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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-12551

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many procedures the private sector has tendered for through the Dynamic Purchasing System within the NHS, and whether it will provide a list of them.

Question reference: S6W-12664

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients are currently receiving treatment for brain tumours in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-12666

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that any counterfeit and illegal goods seized by Trading Standards Scotland officers are recycled rather than incinerated or sent to landfill.

Trading Standards Scotland, when it takes possession of counterfeit and illegal goods, is subject to Section 34 of the Environment Protection Act 1990 which requires waste to be dealt with in line with the waste hierarchy. The Scottish Government has provided guidance on applying the waste hierarchy - https://www.gov.scot/publications/duty-care-code-practice/ .

I welcome the initiative shown by Falkirk Council and the local Trading Standards Scotland team in finding alternative destinations for seized counterfeit and illegal goods, to prevent them becoming waste. I would encourage others to follow this example.

Question reference: S6W-12610

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much student accommodation, in terms of the number students accommodated, has been built in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

The Scottish Government has no direct role in placement of students in accommodation or in the provision of student accommodation, whether that is university halls of residence, private purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) or private rented tenancies .

As such we do not hold information in respect of student accommodation buildings. The statistical information held in respect of new build starts and completions does not capture anything specifically on student accommodation.

Question reference: S6W-12616

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of NHS staff have been (a) full- and (b) part-time in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-12417

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce bursaries for those training for or studying allied health professions.

Question reference: S6W-12641

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence was done into the financial health of Recycling Technologies prior to a reported award of £1.7 million in public funds from Zero Waste Scotland in 2018.

I am aware that Recycling Technologies Ltd. and Group Plc, which are involved in the Scottish recycling project, Project Beacon, have recently gone into administration.

Zero Waste Scotland awarded Recycling Technologies £1 million on 24 August 2017 as part of the Circular Economy Investment Fund. There is a two-stage application process for this Fund. Each stage includes financial due diligence including a credit check at stage 1 and commercial review at stage 2.

Given the ongoing administration process, it would be inappropriate to comment further on this matter at this stage.

Question reference: S6W-12644

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to remedy the current situation in NHS Forth Valley, which led to it being escalated to Stage 4 of NHS Scotland’s National Performance Framework for Governance, Leadership and Culture, as announced on 23 November 2022.

The leadership of NHS Forth Valley has been unable to demonstrate the necessary governance, leadership and culture required to drive sustainable improvements in poor performance.

The Scottish Government has established an Assurance Board, chaired by Christine McLaughlin, co-Director of Population Health. The Assurance Board is supporting NHS Forth Valley in determining what steps are necessary to ensure the delivery of high quality governance, leadership and culture in, and in doing so is intended to support improvements in performance in out of hours, unscheduled care, mental health, and integration.

I have asked Professor Hazel Borland, former Nurse Director and interim Chief Executive of NHS Ayrshire & Arran, and Dr John Harden, Deputy National Clinical Director, to lead the senior level external support to the board. Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) will also provide tailored support to deliver on the actions they set out following recent inspections.

Question reference: S6W-12491

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether any Scotland-specific analysis of AposHealth footwear has been commissioned, and whether it will consider offering this as a treatment option in each NHS board region.

AposHealth for osteoarthritis of the knee is being reviewed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The draft medical technologies guidance on AposHealth is currently out for consultation with an expected publication date of March 2023.

Whilst NICE medical technology guidance does not have official status in Scotland, the Scottish Government will await publication of the NICE guidance before deciding next steps. This could include commissioning the Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG) – who provide the equivalent of NICE medical technology assessments for Scotland – being asked to review and adapt guidance for NHS Scotland.

SHTG has a remit to provide evidence support and advise NHSScotland on the use of new and existing health technologies. However, it is ultimately a decision for individual NHS Boards to decide whether to offer this as part of their treatment options for patients or not.

Question reference: S6W-12504

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that the adjustable car ramp on the Uig, Lochmaddy and Tarbert ferry services returns on all sailings in the spring and summer in 2023.