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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-14036

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13610 by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023, when it anticipates the new guidance for new eligibility criteria will be ready.

Question reference: S6W-14583

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Tom Arthur on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on plans to hold a consultation on community wealth building legislation.

The 2021-22 Programme for Government confirmed our plans to introduce legislation on Community Wealth Building during this Parliamentary session.

I am pleased to announce that I have published a consultation paper on how to achieve this today. The consultation will run until 25 April 2023 and can be accessed at: https://consult.gov.scot/economic-development/community-wealth-building-consultation

This consultation is the opportunity for all interested stakeholders to participate in shaping the content of the legislation and I would welcome a wide range of views on the changes that are required to grow local wealth and give communities a greater stake in the economy.

Responses to the consultation will be considered and used to inform the development of the legislation.

Question reference: S6W-14349

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many homes have been built through the Rural Housing Fund in each year since 2016-17.

Question reference: S6W-14072

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12396 by Jenny Gilruth on 5 December 2022, whether it will provide an update on how many young people have now received a free bus pass through the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme, broken down by local authority area, based on the latest information available.

The table below shows the number of cardholders under the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme as of the end of the day on 31 December 2022, broken down to local authority level.

This data is supplied by the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO). NECPO support the 32 local authorities by assisting with the integration of various national and local public services on the National Entitlement Card (NEC) and are the joint controller with local authorities of this data. The table includes travel products collected from the Transport Scot Pass Collect mobile application.

Total	564,483
Aberdeen City	24,772
Aberdeenshire	27,427
Angus Council	10,432
Argyll & Bute	6,492
City of Edinburgh	69,071
Clackmannanshire	3,269
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar	1,610
Dumfries and Galloway	9,724
Dundee City	19,440
East Ayrshire	15,400
East Dunbartonshire	9,885
East Lothian	12,573
East Renfrewshire	10,221
Falkirk	10,798
Fife	48,147
Glasgow City	60,225
Highland	16,660
Inverclyde	11,158
Midlothian	9,928
Moray	7,927
North Ayrshire	17,729
North Lanarkshire	34,805
Orkney Islands	1,540
Perth & Kinross	13,713
Renfrewshire	19,255
Scottish Borders	9,971
Shetland Islands	2,639
South Ayrshire	8,739
South Lanarkshire	34,508
Stirling	7,900
West Dunbartonshire	10,345
West Lothian	18,180

Question reference: S6W-14064

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Health Foundation report, The state of health and health inequalities in Scotland.

We welcome this report which confirms that persistent inequalities can be attributed to the accumulation of disadvantage, a stagnation in wages and living standards, and the impact of austerity on public services.

That is why we are using all the powers and resources available to us to create a fairer Scotland. We are doing that by ensuring health services are accessible to all, committing £19bn to public services over the next year; committing £4 billion in social security and welfare payments over the next financial year; and extending the Scottish Child Payment to families with eligible under 16s – increasing it to £25 per week per child.

The actions we are taking include the delivery of our new Getting it Right Together approach across health and social care, improving access to mental health services, strengthening the Universal Health Visiting Pathway and expanding our Welfare Advice and Health Partnerships – placing money advisors in 180 GP practices in some of Scotland’s most deprived areas.

We agree with the Health Foundation that a collaborative approach is needed and we will continue to work closely with key stakeholders to drive forward progress in reducing health inequalities.

Question reference: S6W-14035

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13610 by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023, when its pilot for an online service is expected to begin, and how long it will run for.

The development of the pilot e-prep clinic is in the early stages and is likely to involve a staged approach.

As this is a complex project, involving significant IT and clinical expertise to deliver well, it is not yet possible to provide a definitive start date. The development work that’s currently underway will determine the scale, start date and duration of the initial pilot. While we expect significant progress to be made in the coming months, it is important that when we launch the pilot we ensure that it is fit for purpose and will meet the highest standards of patient safety.

As I committed to during the Parliamentary Debate on World Aids Day, the Scottish Parliament will be provided with an annual report regarding the progress made towards the goal of ending HIV transmission within Scotland by 2030.

Question reference: S6W-14013

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how NHS Scotland tracks the number of people presenting with respiratory conditions due to damp and cold homes.

Question reference: S6W-13986

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Digital Health and Care Strategy, whether it has developed an online triage system, and, if so, how many patients have used the system, and what services they have been directed to, broken down by NHS board.

The Scottish Government supports the further development and implementation of online triage, rather than the development of a single online triage system. An example of this is the recent publication by NHS 24 of their ‘NHS 24 Online’ app, and the Self Help guides on NHS Inform.

We are aware as well of a number of online platforms being used by some GP practices which support triage, and we will continue to develop principles of good access to General Practice through the General Practice Access Short Life Working Group, after which further consideration will be given the use of online triage systems.

Other key developments such as the Digital Front Door will also support enhanced access to services and information to help people better manage their health and care.

Question reference: S6W-14021

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Network Rail about ensuring that its infrastructure does not curtail or hold back renewable energy development infrastructure.

Interaction of utility and rail infrastructure is a commercial issue that is managed through contracts between those parties involved. The Scottish Government has no role in those commercial discussions, although if concerns are brought to our attention Scottish Government officials will seek to understand the basis of those concerns and reach out to relevant parties to encourage a swift solution.

Question reference: S6W-13964

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent in each year since 2007 on the provision of access to free Wi-Fi for patients and residents currently being cared for by health and social care services (a) at their bedside and (b) in public areas within their healthcare setting.