- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what support services are available for families affected by exposure to the pregnancy medication, stilbestrol (DES), including fertility, cancer screening and psychological support.
Answer
The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the professional body for Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the UK, has recommended that women who believe they may have been exposed to stilbestrol (DES) in utero and who are concerned about the risks of vaginal and cervical cancer should be offered careful monitoring by annual colposcopic examinations in specialist centres.
Cervical screening is offered to women who live in Scotland and are aged between 25 and 64 years and we encourage all women to take up routine cervical screening appointments when invited.
Evidence for an increased risk of other cancers is less conclusive but participation in the National Breast Screening Programme is recommended. Pregnant women who know that they were exposed in utero to DES should inform their obstetrician and be aware of the increased risks of ectopic pregnancy and preterm labour.
The Scottish Government continues to fund the charity Health in Mind to deliver peer support services to those affected by historic forced adoption, including mothers and adoptees.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many high-rise residential buildings are currently assessed as high-risk due to Large Panel System construction.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Ensuring the safety of Large Panel System buildings is a shared responsibility, where there are multiple property owners in a shared residential block they hold joint accountability.
While building owners have responsibility for their properties, the matter of Large Panel System buildings has been considered by the Ministerial Working Group on Building and Fire Safety and discussed within the Cross Sector Building Safety Forum. The forum includes key sector leads in this area including local authorities and NHS assure. This forum helps to inform the Scottish Government approach to such buildings in Scotland.
Owners are advised to engage appropriate expert consultants to advise them using the authoritative guidance on Large Panel Systems from the Building Research Establishment and the Institution of Structural Engineers.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing last met with the Chief (a) Executive of NHS Grampian and (b) Officer of Health and Social Care Moray.
Answer
Since my appointment to this post in June I have not had a meeting with the Interim Chief Executive of NHS Grampian. I last met with Integration Authority Chief Officers, including the Chief Officer of Health and Social Care Moray, on 7 August 2025.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 23 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S6W-39725 by Neil Gray on 20 August 2025, what steps it is taking to ensure that the haematology workforce is included in the Future Medical Workforce project and other medical workforce plans, and whether it will meet the British Society for Haematology to discuss this work.
Answer
We're gathering insights from doctors, residents, and senior clinicians through a series of focus groups. These are open to doctors at all career stages, from trainees to consultants, including Haematologists. The invitation to join focus groups has been open to all doctors in Scotland so we would expect that British Society for Haematology members will have had the opportunity to sign up through their employing boards and will also have the opportunity to respond to a survey which will be shared imminently.
The project’s Call for Evidence aims to understand the innovative approaches, both technological and non-technological – that can support the delivery of high-quality, equitable, and future-ready services. We will invite the British Society for Haematology to provide a submission to this call for evidence.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its reasons were for indemnifying Liberty Steel Dalzell and Clydebridge with public funds, and whether it will publish full risk assessments and legal advice that underpinned any such guarantees.
Answer
I made a statement to Parliament on 15 December 2021 setting out the reasons behind the Scottish Government’s intervention regarding the 2016 transaction involving Dalzell and Clydebridge.
This statement is available on the Scottish Government website.
https://www.gov.scot/publications/update-dalzell-historical-industrial-transaction-ministerial-statement/
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 23 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what steps NHS Scotland is taking to address any workforce pressures facing the haematology workforce.
Answer
I refer the member to the answers provided for S6W-39724 and, S6W-39726 on 14 August 2025, S6W-39725 on 20 August 2025 and S6W-39723 on 21 August 2025.
To reiterate again we are working with NHS Scotland to address staffing as a matter of urgency, working closely with NHS Boards and clinical leaders from across the country to address pressures in a sustainable way. This includes retaining staff in specialist roles and prioritising staff wellbeing, as evidence shows that positive wellbeing enhances staff retention and engagement, which in turn raises standards of patient safety and quality of care.
With regards to the medical workforce specifically, since 2014 the Scottish Government has funded the creation of hundreds of additional specialty training places in Scotland across multiple different specialties, including in haematology.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Independent
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40302 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 September 2025, regarding Adult Disability Payment (ADP) reviews, whether it will confirm the financial cost to Social Security Scotland of conducting the 142,100 reviews of claimants transferred from Personal Independence Payment to ADP, in light of the figure showing that 79% of the reviews resulted in no change of award.
Answer
Social Security Scotland does not hold information regarding the financial cost of conducting reviews of awards at this level.
While 79% of reviews resulted in no change to the award, the review process remains a key part of ensuring that awards are accurate and reflect current circumstances.
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 23 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it having a proposed capacity of 1,344 places, what the expected size of cells in the new HMP Glasgow will be. .
Answer
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
HMP Glasgow’s design is built on lessons learned from previous builds and other jurisdictions. The design utilises a formation of smaller household units. This structure support safety and provides flexibility to contract or expand in line with operational and regime requirements.
The 5 residential houseblocks will have 20 cells within each of the 3 spurs. Each spur will have 18 single cells of 9.44 m² and 2 double cells of 13.60 m².
- Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 23 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Government Health and Social Care
Directorates (SGHSC) Capital Investment Group last discussed a new medical
centre for Lochgelly; what the outcome was, and on what date it will next
discuss the matter.
Answer
We are currently working with all NHS Health Boards to identify investment priorities across Scotland, that includes NHS Fife.
Historic real terms cuts to our block grant from the UK Government have put pressure on our capital budget and we have only recently received clarity from the UK Treasury for our capital and FT funding up to 2029-30.
As part of our own Scottish Spending Review, we are undertaking a full review of our capital spending to prioritise available funding towards projects that drive progress against our priorities. We will provide clarity over which projects will receive funding in the medium term when we publish this review, alongside our new Infrastructure Pipeline.
- Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 23 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed a new medical centre for Lochgelly with NHS Fife; what the outcome was, and on what date it will next discuss the matter.
Answer
We are currently working with all NHS Health Boards to identify investment priorities across Scotland, that includes NHS Fife.
Historic real terms cuts to our block grant from the UK Government have put pressure on our capital budget and we have only recently received clarity from the UK Treasury for our capital and FT funding up to 2029-30.
As part of our own Scottish Spending Review, we are undertaking a full review of our capital spending to prioritise available funding towards projects that drive progress against our priorities. We will provide clarity over which projects will receive funding in the medium term when we publish this review, alongside our new Infrastructure Pipeline.