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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-33601

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what recent steps it has taken to (a) increase the number of GPs nationwide and (b) improve access to face-to-face GP appointments.

(a) The Scottish Government remains fully committed to increasing the number of GPs by 800 by 2027.

In November 2024 we published a General Practitioner Recruitment and Retention Action Plan, available online at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/general-practitioner-recruitment-retention-action-plan-2024-2026/documents/

A key action in this plan is to retain newly qualified GPs in Scotland by expanding the current fellowship offer to support early career GPs on completion of their GP training. We have also commissioned NHS Education for Scotland to work with the profession to redesign the current GP Retainer Scheme to make it more flexible to support GPs at times in their career when it is needed. We have created 70 additional GP Speciality Training posts since 2022, with a further 30 to be added in 2025.

(b) The Scottish Government discusses access to general practice with the representatives of the profession. It is important that patients see the right person at the right place at the right time to treat their condition, this may not always need to be a GP. However, where clinically necessary, the option to have a face to face consultation should always be available.

Question reference: S6W-33404

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-33091 by Ivan McKee on 14 January 2025, what the primary purposes are for which the cars in its fleet are used.

Question reference: S6W-33383

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any structural damage to the Kingston Bridge in Glasgow, other than that reported on 14 January 2025.

The Kingston Bridge Complex in Glasgow receives a rigorous programme of regular inspections. The output from these inspections is used to inform current and future maintenance programmes. Any defects identified from these inspections are prioritised and taken forward for future repair, if necessary.

The concrete spalling reported on 14 January 2025, immediately above Paisley Road, was related to an historic concrete repair, which broke loose after the recent period of cold weather. There are other historic repairs within the complex and, to address this issue and to ensure public safety, Transport Scotland’s Operating Company, Amey, has instigated further close visual special inspections to identify and remove any loose concrete at these historic repairs. These inspections are underway and will continue over the next few weeks.

Question reference: S6W-33405

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many journeys have been undertaken by the cars in its fleet in each of the last five years, broken down by fuel type.

Question reference: S6W-33407

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many journeys undertaken by the cars in its fleet in each of the last five years were longer than 50 miles, broken down by fuel type.

Question reference: S6W-33389

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress the Scottish Ambulance Service has made on commissioning a new pre-hospital service to cover the east and south east of Scotland, to replace Medic One.

Following the withdrawal of medic 1 by NHS Lothian the Scottish Ambulance Service, working with other Health Boards, has put in place contingency arrangements to provide a prehospital Emergency Critical Care response across the east of Scotland.

Working through the National Trauma Network the Scottish Ambulance Service has agreed to take the lead in writing the business case for this replacement service. This work is ongoing recognising this is a complex undertaking with multiple stakeholders involved and there is a requirement to ensure that options within the business case are evidenced based, sustainable and meet the needs of patients in the East of Scotland and our population as whole.

The current project plan is working to have this business case completed by summer 2025. This will then need to be presented and reviewed through the appropriate governance processes.

Question reference: S6W-33406

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the current average journey distance is for the cars in its fleet, broken down by fuel type.

Question reference: S6W-33397

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-33091 by Ivan McKee on 14 January 2025, for what purposes the (a) heavy goods lorries and (b) light commercial vehicles in its fleet are used.

Question reference: S6W-33409

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it records the purpose of each journey taken by the cars in its fleet, and, if so, whether it will provide the most recent breakdown of such journeys by purpose, including business travel and any other categories.

Question reference: S6W-33375

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will authorise a review of fire safety procedures at waste management facilities.

Following the fire at the WEEE Solutions site in Linwood in June 2024, I asked my officials to consider the safety of these sites and battery energy storage (BESS) sites. In particular, this was to examine whether existing safety provisions and regulations are sufficiently robust, whilst also considering compliance and enforcement aspects. This concluded that the current legislative and regulatory framework is sufficiently robust, recognising however that it is complex and requires interagency cooperation to be effective.

The investigation into the cause of the recent fire at Friarton is still underway and I will decide once the findings are known whether to take any reviews forward. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the Health and Safety Executive and SEPA will continue to engage with the site and my officials liaise with them on any issues of safety at BESS sites.

It would not be appropriate to commit to a review of fire safety procedures at waste management facilities until HSE, SEPA and SFRS have had time to look at the particular case and can give informed information to governments if required.