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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-09534

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place in Dumfries and Galloway for the early detection of blood cancers.

The Scottish Government is committed to finding cancer early, when the chance of survival and even cure is higher. NHS Dumfries & Galloway established Scotland’s first Early Cancer Diagnostic Centre in May 2021. The Centre provides primary care with a new referral route for patients with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer, such as weight loss, fatigue and nausea – this is often how blood cancers present.

In addition, we continue to invest in our £44m Detect Cancer Early Programme which adopts a whole-system approach to diagnosing and treating cancer as early as possible across Scotland. The NHS Recovery Plan, published August 2021, commits an additional £20m for the Programme.

Question reference: S6W-09561

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 01 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what work is currently underway, or how it plans, to address the reported rural recruitment issues being experienced in (a) podiatry and (b) other allied health professions.

As part of the Scottish Government’s work to develop a sustainable healthcare workforce, we continue to look for opportunities to increase levels of recruitment and retention of healthcare staff in rural areas through the development of our Remote and Rural workforce recruitment strategy.

Furthermore, the Allied Health Professions (AHP) Education and Workforce Policy Review is currently examining recruitment and retention across the country. Whilst recommendations have not yet been agreed, a subgroup focussing on workforce and recruitment will provide recommendations later this year.

Question reference: S6W-09532

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it is providing to support the early detection of blood cancers.

Question reference: S6W-09476

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07576 by Humza Yousaf on 18 May 2022, how much of the £5 million that it provided for the financial year 2020-21 to support the wellbeing of people working in health, social care and social work was spent; how much it has provided for 2021-22, and how much of that has been spent.

Question reference: S6W-09559

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 01 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a flexible educational approach and adopt modern apprenticeships for podiatry in order to attract higher numbers to the profession and address the reported ageing workforce.

Question reference: S6W-09533

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients in Dumfries and Galloway are currently diagnosed with blood cancers.

Question reference: S6W-09451

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the average (a) length and (b) cost of a phone call is to the Scottish Ambulance Service to seek support getting to and from NHS appointments.

Question reference: S6W-09381

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people did not respond to the 2011 census and, of those, how many people received a fine for not doing so.

Decisions regarding prosecutions remain a matter for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

The 2011 census had a response rate of approximately 94%. Of the 6% of non-responding households, approximately 1,800 cases were put forward for non-compliance action which resulted in 900 completed questionnaires being returned. Following Crown Office advice, five cases were subsequently reported to the Procurator Fiscal and two cases resulted in prosecution.

Question reference: S6W-09361

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Programme pipeline update (March 2022), which second-hand vessels have been considered for purchase by CMAL since 1 December 2021.

The Scottish Government continue to task Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) to search the second hand tonnage market for appropriate vessels to support and enhance connections on Scotland’s ferries network.

CMAL have investigated some 70 vessels since 1 December 2021 of which only 1 has been deemed suitable for purchase. The vessel (MV Loch Frisa) was bought, upgraded and entered service on the Craignure-Oban service in June 2022.

Question reference: S6W-09358

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Programme pipeline update (March 2022), which was published on 15 June 2022, whether it will provide a breakdown of the increase in the cost of tenders for contracts in the Skye Triangle Infrastructure Programme, and what proportion of the budget for that programme has been spent to date.

The Skye Triangle Infrastructure Programme is estimated to cost around £108million in total for the three port projects: Tarbert (Harris) £23million, Lochmaddy (North Uist) £21million and Uig (Skye) £64million as budgeted following completion of the tender processes. This compares with a total budget of £95million at the time of publishing the Infrastructure Investment Plan in February 2021. The works are aimed at replacing life expired infrastructure, improving resilience and increasing the range of vessels that can use the ports.

Each of the projects are currently in the construction phase and we estimate total project spend to date to be in the region of £34million. It is the responsibility of the statutory harbour authorities undertaking the works to monitor costs and spend for each of the port projects namely; Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) for Tarbert, Comhairle nan Eiliean Siar (CNES) for Lochmaddy, and The Highland Council (THC) for Uig.