- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address respiratory problems that are associated with smoking illicit drugs.
Answer
We know that there are links between smoking illicit drugs and some respiratory conditions. For example, smoking cannabis can lead to chronic bronchitis and clinicians sometimes see destructive emphysema in younger people.
To prevent harm in future generations, we are taking forward education work on substance abuse in our schools through the Curriculum for Excellence. Through educating young people about substance use and the impact it can have on their life and health, this will prevent them making unhealthy choices.
As part of our cross-government response to the final Drug Deaths Taskforce Report, we are investing £1.5 million in piloting Planet Youth in up to 35 schools across eight areas in 2025. Planet Youth is a universal approach to prevention that empowers communities to take action that will work for their specific circumstances to support young people to reduce the risk of substance use and its harms.
We are committed to ensuring that anyone living with a respiratory condition in Scotland receives the best possible care and treatment and will continue to ensure this takes account of areas of particular concern relating to drugs.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has invested in clinical research into (a) dementia, (b) neurodegenerative conditions, (c) non-neurodegenerative conditions and (d) other neurological conditions in each of the last five years.
Answer
Within the Scottish Government, funding for Health and Care Research comes under the policy remit of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO)
CSO directly funds research through its research project and fellowship schemes. These are open to applications from across the clinical spectrum. All applications go through the same independent expert review process to enable funding decisions to be made
For multi-year projects and fellowships, the funding figure is allocated to the year corresponding to the start date and is the total amount committed to the project or fellowship
The 4 categories listed have been interpreted as follows:
Dementia - category including Alzheimer's; Frontotemporal Lobe Dementia; Lewy Body Dementia
2024-25 | 28,115 |
2023-24 | 299,999 |
2022-23 | 592,437 |
2021-22 | 260,978 |
2020-21 | 20,000 |
Neurodegenerative Conditions - category including MND/ALS; Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's
2024-25 | 132,368 |
2023-24 | 356,955 |
2022-23 | |
2021-22 | 1,947,038 |
2020-21 | 73,325 |
Non-neurodegenerative conditions - category including Epilepsy; Migraine; Seizures
2024-25 | |
2023-24 | 501,704 |
2022-23 | |
2021-22 | 379,814 |
2020-21 | |
Other neurological conditions - category including Ischaemic and Haemorrhagic Stroke; Cerebral Small Vessel Disease; Acquired Brain Injury
2024-25 | 550,919 |
2023-24 | 300,000 |
2022-23 | 856,698 |
2021-22 | 762,439 |
2020-21 | 78,744 |
In addition to directly funding research projects and fellowships, CSO also funds the NHS Research Scotland infrastructure that supports the running of Clinical Trials in the NHS here. This infrastructure includes topic-specific research networks which act as the interface between the research community, the NHS and patients themselves, facilitating the set up, delivery and completion of clinical studies across Scotland within their specific clinical areas
The research networks in Dementia/Neuroprogressive Conditions; Stroke; and Pain support the delivery of clinical studies across one or more of the above categories.
Details of CSO funding for these 3 research networks is provided in the table below:
Network / Specialty | FY 2020-21 | FY 2021-22 | FY 2022-23 | FY 2023-24 | FY 2024-25 | Total per area |
Neuroprogressive & Dementia | £506,000 | £677,000 | £777,000 | £829,000 | £855,000 | £3,644,000 |
Stroke | £616,000 | £641,000 | £689,000 | £734,000 | £757,000 | £3,437,000 |
NRS Pain | £14,404 | £14,821 | £18,000 | £28,500 | £30,000 | £105,725 |
Total per Financial Year | £1,136,404 | £1,332,821 | £1,484,000 | £1,591,500 | £1,642,000 | £7,186,725 |
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will update section 19 of the Historic Environment (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2011 to increase the maximum fine for offences in relation to unauthorised works and listed building consent above the current maximum of £50,000, recognising the effect of inflation, and whether it will consider pegging the fine to the independently assessed cost of restoring any damage.
Answer
The Scottish Government would advise that the question does not take into account section 8(4)(b) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997. While the summary conviction can carry a fine up to £50,000 the legislation also allows for a fine on conviction on indictment to which no maximum is provided.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many people with a terminal neurological condition have met the criteria for requiring palliative care in each year since 2021-22, broken down by how many received specialist palliative care.
Answer
This information is not held centrally by either Scottish Government or Public Health Scotland (PHS).
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what NHS digitalisation projects it is taking forward.
Answer
The refreshed Digital Health and Care strategy sets out our digitalisation ambitions and its associated delivery plan highlights our achievements to date and summarises the key commitments to be achieved.
- Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the health budget in the 2025-26 financial year will be allocated to the provision of healthy foods, out-of-hours catering and rest spaces for doctors working in hospitals, and what practical steps it will take with NHS boards to ensure the daily operation of such facilities.
Answer
The allocation of funding for healthy food provision, out-of-hours catering or rest spaces for doctors remains the responsibility of individual Health Boards, who will manage their facilities effectively within their individual budgets.
NHS employers are encouraged to ensure, wherever feasible, that staff have access to nutritious food, out-of-hours catering and appropriate rest spaces.
Evaluation of the EnergyPods was provided through surveys conducted by Victoria Hospital in Fife, along with usage data from the supplier provided to Scottish Government as requested up to May 2023, demonstrating the ongoing value to staff. The EnergyPods continue to be used regularly within NHS Fife offering a valuable addition to their facilities.
The Scottish Government continues to work with stakeholders to consider further initiatives across health, social care and social work to enhance staff wellbeing.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will authorise a review of fire safety procedures at waste management facilities.
Answer
Following the fire at the WEEE Solutions site in Linwood in June 2024, I asked my officials to consider the safety of these sites and battery energy storage (BESS) sites. In particular, this was to examine whether existing safety provisions and regulations are sufficiently robust, whilst also considering compliance and enforcement aspects. This concluded that the current legislative and regulatory framework is sufficiently robust, recognising however that it is complex and requires interagency cooperation to be effective.
The investigation into the cause of the recent fire at Friarton is still underway and I will decide once the findings are known whether to take any reviews forward. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the Health and Safety Executive and SEPA will continue to engage with the site and my officials liaise with them on any issues of safety at BESS sites.
It would not be appropriate to commit to a review of fire safety procedures at waste management facilities until HSE, SEPA and SFRS have had time to look at the particular case and can give informed information to governments if required.
- Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15841 by Humza Yousaf on 24 March 2023, whether it has received feedback on the impact of the provision of hot food appliances for use by resident doctors in hospitals since 2023, and, if not, whether it will commission each NHS board to gather this information and to report on it by April 2025.
Answer
The Scottish Government invited Health Boards to submit requests for hot food appliances required to support resident doctors in late 2022. In February 2023, invitations were closed and Scottish Government provided funding to responding Health Boards to enable purchase of approximately 55 appliances, including kettles, microwaves, fridges and toasters. This was a one-time provision to support staff facilities. Scottish Government cannot confirm how quickly these were purchased by the participating Health Boards.
It remains the responsibility of individual Health Boards to manage their facilities to ensure they meet staff needs. NHS employers should take steps to provide staff with access to nutritious hot food and out-of-hours catering wherever possible.
The Scottish Government continues to work with stakeholders to consider further initiatives across health, social care and social work to enhance staff wellbeing.
- Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of IBD UK’s report, Crohn’s and Colitis Care in Scotland: A Vision for Change, which highlighted that three in 10 people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) waited over a year after developing symptoms to visit their GP, what assessment it has made of the need for a new high-profile public awareness campaign on the seriousness of IBD and its symptoms, and whether it will commit to introducing such a campaign to encourage earlier GP visits and improve early diagnosis.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomes IBD UK’s latest report, Crohn’s and Colitis Care in Scotland: A Vision for Change, and notes the recommendation for government to undertake a high-profile public health awareness campaign on the seriousness of IBD and its symptoms. In consideration of the recommendation, our assessment is that information and guidance on Inflammatory Bowel Disease including crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis is already widely available to the public via the NHS Inform website: Scottish health information you can trust | NHS inform and we have no plans to commit to a campaign at this time.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it records the purpose of each journey taken by the cars in its fleet, and, if so, whether it will provide the most recent breakdown of such journeys by purpose, including business travel and any other categories.
Answer
We do not hold this information.