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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: S5O-04778

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding a potential collaboration between its Youth Guarantee initiative and the UK Kickstart Scheme.

Question reference: S5O-04763

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the impact of the repeated postponement of court proceedings on the mental health of alleged victims, particularly of sexual crimes.

Question reference: S5W-32886

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 11 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that rheumatology services are operating at between 30 to 50% of capacity; how it is (a) remobilising these services and (b) working to reduce (i) waiting times and (ii) any backlog in appointments, and what action it is taking to improve access to these services nationally.

We appreciate how difficult it has been for people who have had procedures or treatments postponed due to the pandemic. Putting the NHS on an emergency footing has meant the focus has initially been on urgent and essential care.

Health Boards are continuing to remobilise services in line with the ‘Remobilise, Recover and Re-design Framework’ which we published on 31 May. We remain committed to ensuring that the full range of services will be available as quickly as it safe to do so.

On 29 September the Scottish Government confirmed additional funding of £1.1 billion across NHS Boards and Social Care Partnerships to help them meet COVID-19 related costs and remobilisation of services.

Question reference: S5W-32885

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 11 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that everyone has equitable access to health care, no matter where they live.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has the right to safe and effective healthcare and treatment that is provided at the right time, in the right place, by the most appropriate person.

COVID-19 has highlighted and exacerbated inequalities that exist within our country. Earlier this year we published Re-mobilise, Recover, Re-design: The Framework for NHS Scotland. This sets out how health boards will safely and incrementally prioritise the resumption of paused services. As we renew, we are committed to ensuring the health and social care support system is focussed on reducing health inequalities, producing models of care that are based on what matter most to the people of Scotland.

This commitment is also reflected in our Programme for Government which restates our renewed focus on tackling health inequalities and improving quality of life to promote lifelong health and wellbeing.

Question reference: S5W-32887

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 11 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what investment it is making in rheumatology services in the north of the country, in light of reports suggesting that the ratio of rheumatology consultants to people in this area is 1:142,857.

Question reference: S5T-02494

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that some NHS boards reduced COVID-19 testing for patients over 70 on the basis of guidance issued by the Chief Nursing Officer.

Question reference: S5O-04654

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to resolve the reported serious environmental issues arising from a lack of ongoing maintenance at Tarbolton Moss Landfill.

Question reference: S5F-04384

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2020

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that several of Scotland’s leisure trusts, which operate sports and other leisure facilities, are close to financial collapse.

Question reference: S5O-04575

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential benefits of improving transport infrastructure in south west Scotland.

Question reference: S5F-04341

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2020

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that police call-outs for people experiencing severe mental distress have increased by up to 25% during the lockdown.