- Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital beds there have been in NHS Fife in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
A set of data tables for the most recent and historical hospital bed numbers for each board is available in the annual PHS publication, which was released on 28 September 2021, which be found at https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/acute-hospital-activity-and-nhs-beds-information-annual/acute-hospital-activity-and-nhs-beds-information-annual-annual-year-ending-31-march-2021/
Data is available from financial year 2011-12 to financial year 2020-21. Hospital beds data is presented in the Table 4 – beds data file, and the measure of interest is Average Available Staffed Beds for All Specialties.
A set of data tables for the most recent and historical hospital bed numbers for each board is available in the annual PHS publication, which was released on 28 September 2021, which be found at https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/acute-hospital-activity-and-nhs-beds-information-annual/acute-hospital-activity-and-nhs-beds-information-annual-annual-year-ending-31-march-2021/
Data is available from financial year 2011-12 to financial year 2020-21. Hospital beds data is presented in the Table 4 – beds data file, and the measure of interest is Average Available Staffed Beds for All Specialties.
- Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what the average weekly cost per person is of (a) a hospital stay, (b) residential care home provision and (c) providing care at their own home.
Answer
While the average weekly cost per person per week in each of these settings is not directly comparable, published data is available as follows;
The average weekly costs per person of (a) a hospital stay for inpatients across all specialities and all hospitals in 2019-20, the latest year for which data is available, can be found in table R105. Data files - Finance - Data & intelligence from PHS (isdscotland.org)
The average weekly costs per person of (b) residential care home provision in 2021 is contained in the 'funding and charges section' of Care home census for adults in Scotland Statistics for 2011 to 2021 Dashboard - Care home census for adults in Scotland - Statistics for 2011 to 2021 (full release) - Care home census for adults in Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland
The average weekly cost per person of (c) providing care at their own home is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the #LiveableNHSBursary campaign led by medical students, which includes calls for access to full maintenance loans for medical students in line with other professional healthcare courses, access to the NHS Learning Support Fund for medical students and a review of Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses, in light of the cost of living crisis.
Answer
The #LiveableNHSBursary campaign is focused on the situation faced by latter years medical students studying in England which is something we are unable to comment on. Scottish domiciled medical students are eligible for the standard student support package which is comprised of tuition fees and living cost support throughout all 5 or 6 years of their medical degree. Furthermore in February 2002 a £350 loan uplift for 2022-23 for higher education students was announced. This means that the most disadvantaged students can access £8,100 per year through bursary and loan and the Scottish Government remains committed that the total student support package reaches the equivalent of the Living Wage over the next three years.
In Scotland medical ACT is currently used to fund Travel and Subsistence for students in all regions and this is monitored in light of the changing economic climate and impact of locus of student placements in remote/rural settings.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 21 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish level 4 data for the Resource Spending Review.
Answer
The Resource Spending Review is not a budget and Level 4 information will be published as part of the annual budget process. The Resource Spending Review sets out the high-level parameters for resource spend within future Scottish Budgets up to 2026-27. The financial information is therefore published at Level 2 to provide partners with as much certainty as is possible, and to frame the engagement with delivery partners that is now being taken forward.
The figures set out in the Resource Spending Review are based on current forecasts and constitutional arrangements. The prevailing uncertain economic context and the volatility attached to our current fiscal arrangements makes it necessary that the annual budget, which will provide level 3 and 4 detail, will reflect any subsequent changes to the funding scenario set out in the RSR.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 21 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish a new strategy for international education, as set out in its Programme for Government 2021-22.
Answer
The Scottish Government is currently engaging with stakeholders taking into consideration their ambitions and priorities to develop an International Education Strategy which works for Scotland.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 21 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether the increase in funding in the Advanced Learning and Science budget for 2026-27, as set out in table 5 of the Resource Spending Review, is to fund a new Scottish Education Exchange Programme.
Answer
The Resource Spending Review provides the financial parameters for Scottish Government portfolios to collaborate with delivery partners and stakeholders to develop more detailed financial and organisational planning ahead of the next Budget in Winter 2022.
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 21 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out its plans for Severe Disability Payment.
Answer
Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) will continue to be delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions on behalf of the Scottish Government, which Parliament were informed of in February 2019. Consultation and survey responses indicated that replacing Severe Disablement Allowance, which has been closed to new applicants since 2001, would cause unnecessary disruption to the approximately 1300 clients in Scotland who continue to receive it.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the A96 Corridor Review questionnaire includes questions seeking respondents' personal information such as ethnicity, sex and religious affiliation, which are numbered 106 to 114 in the PDF version, and how these questions will inform (a) the identification of existing problems and opportunities across the A96 corridor and (b) other matters within the questionnaire’s remit.
Answer
The answers to the questions on ethnic background, gender, religion and sexual orientation (alongside answers to other questions) are used to understand if the response received to the survey is representative of the population of the study area and Scotland as a whole. In addition, this information will assist the A96 Corridor Review in working towards reducing or removing barriers to equality and enhancing opportunities for certain communities and protected groups.
The information obtained from the survey, alongside other forms of engagement undertaken, is being used to inform the analysis of problems and opportunities and the identification of potential transport interventions. This is being progressed using the methodology set out in Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG). STAG [ https://www.transport.gov.scot/our-approach/industry-guidance/scottish-transport-analysis-guide-scot-tag ] is the Scottish Government’s formal option appraisal toolkit and is the methodology used to guide the development and assessment of transport projects in Scotland. It provides an evidence based and objective led framework for identifying transport problems in a study area and/or opportunities, allows objectives to be set to reflect the transport problems/opportunities and then options to be identified and appraised in a consistent manner with the potential to meet those objectives.
In terms of the assessment of options, STAG involves a multi-criteria appraisal approach. One specific workstream which will feed into this appraisal is a Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA). All responses to the survey will be used to inform the study, including the EQIA process.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08994 by Jenny Gilruth on 1 June 2022, which states, "This scheme forms part of a rolling programme that is expected to see electrification extended to Dundee and Aberdeen", when it anticipates electrification will reach (a) Dundee and (b) Aberdeen, and what the estimated cost is of electrification (i) to Dundee and (ii) between Dundee and Aberdeen.
Answer
As set out in the Transport Scotland Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan, it is planned to electrify the route to Dundee and Aberdeen by 2035.
The decarbonisation of the lines to Dundee and Aberdeen form later phases of the rolling programme, they are at an early stage of development with a detailed implementation programme and cost estimate still to be developed.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 21 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of anti-abortion gatherings at healthcare settings, what discussions it has had with trade unions regarding (a) the reported harassment and intimidation of patients and staff and (b) proposals for harassment-free buffer zones at these facilities.
Answer
The First Minister is hosting a summit on abortions on 27 June, and an invitation has been offered to the Scottish Trade Union Congress.
In addition to this, Scottish Government has publically stated that it will work constructively with Gillian Mackay MSP on her forthcoming Member’s Bill on buffer zones. Prior to the launch of her consultation, Ms Mackay met with trade unions to discuss her proposal. Ms Mackay also met with myself and the my working group, to discuss her proposal and seek the views of members.
