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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-11881

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many residents have been accommodated on the MS Ambition for more than (a) two, (b) four, (c) six, (d) eight, (e) 10, (f) 12 and (g) 14 weeks.

Question reference: S6W-11856

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 18 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the purpose was of any financial assistance that it, or its agencies, provided to Stoneywood Mill pre-2022.

Arjowiggins has in the past received SE loans totalling £12m, equity investment of £100,000 and grant funding totalling £163,400.

Breakdown of funding:

£ 12m loans and £100,000 equity* :

£7m loan/equity in July 2019 to support the management buy-out of the company (comprised of £6.9m loan and £100,000 equity investment)
£3.5m loan in July 2020 as gap funding required due to Covid-19 impacts
£1.6m loan in January 2022 to help the company mitigate numerous cost pressures (material costs, energy costs and Covid-19 impacts)
*PLUS £4,000.091 accrued interest to date (as of September 2022)
£163,400 in grants (all conditions met so not eligible for claw-back):
£125,000 environmental aid for predevelopment work on Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant replacement projects
£16,000 towards an energy efficiency audit
£5,000 Financial Readiness grant (pre MBO) to help fund financial projections and investment appraisals for a combined heat and power energy plant on the site.
£14,808 Workplace Innovation grant (pre MBO) to assist the company with the introduction of a management development programme following a senior management team restructure.
£2,592 consultancy support (pre-MBO) to explore succession options and explore the feasibility of employee ownership

Question reference: S6W-11963

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 18 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the value was of its homebuyer support investments at the point of transaction for those investments that it still holds an equity stake, and what the current estimated value is of those equity stakes, broken down by scheme.

The value of the shared equity investment stakes is revalued annually using the Nationwide House Price index for Scotland. The following table shows the original capital invested together with the current valuation.

	Open Market Shared Equity/New Supply Shared Equity £m	Help to Buy £m	First Home Fund £m	Total £m
Capital invested at 31 March 2022	523.5	431.1	260.1	1,215.0
Revaluation at 31 March 2022	96.7	90.5	20.1	207.4
Current Estimated Value of Equity Investments	620.2	521.6	280.2	1422.4

Question reference: S6W-11969

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 18 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many chronic pain patients there have been in each NHS board area in each year since 1999.

We do not hold this information centrally. Waiting time statistics on the waits experienced by patients for first appointments with chronic pain services can be found on the Public Health Scotland (PHS) website at the following link: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/chronic-pain-waiting-times/

However, PHS does not hold data that would capture the total number of patients with chronic pain who are being treated by NHS Scotland at a particular point in time, either under the care of specialist chronic pain services or otherwise.

Data is available by Board from the quarter ending 31 December 2015 to the quarter ending 30 June 2022.

A set of data tables for the most recent publication, which was released on 13th September 2022, can be found at the link above underneath the sub-heading of ‘Data files’:

Table 4 shows the number of patients seen (adjusted) by NHS Board and quarter. A drop-down menu can be used to switch between data for pain clinics and pain psychology services.
Table 6 shows the number of patients who were waiting for a first appointment (adjusted) by NHS Board and quarter. A drop-down menu can be used to view data for pain clinics and pain psychology services.

Data for the quarter ending 30th September 2022 is due to be published on 13th December 2022.

The statistics published in the data tables are based on aggregate data submissions obtained from the 14 NHS Boards.

Question reference: S6W-11994

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 18 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware that children under the age of five are reportedly being refused registration at dentists.

It is a priority to ensure that all patients are able to access NHS dental care.

We have provided over £150 million of financial support to date to maintain the capacity and capability of NHS dentistry and agreed further funding into the new year to address the cost of living crisis. From April 2022 we have re-introduced a system of fee per item payments that incentivises NHS dental teams to see patients. Additionally, from February 2022 we have also introduced an enhanced examination fee for both adults and children.

NHS registration is significantly higher in Scotland than the rest of the UK, with more than 95% of the population registered with a NHS dentist. Information on registering with a dentist can be found at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/nhs-services/dental/receiving-nhs-dental-treatment-in-scotland .

Question reference: S6W-12256

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6O-01606

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what steps it is taking to improve safety for MSPs both within the Parliament and outwith the parliamentary estate.

Question reference: S6O-01611

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how it will support any Members’ staff who are dealing with added financial challenges and pressures after the homeworking allowance payment was discontinued in October.

Question reference: S6O-01607

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether MSPs and their staff are putting their rubbish in the correct bins for recycling or otherwise.

Question reference: S6O-01572

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether provision can be made for access to the Room for Contemplation for evening events held during recess.