assurance process that SNSS, hosted in NHS Lothian, in all of the areas reviewed adheres to and applies National Waiting Times Guidance with no apparent variation in the local data to that published by PHS.

A copy of the report can be found at Publications - Public Health Scotland .

Question reference: S6F-02343

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 September 2023

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the steps that are being taken to reduce drug deaths in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02462

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding ensuring access to the national grid for community energy schemes in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-19926

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the latest known levels of the starting salary for a (a) nurse and (b) junior doctor in Scotland, and on how this compares to the levels in (i) England and (ii) Wales.

A) The starting salary for a Band 1 nurse in Scotland for 2023-24 is £30,229. This pay offer is a consolidated pay increase of 15.8% over the previous two years.

i) The starting salary for a Band 1 nurse in England is £28,407.
‎ii) The starting salary for a Band 1 nurse in Wales is £28,834.

B) The starting salary for NHS Scotland Junior Doctors in 2022-23 is £27,653.

i) The starting salary for a Junior Doctor in England during 2022-23 was £29,384.
‎ii) The starting salary for a Junior Doctor in Wales during 2022-23 was £27,115.

Junior Doctors in Scotland are on a different set of contractual arrangements to their counterparts in England and Wales and whilst their base salary is lower, they receive a higher banding supplement than their counterparts in England and Wales.

The BMA are considering a pay offer of 12.4% for 2023-24. If accepted, a doctor at the beginning of their career would see their salary increase to £31,082 in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-19865

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 July 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Christine Grahame (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate on 28 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it has any plans to update the current Scottish Parliament educational resources published in the Scots language, in order to reflect the composition and the processes of the current parliamentary session.

There are no immediate plans to update our current educational resources into the Scots language. Our language policy is under review and once approved by the SPCB, it will determine what languages we offer resources in for the future.

Our current policy position is: “The SPCB publishes information in different languages to facilitate the engagement of people who live in Scotland with their Parliament. Languages selected for translation are reviewed on a regular basis and are updated to reflect population trends and perceived need.”

As part of our review, we have engaged with, and continue to engage with, stakeholders and monitor educational and linguistic trends. There are currently some resources in Scots and to date, these have met the level of demand we have from schools and MSPs.

I will update the Member as our review progresses and when it is approved. In the meantime, our Education Services team are happy to work with the Member and schools to see which resources that would be of use in Scots and to provide these within the school year that starts in August.

Question reference: S6W-20182

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 July 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenni Minto on 25 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will update the Parliament on the Best Start recommendation to design a new model of neonatal service to accommodate the current levels of demand, with a smaller number of intensive care neonatal units, supported by local neonatal and special care units.

The Scottish Government has remained committed to implementing the new model of neonatal intensive care as set out in The Best Start. That will see the most preterm and sickest babies receive specialist complex care in fewer centres. Evidence tells us long term health outcomes will improve for those babies if cared for in higher volume units.

We have been working with expert clinicians to plan for this service change and have identified that the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Aberdeen Maternity Unit should be the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) for babies and women requiring the most specialised care.

No neonatal units in Scotland will close. This is about ensuring the smallest and sickest babies are born where the they can readily access the very specialist care and services they may need.

Further information on the appraisal approach and framework can be found at

Information for parents can be found at Discharge Planning - Scottish Perinatal Network

Question reference: S6W-19844

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 July 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Elena Whitham on 7 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has come to a position on the recommendations of the Drug Deaths Taskforce 2021 report on drug law reform.

The Scottish Government has assessed the evidence presented by the independent Drug Deaths Taskforce, as well as the extensive evidence internationally on drug law reform, and today publish our response 'A Caring, Compassionate and Human Rights Informed Drug Policy for Scotland'. This outlines the need to consider urgent changes to our laws to support a public health approach to drug dependency.

Through our National Mission we are already working within existing powers to reduce drug deaths, and while there is more to do, we need every part of the system to support change and better outcomes. At present the legislative framework we operate within does not fully support our evidence-based public health approach. It is for this reason we explore alternatives, based on the best available evidence, which could be implemented whether through refinements to existing legislation, or through constitutional change, whether further devolution of powers or independence. We continue to stand ready to work with the UK Government to support the implementation of these policies.

A Caring, Compassionate and Human Rights Informed Drug Policy for Scotland is available here - https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781835210093 .