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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-31464

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Scotland regarding the inclusion of allergy awareness in all medical training and professional development.

The Scottish Government is working closely with NHS Education Scotland (NES), who are responsible for managing all training provided to doctors in Scotland.

Allergy awareness is an integral part of all medical curricula, particularly in recognising and managing anaphylaxis. Foundation doctors also receive relevant training. Additionally, two new training pathways have been developed for Allergy and Immunology: Allergy | The Federation

Allergy and Clinical Immunology (ACI)
Allergy, Clinical and Laboratory Immunology (ACLI)

Turas learn also hosts a number of useful resources in relation to allergy awareness for healthcare professionals: Turas Learn - Allergy

Question reference: S6W-31463

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to bring forward a national allergy strategy.

Question reference: S6W-31466

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) care pathways and (b) treatments exist for patients with extreme and life-threatening allergies.

The Scottish Government expects NHS Health Boards to manage those in need of adult allergy services according to local needs and deliver these services to provide high quality care that is safe, effective, and person-centred.

Children and Young People in Scotland can access dedicated allergy services through the National Managed Clinical Allergy Network (CYANS). CYANS has published a guideline on the diagnosis and management of food allergies in children, based on national guidelines. Further information can be found at: About Us – Children and Young People's Allergy Network Scotland (nhs.scot).

Question reference: S6W-31465

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for allergy diagnosis and treatment.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with an allergy, are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

The latest published data shows that there were 302 patients waiting for a new outpatient allergy appointment as of 30 September 2024, with a median waiting time of 40 days and 78.5% of waits within the 12 week New Outpatient standard.

While this is welcome progress, I recognise there is more to be done. We continue to target resources to clear the longest waits and are working with all boards to maximise current resources and productivity.

Question reference: S6F-03599

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 02 December 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 December 2024

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

Question reference: S6W-30857

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing routine prostate cancer screening for men in their 40s.

The Scottish Government, along with the other UK nations, relies on advice about screening programmes from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent expert advisory group.

Population screening for prostate cancer was last reviewed by the UK NSC in November 2020 when they concluded that the benefits of screening did not outweigh the potential risk of harm. As you may be aware, I have recently written to the UK NSC to ask them to review this matter again. The UK NSC chairman, Sir Mike Richards, has responded with assurance that this issue is a high priority for the Committee.

I am also encouraged that a large-scale study (TRANSFORM) has been launched to provide valuable evidence, looking at potential innovative screening methods and recruiting hundreds of thousands of men for the research. The UK NSC have committed to assessing evidence as it is published throughout the trial, and this will inform any future recommendation.

Should a recommendation be made to introduce prostate screening, the organisations that oversee screening will advise Scottish Ministers on how to take that recommendation forward.

In the meantime, men and those with a prostate who are concerned they have possible symptoms should speak to their GP. There is a list of symptoms available on the NHS website: Prostate cancer - NHS (www.nhs.uk).

Men aged 50 or over can also discuss taking a PSA test with their GP, even if they do not have symptoms.

Question reference: S6W-30771

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to measure long-term trends in NHS dental activity and assess if activity has improved year on year, given there has been reform in the system

Question reference: S6W-30773

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether reform to the NHS dental payment system in 2023 has meant it is not possible to compile data in a way that allows for examination of longer term trends.

Question reference: S6W-30975

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when its (a) ministers and (b) civil servants last met with representatives of each of the 131 public bodies.

Given the wide range of bodies that make up the public bodies landscape in Scotland, and that not all public bodies share the same relationship with Government, there are no set rules as to the frequency ministers and officials should meet with them. Ministers with portfolio responsibility for public bodies do meet with them on a regular basis, and I have met with multiple public bodies over the past 6 months.

Of the 131 public bodies referred to there are some public bodies such as Parliamentary Commissioner that Ministers are not responsible for, but those public bodies that Ministers have responsibility for, civil servants make up the public body sponsor team within the Scottish Government.

Sponsor teams are the first point of contact between an Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) and the Scottish Government. They provide advice, help and support to the public body and advice on accountability, governance and performance to Ministers and Portfolio Accountable Officers both on an ad-hoc basis and as part of regular meetings. Sponsorship is flexible, proportionate and responsive; and facilitates positive relationships between the body and the Scottish Government. Each public body will have a Framework Document that outlines the working relationship between itself and the Scottish Government. The Framework Document should be published on the public bodies website and will set out expectations for regular meetings.

Question reference: S6F-03526

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 November 2024

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.