Questions and answers

Question reference: S6F-04145

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2025

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to secure a direct ferry route between Scotland and France.

Question reference: S6F-04160

Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2025

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government is supporting film and TV production in Edinburgh and throughout Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-04142

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-37721

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time has been for specialist palliative care referrals to be actioned in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

This information is not held centrally.

Referral to specialist palliative care services for people living with serious health conditions and/or those who require specialist palliative care when they are dying is based on individualised needs assessments. As a wide range of specialist and generalist staff in hospitals, care homes, primary care, social care, hospices and the third sector are involved in providing palliative care to individuals and their families, and could all be considered as delivering palliative care, it would be challenging to efficiently and effectively gather this data centrally.

Question reference: S6W-37725

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether any NHS boards have reported difficulty in recruiting specialist palliative care professionals in the last five years, and what actions it has taken in response.

Question reference: S6W-37747

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 2 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it was first informed that the MV Glen Rosa would be delayed until Q2 2026.

Scottish Government officials informed Ministers on the content of Ferguson Marine’s board papers relating to the recommended operational plan for MV Glen Rosa on 26 March 2025.

Following a Board meeting, the Chair of Ferguson Marine briefed the Deputy First Minister on the updated delivery plan; and the Chief Financial Officer of Ferguson Marine wrote to the NZET committee to report that a “further stage of review and assurance activity would commence to ensure the MV Glen Rosa operational plan has been fully optimised from the perspective of costs and handover date.”

On 12 May, Graeme Thomson, Chief Executive Officer of Ferguson Marine, informed the Deputy First Minister in writing that delivery of the MV Glen Rosa would be delayed until Q2 2026.

Question reference: S6W-37722

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for access to palliative and end-of-life care services across Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone who needs it can access high-quality palliative care that is right for their circumstances.

The Scottish Government published a draft palliative care strategy ‘Palliative care matters for all’ on 02 October 2024 for consultation. The consultation closed on 10 January 2025. The responses have now been analysed, and the final version of the strategy and analysis report are due to be published in the summer. The strategy will be published alongside a delivery plan, which will set out our approach to ensuring that everyone who needs it can access timely palliative care and care around dying. This work has been closely developed on a partnership basis with key partners, including those with lived experience of receiving palliative care and their families.

Question reference: S6W-37727

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the average referral-to-treatment times for patients receiving palliative care in (a) hospital, (b) hospice and (c) community settings for each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

This information is not held centrally.

Referral to specialist palliative care services for people living with serious health conditions and/or those who require specialist palliative care when they are dying is based on individualised needs assessments. As a wide range of specialist and generalist staff in hospitals, care homes, primary care, social care, hospices and the third sector are involved in providing palliative care to individuals and their families, and could all be considered as delivering palliative care, it would be challenging to efficiently and effectively gather this data centrally.

Question reference: S6W-37723

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many palliative care nursing and medical posts have remained unfilled in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-37726

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting NHS boards to maintain palliative care provision in the context of any wider reported workforce pressures, particularly in remote and rural areas.

Seòmar agus comataidhean