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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-11312

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 1 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it took up any offer from the UK Government to discuss the findings of the Union Connectivity Review.

The final Union Connectivity Review (UCR) Report was published in November 2021.

In March 2022, Transport Scotland officials had discussions with their UK Government counterparts at the Department for Transport (DfT) at which the findings of the UCR were discussed. Transport Scotland also provided an update on the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) which had been published in January 2022, in particular Recommendation 40, which relates to the A75 and A77.

Discussions have continued on the subject of possible related funding opportunities for development work on the A75 and the next scheduled meeting between officials is on 31 October.

Question reference: S6W-11212

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will investigate for what reason NHS workers, especially women, are reportedly not receiving PPE that fits them properly.

The Scottish Government is clear that any member of staff in NHS Scotland with concerns about any aspect of delivering healthcare has the right to raise their concerns and to have them addressed accordingly.

The Scottish Government expects all Health Boards at a local level to ensure frontline staff from all clinical groups receive the protective equipment they require.

At a national level, where there are a range of sizing options available NHS National Services Scotland buys and makes available a wide range of PPE to ensure that there is a suitable range of items to suit the majority of needs.

Question reference: S6W-11208

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to a long-term plan for PPE to ensure there is an ongoing resilient supply of PPE and support manufacturers to develop sustainable solutions.

Audit Scotland’s briefing on PPE in June 2021 told us we need to learn from experience and to address a range of PPE issues for the future, and the Scottish Government was happy to agree to that recommendation.

Work continues to consult on and implement a new approach to pandemic PPE through a joined-up public sector procurement arrangement, led by NHS National Services Scotland (NSS). This aims to provide a more resilient supply across Health, Social Care and the wider public sector for the long term, with due priority given to the need for robust supply chains and reductions in environmental impact.

The Scottish Government has already provided funding to run the first phase of a Small Business Research Initiative at NHS Tayside to help develop prototypes of reusable mask solutions. This first phase has provided an opportunity for companies to secure funding to undertake appropriate research and development of their prospective solutions.

Question reference: S6W-11211

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to clarify its procurement policy on maintaining a sustainable and resilient supply of PPE.

Question reference: S6O-01486

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the £53 million reduction in the employability budget announced by the Deputy First Minister in September 2022.

Question reference: S6W-11196

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions its officials have had with UK Government officials on the recommendations outlined in the Union Connectivity Review surrounding improvements to the A75 and A77.

The Union Connectivity Review made no recommendations on upgrading the A77. Discussions between Scottish and UK Government officials have therefore focused solely on the A75. In March 2022, Transport Scotland officials had an initial discussion with UK Government Department for Transport (DfT) counterparts, on the A75. Follow up was undertaken by DfT officials and TS officials on a number of specific clarification questions, with a further meeting held on 16 June.

A subsequent discussion is scheduled for 31 October which will cover UCR recommendations and associated proposed funding for the A75.

Question reference: S6W-11198

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any future meetings planned between its officials and the UK Government to discuss the recommendations outlined in the Union Connectivity Review regarding investment in both the A75 and A77.

The next meeting with the UK Government Department for Transport is scheduled for 31 October 2022. Discussions will cover proposed investment for the A75 only as the Final Union Connectivity Review Report, published in November 2021, did not recommended that the UK Government commit funding to support the upgrade of the A77. To date, the UK Government has committed no funding to upgrading the A75.

Question reference: S6W-11209

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it last placed an order with Alpha Solway for PPE.

Since 4 August 2020, all Type IIR masks supplied to NSS were from Alpha Solway with the following exceptions:

When NSS demand outstripped Alpha Solway capacity, and
for specialist Type IIR masks that were of a type not manufactured by Alpha Solway

NSS placed orders which have resulted in the procurement of over 250 million Alpha Solway manufactured items of pandemic PPE during the pandemic. The vast majority of those items have now been received by NSS with a very small amount still due to arrive from those orders. The last order for Alpha Solway products was placed on 30 March 2022.

Question reference: S6W-11197

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the UK Government to discuss the Union Connectivity Review, in particular regarding future investment in the A75.

Question reference: S6W-11210

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 21 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is committed to domestic PPE manufacturing to ensure a sustainable and resilient supply.

Pre COVID-19, 100% of NHS National Services Scotland's (NSS) PPE sources were overseas, now nearly half of all PPE issued by NSS was manufactured here (based on September 2022 figures). This rises to 88% when nitrile gloves are excluded from the figure.

In line with the recommendations of the Audit Scotland report on PPE, a resilient Scottish PPE supply chain is a key consideration as we start to look beyond the current pandemic and plan for the long term future of PPE provision in Scotland. We are committed to supporting the domestic manufacturing PPE base through the Pandemic PPE Supply Implementation Project as far as allowed by procurement and subsidy control rules.

This work aims to provide a more resilient supply across Health, Social Care and the wider public sector for the long term, with due priority given to the need for robust supply chains and reductions in environmental impact. More broadly the Scottish Government offer extensive support to develop the manufacturing sector through our Making Scotland’s Future Programme. This includes £75 million in the world-leading National Manufacturing Institute (NMIS), already operating with the HQ due to open next year. NMIS, the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service and our enterprise agencies stand ready to assist companies in exploiting new opportunities or in responding to production challenges.