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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-04549

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure every person who requires a winter flu vaccination receives one as quickly as possible, particularly older people and people at risk.

More people than ever in Scotland are being offered the free flu vaccine to help protect as many lives as possible this winter. The flu vaccination programme commenced on 6 September and will run until March 2022.

We are seeking to offer the flu vaccine at the same time as providing COVID-19 boosters for everyone eligible, 6 months should have passed since a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine before a booster is administered. However there is some flexibility to offer a booster vaccination to the most vulnerable groups after five months.

This means that this is the biggest and most complex vaccination programme there has ever been, and has led to some people being offered their flu vaccine slightly later than normal but they will still receive them within the recommended timescale.

We remain on track with Scotland’s autumn/winter vaccination programme which has been prioritising the most vulnerable by either inviting them to come forward for a vaccination or by visiting in settings such as care homes.

The online self-booking portal for adults aged 50 to 59, those over 16 who are unpaid carers and household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals launched on 15 November, with 1,940,611 people having received their flu vaccine in Scotland by week commencing 21 November

Question reference: S6W-04567

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish the Supply Chain Development Statements submitted by developers as part of the current round of ScotWind Leasing.

Supply Chain Development Statements (SCDS) are a required component of the ScotWind Leasing process and are therefore administered by Crown Estate Scotland. Crown Estate Scotland will publish the SCDS Outlook documents once Option Agreements are signed by successful applicants. In addition, Crown Estate Scotland will confidentially share the commercially sensitive SCDS Narrative Documents of successful applicants with the Scottish Government and enterprise agencies. The Scottish Government and enterprise agencies would not expect to publish documentation of a commercially sensitive nature.

Question reference: S6W-04559

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many smart meters have been installed; in light of some reportedly not working because there is no signal, or that people have other installation issues, what information it has regarding how many meters are fully operational, and what support it can provide to people facing difficulties.

The smart meter programme is owned and led by the UK Government who have responsibility for the overall policy and the regulatory and commercial framework. Energy suppliers in turn are responsible for planning and delivering the rollout of smart meters on the ground. We will continue to work with BEIS, Ofgem, Smart Energy GB and the wider energy market, to champion the interests of Scottish consumers

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of the rollout of smart meters as a national modernisation programme that will bring benefits to Scottish energy consumers, we do however have continued concerns around the implementation, particularly in regards to delays to communication systems and consumer access to smart meters. Statistics on the Smart Meter roll out are published by BEIS and the latest figures can be found at Q2 2021 Smart Meters Statistics Report (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Following the devolution of powers on consumer advocacy and advice, where people have an issue with their supplier, including related to smart meters, they can contact Advice Direct Scotland at the following web address, https://www.advice.scot/ or by calling 0808 800 9060

Question reference: S6W-04671

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 6 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish a revised work schedule for the implementation of the provisions of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019.

Question reference: S6W-04772

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-04313

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of reports that NHS Lanarkshire has a backlog of chronic pain injections dating back to 2018, with some patients requiring these treatments every six months, and what action is being taken to improve treatment, care and outcomes for chronic pain patients in Lanarkshire, in light of the reported pre-pandemic delays and ongoing impacts of COVID-19.

I appreciate how difficult postponement of treatment has been for people with chronic pain, including those who may have had their normal treatment paused as a result of the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many factors determine the suitability and availability of specialist pain procedures, including clinical prioritisation and the availability of staffing, theatre capacity and the ongoing implications of COVID-related pathways.

In September 2020, the Scottish Government published the Framework for recovery of NHS pain management services to support the rapid and safe re-mobilisation of specialist pain management services. We remain committed to ensuring that Health Boards, including NHS Lanarkshire, resume specialist pain services as quickly as it is safe to do so.

We will shortly be launching a public consultation on a new Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery which includes an aim to deliver more timely access to care and improved health outcomes for people with chronic pain.

Question reference: S6W-04311

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has awarded to Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland in each year since 2019 in connection with (a) chronic pain groups, (b) meetings of the National Advisory Committee for Chronic Pain and (c) the involvement of contractors to arrange capacity-building meetings and the production of terms of reference.

The Scottish Government has awarded the following funding to the Health and Social Care Alliance for work related to the Chronic Pain Patient Reference Group since 2019 to cover all activities including support for representatives attending meetings of the National Advisory Committee for Chronic Pain and capacity building activities. Funding has been provided since 2019 as follows:

2019-2020	£6000
2020-2021	£10,077
2021-2022	£10,076

Question reference: S6W-04384

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how the resource planning assumptions for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme compare to the financial outturn in each financial year from 2016 to 2021, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-04308

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that local authorities adhere to the Funding Follows the Child guidance, which states that local authorities should give appropriate consideration to the potential impact of their recruitment activity on the sustainability of funded providers.

Local authorities have worked with local partners to undertake a significant workforce expansion to support delivery of the 1140 commitment and we have seen an increase in the availability of funded early learning and childcare (ELC) places across the local authority, private, third and childminding sectors.

The underpinning policy framework for the ELC expansion, Funding Follows the Child, was developed jointly between the Scottish Government and COSLA. Local authorities are responsible for adhering to the guidance and ensuring they undertake appropriate impact assessments to support their policy and investment decisions, as they do routinely.

Implementation of Funding Follows the Child is overseen by the ELC Joint Delivery Board which is chaired by the Minister for Children and Young People and the COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People. The Joint Delivery Board regularly reviews the risks and impacts of the ELC expansion programme, including any issues with adherence to the Funding Follows the Child and National Standard guidance.

Question reference: S6W-04314

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish data on waiting times for return appointments for chronic pain patients on a similar basis to data published for new treatment referrals; whether the 18-week Referral to Treatment Standard applies to (a) new treatment referrals for chronic patients and (b) return appointments for chronic pain patients, and what consideration it has given to ending the practice of no maximum time limit on waits for return appointments for chronic pain patients.

Chronic Pain services in Scotland are currently unable to gather electronic data on return appointments in a consistent manner and one that could support routine national data collection by Public Health Scotland (PHS).

The 18 Weeks Referral To Treatment (RTT) standard applies to the entire patient journey from the initial referral to the start of treatment and so repeat appointments after the start of treatment would not be included in this metric. Achieving the target depends on waiting times for diagnostic tests, new outpatient appointments, inpatient and day case treatment.