Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 42742 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-08142

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many local authority social work departments have developed their own policy to manage risk and to respond to and track missing children, as stated at paragraph 621 of the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland (2014).

Local authorities are distinct corporate bodies whose powers and duties are set out in statute. The Scottish Government does not have a record of how many social work departments have their own policy in place for missing children.

Multi-agency risk assessment and co-ordination is essential to managing risk, responding to and tracking missing children. Local Child Protection Committees should ensure that there are specific and appropriate arrangements in place through policy, guidance, protocols and procedures which are known and implemented by relevant services. Local authority social work departments are a core multi-agency partner. The National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021, which replaced the 2014 guidance, states that each agency needs to develop its own policies and protocols to manage risk and track missing children. These should sit alongside and make reference to the multi-agency Child Protection Committee guidance reflecting that other agencies, for example, Police Scotland, will have to become involved very quickly when a child goes missing.

Question reference: S6W-08061

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many do-not-resuscitate orders have been signed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this compares with each calendar year from 2010 onwards.

The Scottish Government does not centrally collect information or data relating to the use of Do Not Attempt Cardiovascular Resuscitation (DNACPR) forms in hospitals.

As with all other clinical treatments, decisions about CPR should be based on the individual clinical circumstances and wishes of the patient, recorded appropriately and updated when medical circumstances change. This recording is done in hard copy on a DNACPR form, the existence of which is then recorded on an individual’s Key Information Summary. Such information is only shared for the purposes of direct care and is therefore not centrally collected.

Question reference: S6W-08048

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the average grant paid out from the Young Patients Family Fund was in 2021-22.

Question reference: S6W-08047

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much was allocated for (a) travel, (b) accommodation and (c) other expenses from the Young Patients Family Fund in 2021-22.

Question reference: S6W-08272

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been convicted of possessing indecent images of children, broken down by type of disposal, in each of the last 10 full financial years.

The latest available information from the Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings database is for 2019-20 and is provided in the following tables.

Information for 2020-21 will not be available until publication of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2020-21 statistical bulletin later this year.

Number of people convicted for taking, distribution, possession etc. indecent photos of children 1 , by disposal and length of custodial sentence, where main charge, 2010-11 to 2019-20

Main disposal	Total convicted	Custody	Community sentence	Monetary	Other
2010-11	107	49	57	-	1
2011-12	118	45	71	2	-
2012-13	166	72	90	1	3
2013-14	245	93	148	2	2
2014-15	287	74	203	4	6
2015-16	279	60	208	6	5
2016-17	232	72	154	3	3
2017-18	250	85	160	4	1
2018-19	283	96	183	2	2
2019-20	211	54	152	2	3

Length of custodial sentence

	Total custody	Up to 3 months	Over 3 months to 6 months	Over 6 months to 1 year	Over 1 year to 2 years	Over 2 years to less than 4 years	4 years and over
2010-11	49	2	2	12	17	12	4
2011-12	45	-	5	6	13	15	6
2012-13	72	-	6	23	18	10	15
2013-14	93	-	4	27	24	20	18
2014-15	74	1	5	19	21	16	12
2015-16	60	1	6	12	21	14	6
2016-17	72	1	3	19	32	11	6
2017-18	85	-	3	21	42	13	6
2018-19	96	-	3	31	40	20	2
2019-20	54	-	-	12	26	13	3

1. Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 sections 52 and 52A.

Question reference: S6W-08279

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07335 by Maree Todd on 25 March 2022, what the outcome was of the meeting on 10 November 2021, and what steps have been taken since to "work with NHS, third sector partners and people affected by Huntington’s Disease to drive up standards of care".

The Minister had a positive and constructive meeting with Scottish Huntington’s Association (SHA) in November to discuss the issues raised within motion S6M-00923. Scottish Government officials will meet with the SHA this month in order to further explore the need for provision and service development across neurological conditions, including Huntington’s Disease.

The pandemic has seen our NHS under the most severe pressure in its 73-year existence. The NHS Recovery Plan sets out plans and ambitions for recovery, backed by more than £1 billion of funding. The plan will support increased inpatient and outpatient activity, including an aim to increase outpatients capacity by 10% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

In March we published a National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care which supports the remobilisation and recovery of health and social care services and sets out priorities for recruitment, training and retention.

The Scottish Government’s National Advisory Committee for Neurological Conditions and the Centre for Sustainable Delivery have set up a working group to improve workforce and care pathways in neurology. This includes development of tools to support statutory providers to make effective workforce decisions. Alistair Haw, Chief Executive Officer at the SHA is a member of this group, representing the Neurological Alliance of Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-08263

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how (a) much funding it has provided to and (b) many people have been successful in using the Scottish Land Matching Service in each year since the service was established.

The Scottish Land Matching Service (SLMS) launched at the end of September 2019. During the period 1 October 2019 to 30 September 2020, Scottish Government provided £55,480 of funding. For the second year between 1 October 2020 and 30 September 2021, Scottish Government expenditure was £54,785. So far £31,958 has been spent in the seven months from 1 October 2021 to 30 April 2022.

The SLMS has dealt with over 300 enquiries and has helped achieve 19 contractual agreements since its introduction.

Question reference: S6W-08165

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 April 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-03514 by Humza Yousaf on 27 October 2021, whether the National Services Division review of NHS Scotland’s genomics services has been completed; (a) whether and (b) what recommendations have been made to the Scottish Genomics Leadership Group, and what actions will be taken on the basis of any recommendations to ensure that appropriate planning and decision-making processes are in place for genetic testing availability in Scotland.

The NHS National Services Division (NSD) commissioning team have completed a Major Service Review of the current Genomics service. The final report has been shared with NHS Board Chief Executives, the Scottish Genomics Leadership Group, Trade Union representative, Medical and Laboratory Directors for the boards that host the Genomic Laboratories, the document is now available on the (NSS)NSD website at the following link:https://www.nss.nhs.scot/specialist-healthcare/specialist-services/genetic-and-molecular-pathology-laboratories/

All of the recommendations from the report were put to the Scottish Genomics Leadership Group on the 24 February 2022.

The NSD Transformation Team which will become operational in June 2022 will develop an action plan for the implementation of the recommendations from the Review

Question reference: S6W-07977

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings it had with the British Transport Police between December 2019 and March 2022 in relation to the nationalisation of Scotland’s railways.

Transport Scotland officials and Scottish Ministers have regular engagement with British Transport Police (BTP). These have included meetings with the new Chief Constable BTP UK and the Chief Superintendent D Division BTP Scotland where topical rail issues, such as the topic of ScotRail services being brought under Scottish Government ownership on 1 April 2022, have been discussed.

I personally met with the Chief Constable of BTP UK, Lucy D’Orsi, on 31 March and we discussed this matter along with several other topics.

Question reference: S6F-01094

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 May 2022

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will convene an emergency summit on abortion healthcare in response to anti-abortion rights action in Scotland and around the world.