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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-13729

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has requested any meetings with the UK Government to discuss improving collaboration to meet those climate change targets it has failed to meet, as recommended by the recent Climate Change Committee report, Progress in reducing emissions in Scotland - 2022 Report to Parliament.

Under the legal framework set by the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 and agreed by the Scottish Parliament, a target outcome is determined at the time it is reported, which means that it is not possible to subsequently meet a previously missed emissions target.

The Scottish Government meets regularly with the UK Government to discuss areas of shared interest on climate change, including through the Net Zero, Energy and Climate Change Inter-Ministerial Group. Given the significant powers reserved to Westminster, including on energy infrastructure, taxation and borrowing powers, the Scottish Government intend to discuss further with the UK Government how we can ensure our plans aren't delayed as a result of UK Government decisions where shared action is needed to meet our future emissions targets.

Question reference: S6W-13782

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 24 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to report to the Parliament on its evaluation of minimum unit pricing in summer 2023.

Question reference: S6W-13783

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 24 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects Public Health Scotland to publish its final report on minimum unit pricing.

Question reference: S6W-13775

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to mark National Pothole Day 2023.

Question reference: S6W-13538

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on its work with partners to establish a series of meaningful anti-racist objectives and performance measures for NHS board chairs.

The Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER) was commissioned to identify examples of anti-racist performance objectives with proposed performance measures that could be used by public bodies across Scotland.

To date, seven NHS Board Chairs have been set anti-racist objectives and performance measures in accordance with CRER's commission. Following feedback, these objectives and performance measures are being reviewed, to ensure they fully align with the scrutiny and assurance roles of Board Chairs.

Question reference: S6W-13484

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has (a) reviewed any wider opportunities available to access a career in nursing and midwifery, as an Allied Health Professional (AHP) or in Health Care Science (HCS) and (b) explored the potential to further increase the use of approaches such as the Open University and apprenticeship models.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with partners including Higher Education Institutions, Health Boards, Skills Development Scotland, and the Scottish Funding Council on skills development, employability and widening access to NHS Scotland careers, including the development of progressive career opportunities for existing staff and the development of apprenticeship models to provide an ‘earn and learn’ pathway.

Career pathways are actively promoted to staff and those who may be interested in an NHS career, through NHS Scotland Careers website and social media accounts. This has included the development of resources such as the Shape Your Future – Find the Career For You in NHS Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-13475

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is (a) promoting career pathways and (b) delivering policies on upskilling to develop the health and social care workforce, and whether this work includes the development of (i) foundation and modern apprenticeships and (ii) resources for those providing careers advice.

The Scottish Government works closely with partners including Health Boards, Skills Development Scotland (SDS), and the Scottish Funding Council on skills development, employability and widening access to health and social care careers, including the development of progressive career opportunities for existing staff and apprenticeship models to provide ‘earn and learn’ pathways.

Boards have created opportunities for over 500 band 4 assistant practitioners across acute, primary care and mental health, using the Development and Education framework for Bands 2-4 staff to support the continued professional development of this integral part of the NHS workforce.

We continue to prioritise the development of credentialing of medical skills, working collaboratively with the other 3 nations, GMC, Medical Colleges, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and NHS Boards to identify and progress upskilling priorities more quickly that will improve services and benefit patients.

Last year, we worked collaboratively with SSSC and NES to develop a national induction framework for social care staff. An evaluation of the framework has been launched with the aim of improving and expanding the materials further. We are also committed to developing continuous professional development opportunities for the existing adult social care workforce.

We are working with NES, Boards, Department of Work and Pensions, SDS, and Local Authorities to ensure those providing careers advice have the appropriate health and social care resources to support them.

Question reference: S6W-13494

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has developed support for international health and social care workers, such as Objective Standard Clinical Examination (OSCE) training, in order to help them gain regulatory body registration in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-13487

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has published a scoping review of Allied Health Professional (AHP) and Health Care Science (HCS) education; what gaps it has identified in training programmes, and what actions are required to meet future service needs.

The Scottish Government has recently conducted an Allied Health Profession Education & Workforce Policy Review. The recommendations of this review will be published shortly with an implementation plan published thereafter. The National Health and Social Care Workforce Strategy has a commitment to undertake a scoping review of Healthcare Science education and to this end have recently conducted and published the first baseline review of the provision of Healthcare Science education.

Healthcare science - education and training provision: baseline review - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-13470

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to increase the number of undergraduate medical school places.

As part of the 2021-22 Programme for Government (PfG), the Scottish Government committed to increasing the number of available medical school places by 500 over the lifetime of this Parliament. As part of this commitment we are also doubling the number of places reserved for widening access students from 60 to 120.

We are in the process of delivering this commitment following the creation of 200 additional places which have been distributed between Scotland’s 5 medical schools in the academic years 21-22 and 22-23. The next tranche of 100 will be delivered in 23-24, and the allocation of the final 200 places remain under consideration.