Chamber and committees

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: S5W-24016

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 17 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) salary and (b) remuneration the (i) lead clinician and (ii) national coordinator for chronic pain has been paid in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S5W-23873

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 15 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it has taken forward each of the recommendations from the Scottish Women's Convention Conference on Women's Health in Scotland, which was held in July 2018.

We have made significant progress in taking forward the recommendations from the Scottish Women’s Convention Conference on Women’s Health in Scotland, as outlined below.

Breast & Cervical

Through our Detect Cancer Early programme, we aim to increase the proportion of cancers that are detected at the earliest stages, greatly increasing the chances of survival. We have invested £41m in this programme so far and in 2018, the programme placed further focus on the overall benefits of early detection for all cancers through a new pan-tumour awareness campaign

To help address inequalities of access and encourage participation in the breast and cervical screening, the Scottish Government’s 2016 Cancer Strategy ‘Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action’ is investing up to £5 million in new activity targeted to improve outcomes by addressing health inequalities and by supporting the development of a NHS Scotland network to develop innovative strategies and share learning on inequalities in screening.

Mental Health

Our Mental Health Strategy (2017-2027) sets out a wide range of Actions which we are progressing with our partners in the NHS, social services, the Third Sector and other sectors, to support the achievement of our Vision of a Scotland where people can get the right help at the right time, expect recovery, and fully enjoy their rights, free from stigma and discrimination.

Transvaginal Mesh

Last September Health Boards were instructed to halt the use of mesh in the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence. That halt remains in place and will only be lifted in circumstances where a high vigilance, restricted use protocol is developed.

A Short Life Working Group, which met for the first time in April, has been established in order to examine services for women who have experienced complications after mesh surgery.

Thyroid Health

We are committed to ensuring women living with thyroid issues are able to access the best possible care and support and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

The Scottish Endocrine Interest Group, led by the Chief Medical Officer’s Speciality Adviser for Endocrinology, is implementing improvements across Scotland to ensure a more consistent approach to raising awareness is adopted across Scotland, including improving communications around diagnosis and access to treatments.

To support this, NHS Education Scotland (NES) plans to produce an endocrine learning module for GPs and Lab Tests online now provide people with the relevant information regarding testing options.

Question reference: S5W-23874

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 15 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish Women's Convention Conference on Women's Health in Scotland, which was held in July 2018, describing the assistance that was available to women with thyroid issues in seeking further testing and treatment as "inadequate", what additional support it has put in place.

Question reference: S5W-23875

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 10 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in increasing the availability of specialist thyroid nurses across the country.

The Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care policy in Scotland. However, the statutory responsibility for delivering or commissioning services at a local level lies with local authorities, NHS Boards and integrated health and social care partnerships.

From 2015 the Scottish Government provided additional financial support to enhance clinical nurse specialist provision and care. The report on the specialist nursing and care fund published in September 2017 can be accessed here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/report-specialist-nursing-care-fund/ .

Operational decisions, including the care of people with thyroid and adrenal conditions and whether there is a need for additional thyroid specialist nurses, are therefore matters for these bodies.

Question reference: S5W-23950

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it will address the Poverty and Inequality Commission's concerns regarding poverty and transport policy.

The Scottish Government welcomes the work of the Poverty and Inequality Commission and its working group on Transport. An effective and affordable transport system has a key role to play in tackling poverty in Scotland – both in reducing the essential costs that households face in day to day life, but also in unlocking the potential of people across Scotland to participate in the education and in the labour market. That is why we committed within the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan to focus on how transport can help tackle child poverty in Scotland.

Our National Transport Strategy will set out our strategic vision for the future of transport in Scotland. With promoting equality as a key priority we will deliver a transport system that will simultaneously tackle inequalities and help reduce poverty, in particular child poverty - aided by the Commission’s advice.

Question reference: S5O-03426

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure that the most appropriate support and services are in place for women in the prison system.

Question reference: S5O-03395

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how it ensures equality of access for those wishing to hold parliamentary events onsite.

Question reference: S5F-03372

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2019

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Poverty and Inequality Commission’s recent finding that the current level of spending directed at tackling poverty in Scotland is "falling well short of what is needed".

Question reference: S5O-03322

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the SQA and what was discussed.

Question reference: S5W-23085

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £500,000 fund for the Action on Plastic Zero Waste Towns initiative has been allocated to date.