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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: S6W-09196

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07901 by Maree Todd on 3 May 2022, when it will publish the findings of the public consultation on the draft Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery.

Question reference: S6W-09215

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 17 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people it estimates currently have a bronchiectasis diagnosis.

Question reference: S6W-09140

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider undertaking a public awareness campaign, in collaboration with the Migraine Trust and NHS boards, in order to improve understanding of the range of migraine symptoms and reduce the stigma associated with migraine.

There are currently no plans to undertake a public awareness campaign regarding migraine.

I held a positive meeting with the Migraine Trust in November 2021 to discuss current priorities regarding migraine care in Scotland and potential areas for future collaboration.

The Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) has a speciality group for neurology which includes representation from key professional groups for each NHS Board. I understand that the group is undertaking work on clinical pathways for migraine in Scotland and is linking with both the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and the Migraine Trust regarding this. As part of this work the CfSD are also collaborating with Health Boards to develop GP facts sheets on managing migraine.

I am delighted that we have recently awarded £78,535 to the Migraine Trust, in partnership with NHS Grampian and Pharmacy Medicines Directorate, towards an innovative project working with community, primary and secondary care pharmacists to help people with migraine manage their symptoms and treatments more effectively.

We will support the Migraine Trust and partners to develop plans of how they intend to widely share the project’s outcomes across health and social care.

Question reference: S6W-09190

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of rising levels of obesity on (a) non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease and (b) non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Living with overweight or obesity is linked with an increased risk of developing a range of health conditions, including non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). According to the 2019 Scottish Health Survey , two-thirds of adults in Scotland were overweight or obese. Obesity prevalence in Scotland has remained relatively stable since 2008.

The Scottish Government has not carried out a specific assessment of the impact of rising levels of obesity on NAFLD or NASH.

We want everyone in Scotland to eat well and have a healthy weight. We continue to implement our 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan . We also continue to support NHS boards to improve weight management services in line with our Type 2 Diabetes Prevention, Early Detection and Intervention Framework and Public Health Scotland’s national standards .

Further information on NAFLD and NASH is available to the public and clinicians on NHS Inform and other professional groups such as British Society of Gastroenterology , and charitable organisations such as British Liver Trust .

Question reference: S6W-09191

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of stigma on late presentation and diagnosis of liver disease.

The latest findings of the British Liver Trust show that alcohol-related liver disease accounts for 60% of all liver disease and that 94% of British adults associate alcohol with liver disease and people with liver disease often feel stigmatised.

The impact of stigma often prevents people from accessing treatment or limits delivery of a successful intervention.

Liver diseases are generally avoidable, or treatable, if diagnosed at an early stage. Stigma often prevents people from accessing treatment; 75% of people currently being diagnosed are at a stage when it is too late for lifestyle changes or intervention.

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling stigma and ensuring that people are diagnosed and treated more quickly. In December 2021 a national campaign was launched to tackle the stigma people with problematic alcohol and drug use face.

We are working with Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems to develop an action plan in relation to alcohol and stigma. This work builds on the earlier work of the Drugs Death Task Force around drugs and stigma.

Question reference: S6W-09161

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will respond to the reports on the four themes of the National Partnership for Culture.

Question reference: S6W-09498

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Maree Todd on 28 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will review the level of minimum unit pricing of alcohol.

We are currently in the process of evaluating minimum unit pricing (MUP) as a whole over its first five years of operation. Public Health Scotland will be producing a final report on MUP in 2023, which will inform our evaluation report which will be laid in Parliament and published in 2023.

Work on reviewing the level of MUP has started as part of our overall evaluation, as the impact of MUP is connected to the unit price. We are evaluating the impact of MUP at the current price of 50 pence per unit and will assess what level MUP should be set at going forward, if MUP is to continue. It is important that we have a robust evidence base to support any decision on a change in the level of MUP.

Against that background, I am announcing that the conclusion of the review of the level of MUP will be completed in late 2023. If our overall evaluation supports a continuation of MUP, we will lay Orders in Parliament in late 2023 to continue MUP beyond the initial six year period and if the evidence supports a change in price, to set a new unit price. If Parliament approves those Orders, it is intended that any new price would take effect from 1 May 2024 i.e. immediately after the initial six year period which would have otherwise have expired on 30 April 2024.

Question reference: S6W-09192

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to support early diagnosis of liver disease in at-risk populations.

Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone with liver disease is able to access the best possible care and support and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and person-centred.

We are working with the UK Government and other devolved administrations on the development of the revised UK-wide clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment, which will include the treatment of liver diseases. The updated guidelines are expected to be published for consultation later this year.

We are improving our ability to detect cancer and to treat it successfully. That is why we continue to invest in our £44m Detect Cancer Early Programme, which adopts a whole systems approach to diagnosing and treating cancer as early as possible. This will include the early detection of liver cancer.

General Practice and Primary Care multi-disciplinary teams will continue to play a key role in supporting patients with long-term condition management, including those with a diagnosis of liver disease, alongside specialist treatment services within Scotland’s healthcare system.

Question reference: S6W-09162

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 28 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what financial provision has been made in the Resource Spending Review for the creation of a Scottish Student Exchange Programme.

Question reference: S6T-00828

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that the Scottish Solicitors’ Bar Association say that the impasse on legal aid payments has meant that the entire criminal justice system is in “imminent danger of collapse”.