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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-08437

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it will make available for NHS dentists, in light of reported concerns from the British Dental Association that many practices are likely to reduce their NHS commitment.

The Scottish Government has delivered record investment into NHS dental services with a 9 per cent increase in the budget for NHS dental services in 2022-23.

From April, we have introduced revised payment arrangements which reward NHS dental teams according to their activity. Combined with the relaxation of infection, prevention and control measures, they are having a substantial positive impact in improving access and ensuring the sector is able to quickly return to more normal levels of activity and clear the backlog.

Question reference: S6W-08667

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the Transvaginal Mesh Removal Reimbursement Scheme will be open for applications, and whether it will confirm the cut-off date for eligibility.

The Transvaginal Mesh Removal (Cost Reimbursement) (Scotland) Act 2022 (the 2022 Act) came fully into force on 3 May 2022. The 2022 Act gives powers to Scottish Ministers to make a scheme to reimburse women for the costs incurred in connection with qualifying mesh removal surgery.

The Transvaginal Mesh Removal Reimbursement Scheme 2022 has now been laid before Parliament – laying number SG/2022/87. The scheme will open for applications on 6 June 2022 and will remain open for a period of 18 months.

Reimbursement will mean that those women who previously felt they had no other option but to have mesh removal surgery out with NHS Scotland will no longer be at a financial disadvantage because of that choice. Women will be able to apply for reimbursement of the costs of surgery, and associated expenses, for themselves and one person who travelled with them. It should be noted that anyone who is eligible to apply and has previously made a successful application to the Mesh Fund will not be excluded from applying for reimbursement and any previous payment from the Mesh Fund will not be deducted. The Mesh Fund will close to new applications on 31 May 2022.

NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) are the administrators of the Scheme and application forms and further information on how to apply will be available on the mesh pages of their website Mesh Scheme | National Services Scotland (nhs.scot) .

The cut-off date, by which surgery has to have been arranged in order to be eligible for reimbursement, is specified in the Scheme and has been set at 3 June 2022. This will ensure that any woman who has made their own arrangements for surgery on or before this date will not be penalised for doing so and gives those in the process of making arrangements time to finalise them before the scheme opens. Section 1(3)(c) of the 2022 Act provides that the cut-off date could not be before the date of Royal Assent, which was 3 March 2022.

To be clear, anyone who wishes to have mesh removal surgery outside of NHS Scotland after 3 June 2022 should seek to do so through the official referral process as they will not be reimbursed if they make their own arrangements after that date.

It is expected that anyone seeking mesh removal after this date discuss their case with local clinicians within their own Health Board. If considered appropriate at that stage, they would then be referred to the Complex Pelvic Mesh Removal Service in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde for consideration by a full multi-disciplinary team (MDT). If, after careful consideration by both the MDT and the patient, it is agreed that surgery is appropriate, the patient can choose to be treated by the service already available in NHS Scotland or to be referred to a specialist NHS centre in England or to an independent provider. Each of these options will be available free of charge. I would encourage anyone who wishes referral to one of these services to make their wishes known to their clinical team, if they have not already done so.

Question reference: S6W-08391

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Lynx to Scotland project report.

The Scottish Government recognises the role that re-introductions of native species can play in nature restoration, but has no current plans to reintroduce lynx or any other large carnivore species into Scotland.

We welcome the publication of the ‘Lynx to Scotland’ report and commend it for its careful and balanced assessment of a complex topic. As the report notes, there are major barriers that would need to be satisfactorily addressed before any such reintroduction could be taken forward. The Scottish Government has always been clear that any reintroduction of a species such as lynx could only take place following full consultation that ensured the views of those who are likely to be most affected are properly taken into account.

It is a criminal offence to release a species such as lynx in Scotland unless the release is licensed by NatureScot.

Question reference: S6W-08390

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to gather data on restraint practices applied to care-experienced children while being securely transported.

To uphold the rights of children and young people who require secure transport, and to meet the Secure Care Standards and the Youth Justice Standards , the Scottish Government and COSLA led Secure Care Group seek to identify and develop solutions to the issues surrounding secure care transport in Scotland. A service specification is in development which will include an appropriate recording and monitoring process.

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on proposed children’s care and justice legislation, including seeking views on whether legislative reform is needed around the use of secure transport.

Question reference: S6W-08083

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS and social care staff have died during the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland in the period from 1 March 2020 to 31 March 2022; how many of these deaths involved COVID-19; how many of these people’s families have made a claim for the £60,000 death in service payment, and how many have received the payment to date.

National Records of Scotland publishes data on the number of people who have died in Scotland. Data for the period March 2020 to March 2022 on population deaths by occupation group, including data on deaths with Covid-19 mentioned on death certificates, is available here (table M7): https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files/statistics/covid19/covid-deaths-22-monthly-data-week-14.xlsx

Occupation	Deaths from all causes	Deaths where Covid-19 mentioned
Health care worker	594	52
Social care worker	931	84

Please note, this categorisation of occupation does not specify the individual’s employer.

The Scottish Public Pensions Agency has received 18 applications to the NHS Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme and 16 of those have received payment.

There have been 29 claims made to the Coronavirus (COVID-19): Social Care Worker Death in Service Scheme, 28 of those have received payment with 1 claim currently under consideration.

Question reference: S6O-01126

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reasonable period of time for households to install interlinked fire alarms in line with the new legislation has now passed.

Question reference: S6O-01120

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the scoping exercise into the availability of specialist services within NHS boards for miscarriage and unexpected pregnancy complications will be completed.

Question reference: S6O-01138

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how its Super Sponsor scheme takes account of the preferences of Ukrainian refugees regarding settlement locations within Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-01128

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the implications are for Social Security Scotland of the redeployment of staff to the agency from the DWP.

Question reference: S6O-01131

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of social security benefits.