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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: S6O-02548

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the procurement process for the upgrade of Ardrossan harbour.

Question reference: S6O-02546

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the winter flu and COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Question reference: S6W-20677

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 13 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the longest wait for a Baby Box to be delivered has been since they were introduced.

The Scottish Government’s universal Baby Box programme, the only one in the UK, opened for registration on 15 June 2017. Nationwide delivery of Baby Boxes began on 15 August 2017 for all babies born and resident in Scotland.

Where a parent has registered for a Baby Box these are dispatched by our Baby Box Managing Agent APS Group (Scotland) approximately 6 weeks prior to due date. If APS receive a late request, the Baby Box is prioritised by their system and dispatched as urgent, this would usually be the next working day. Where APS are made aware of a hidden pregnancy, premature birth or a parent has not registered, these requests are also treated as urgent and usually dispatched the next working day.

APS do not keep a record of any late issued boxes, which can happen for a number of reasons, but once confirmation of a birth and request for a box is received, a Baby Box will be dispatched the following day.

Question reference: S6W-20678

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 13 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many Baby Boxes have been delivered late, after the birth of the child, since they were introduced.

Question reference: S6W-20468

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 13 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners are being held in (a) individual cells and (b) cells holding more than one person, and how many are being "doubled-up" in individual cells.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

On 7 August 2023 the prison population was 7859. A breakdown is provided below in relation to the accommodation the individuals were located in:

4800 people were accommodated alone in a cell intended to accommodate one person;
165 people were accommodated alone in a cell that is designed to be double occupancy;
1098 people were accommodated in a cell, or dormitory, intended for more than one person; and
1796 people were accommodated with another person in a cell intended for one person.

Question reference: S6W-20469

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 13 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) design capacity, (b) number of occupants and (c) occupancy rate was in each prison in July 2023.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The following table details the average occupancy, the design capacity and the average occupancy rate of each prison for July 2023:

Establishment	Average Occupancy	Design Capacity	Average Occupancy Rate
Addiewell	724	702	103%
Barlinnie	1379	987	140%
Stirling	62	100	62%
Dumfries	193	176	110%
Edinburgh	930	867	107%
Glenochil	739	668	111%
Grampian	454	552	82%
Greenock	227	224	101%
Inverness	116	93	125%
Kilmarnock	547	501	109%
Low Moss	798	784	102%
Open Estate	152	284	54%
Perth	678	631	107%
Polmont	280	758	37%
Shotts	536	537	99%
Bella	8	16	50%
Lillias	11	24	46%

Question reference: S6W-20791

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many contract inflation claims have been made by house builders and contractors for the construction of social housing in each of the last two years, and whether it will provide a list of the successful claims in that period.

Question reference: S6W-20845

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 August 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many affordable housing supply programme units it approved in the period from 1 April to 31 August 2023.

Question reference: S6W-20711

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what training is currently being provided to GPs on the diagnosis and treatment of chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs).

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) are responsible for managing all training provided to doctors in Scotland. NES ensure that all doctors receive high quality training in line with curricula that is set by the relevant Medical Royal College so that they are able to demonstrate that they have met all GMC curricular requirements, in order to practise independently as a GP in the UK.

The General Practice Specialty Training (GPST) programme lasts for 3 years with trainees typically spending 18 months in General Practice and 18 months in secondary care i.e. hospital settings.

All GP practices receive funding for protected time consisting of one session a month (usually within practice time) to allow GPs to maintain and develop their training and skills, and those of their practice teams.

Training currently provided to GPs on the diagnosis and treatment of UTIs include:

1. Educational activities during the first year of training under most GP Speciality Trainees (GPSTs), such as: tutorials, case based discussions, post consultation prescribing checks and referral reviews that are undertaken by their GP educational supervisors.

2. Management of UTI’s (uncomplicated lower UTI’s in females) in primary care also occurs through the Scottish Pharmacy First initiative. https://www.nss.nhs.scot/publications/pharmacy-first-scotland-urinary-tract-infection-uti/ .

3. The RCGP ‘Being a General Practitioner’ Curriculum Guide ( https://www.rcgp.org.uk/mrcgp-exams/gp-curriculum/clinical-topic-guides#kidney ) section on Kidney and Urology includes: Urinary tract infections in children and in adults including lower urinary tract infection, pyelonephritis and persistent/recurrent infection There are questions based on this clinical topic guide within the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and Simulated Consultation Assessment (SCA- OSCE style exam) which form essential components of the MRCGP exam.

4. SIGN 160: “Management of suspected bacterial lower urinary tract infection in adult women. A national clinical guideline. September 2020” is a readily available resource for all GPs in Scotland.

5. All GP practices receive an annual prescribing report which focusses on antibiotic prescribing and review of current guidelines on management of UTI’s in primary care. Each Health board has its own guidance - see below:

https://www.clinicalguidelines.scot.nhs.uk/nhsggc-guidelines/nhsggc-guidelines/emergency-medicine/diagnosis-treatment-and-management-of-uti-in-children-rhc-glasgow/

https://handbook.ggcmedicines.org.uk/guidelines/infections/urinary-tract-infections-utis/

6. Evaluation of the impact of Scottish Reduction in Antimicrobial Prescribing (ScRAP) programme on GP Practice management of patients with suspected UTI – is an example of initiatives regularly offered to GP practices to review their antibiotic prescribing. GPs through annual appraisal have to demonstrate annual QI initiatives and many include antibiotic prescribing in UTI’s and compliance with local and national guidelines.

7. Common reference sources used by GPs (GP notebook, NICE CKS guidelines, BNF, BMJ best practice) all have comprehensive sections on management of UTI in adults and children.

Question reference: S6W-20712

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider updating SIGN guidelines to include recognition of chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs), in light of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines now recognising this as a condition that impacts a significant number of people.

The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) is part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) who operate independently of the Scottish Government, Health Boards and Integration Authorities with responsibility for updating SIGN guidelines.

Guidelines on management of suspected UTIs were developed by (SIGN) in September 2020 and the Scottish Government expects all NHS healthcare workers in Scotland to follow best practice when providing care for people with UTIs.

These support clinicians to provide advice to patients and carers on appropriate treatment, risks and lifestyle and behaviour issues which can support management and prevention of UTIs. The guideline also includes the diagnosis and management of recurrent UTIs in these groups.

SIGN guidance is bespoke to Scotland. In NHSScotland, where there is no SIGN guideline on a particular topic, healthcare professionals would be expected to look for another high quality, evidence-based guideline e.g from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).