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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-24765

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of there being just over one year remaining to meet its commitment to eliminate hepatitis C (HCV) as a public health concern in Scotland by the end of the 2024-25 financial year, whether it will provide an update on (a) what progress it is making towards this goal and (b) how NHS boards are performing in relation to the treatment targets that it has set for them.

Progress towards eliminating hepatitis C (HCV) as a public health concern is monitored by Public Health Scotland (PHS) with the most recent surveillance report in December 2023 indicating that major progress continues to be made on a number of HCV elimination targets in Scotland. For example, 86% of those previously diagnosed have been treated for their infection (in excess of the World Health Organization target of 80%).

A key indicator of progress toward HCV elimination is prevalence of chronic HCV among people who inject drugs (PWID) which is monitored via the Needle Exchange Surveillance Initiative survey led by Glasgow Caledonian University in association with PHS. This found the prevalence of chronic HCV infection among PWID in Scotland had reduced by approximately 50%, from 37% in 2015-16 to 19% in 2019-2020. Results for the latest NESI survey conducted during 2022-23 are expected to be published in mid 2024-25.

Treatment targets are currently published at Scotland level only, however a new PHS-led blood borne virus and sexually transmitted infection dashboard is scheduled for launch in 2024-25 which will include data on HCV treatment (alongside other indicators) and will help to monitor progress on elimination at NHS board level.

Question reference: S6W-24783

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital buildings have been assessed as containing potentially flammable or combustible cladding materials in each of the last five years.

In the past five years, no hospital buildings have been identified as having external wall cladding with high-risk polyethylene Aluminium Composite Material (ACM).

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are in the process of removing ACM from the internal atrium of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and replacing it with a non-combustible cladding material. This action was agreed after extensive and regular engagement with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, who were fully supportive of the mitigating actions implemented by the Board.

Question reference: S6W-24768

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it is measuring progress towards meeting its goal of eliminating hepatitis C (HCV) as a public health concern in Scotland by the end of the 2024-25 financial year.

Question reference: S6T-01788

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the reported recall of 150,000 women who were wrongly excluded from cervical cancer screening since 1997.

Question reference: S6T-01780

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to comments made by the chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service that prisoners may need to be released early due to overcrowding.

Question reference: S6F-02821

Asked by: Jim Fairlie, MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2024

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on what progress the Scottish Government has made towards implementing the recommendations of the COVID-19 Recovery Committee’s report, Long COVID.

Question reference: S6F-02810

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Who Cares? Scotland research report, Is Scotland Keeping the Promise?, which reportedly indicates that, on the fourth anniversary of the publication of The Promise, key pledges made to care experienced people are not being fulfilled.

Question reference: S6F-02813

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Scottish Information Commissioner’s intervention into its use and retention of informal communications, in light of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

Question reference: S6F-02798

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2024

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to strengthen enforcement powers in relation to long-term empty homes.

Question reference: S6F-02793

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.