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: S6W-29143

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide the estimated number of lorry journeys being made by Tradebe per month to transport NHS Scotland clinical waste to Wales.

Question reference: S6F-03298

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2024

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to reports that newly qualified nurses are unable to find employment in the NHS despite there being over 3,300 whole-time equivalent unfilled nursing and midwifery vacancies.

Question reference: S6W-29167

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many whole-time equivalent anaesthetists have (a) been employed and (b) retired or left the profession, in each year since 2019.

The information requested on how many whole-time equivalent anaesthetists have been employed in each year since 2019 can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (Employment over time tab, anaesthetics consultants).

The information requested on how many whole-time equivalent anaesthetists have left the profession, in each year since 2019 can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (Turnover tab).

The requested information on how many whole-time equivalent anaesthetists have retired in each year since 2019 is not centrally available.

Question reference: S6W-28676

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 27 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27595 by Kate Forbes on 30 May 2024, whether its special advisers are now subject to the Scottish Ministerial Code, and, if this is not the case, when it plans to extend the application of the Scottish Ministerial Code to special advisers.

As noted in the answer to parliamentary question S6W-27596 on 30 May 2024, the Scottish Ministerial Code only applies to Scottish Ministers and does not apply to special advisers, who are bound by the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. The Scottish Government has no plans to extend the application of the Ministerial Code to special advisers.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6W-28674

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 26 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on any proposals to make legislative reforms in relation to MSPs’ privilege when speaking in the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-28926

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the immediate stabilisation of ill or premature babies born at University Hospital Wishaw or within the NHS Lanarkshire area, following the reported proposal to downgrade Wishaw’s Neonatal Unit from level 3 to level 2.

The expectation is that the mothers in threatened extreme preterm labour, or those whose babies will require surgery, will be identified antenatally and will birth in the maternity unit alongside the NICU. The Scottish Perinatal Network has published guidance on in-utero obstetric transfer in these circumstances.

Local Neonatal Units (LNU’s) will continue to deliver intensive care and care for babies from 27+0 weeks that need stabilisation and treatment, and both nursing staff and medical staff will continue to have experience in delivering these aspects of intensive care. We have asked Regional Chief Executives to consider arrangements for ongoing professional development of staff where required within their Regional Implementation Plans.

Question reference: S6W-28932

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which consulting firm has been hired to oversee the implementation of Best Start programme for maternity and neonatal care, and how much the firm has been paid for its services.

No consulting firm has been hired or paid to oversee the implementation of the Best Start programme for maternity and neonatal care. The Best Start Implementation Programme Board (IPB), Chaired by Jane Grant, Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde was established in June 2017 to guide the implementation of The Best Start: A Five-Year Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland.

Members of the IPB are drawn from NHSScotland, third sector organisations, Partnership and Royal Colleges. Members are not paid; however, third sector representative have been reimbursed for travel expenses.

Question reference: S6W-28928

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will guarantee that there will be no deterioration of neonatal clinical outcomes following the proposed reconfiguration of services outlined in The Best Start: A Five-Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland.

Evidence shows that the very smallest and sickest babies, including those born extremely premature (less than 27 weeks gestation), do best when they are cared for in larger specialist neonatal units which look after a lot of these babies, and have the right staff and services available on site to give them the very best care.

The Best Start report recommended that we move to three of these units in Scotland, to meet the needs of our population, and neonatal experts then went through a rigorous process to decide on the three NICUs.

It is important that we ensure that all babies born in Scotland receive the best and most up to date care, provided by appropriately trained staff. Outcomes in all units will be monitored following the changes, and we are developing plans for long term evaluation of outcomes of the package of changes outlined in The Best Start.

Question reference: S6W-28929

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what lessons can be learnt from neonatal consolidation in NHS England, similar to what is being proposed in the Best Start programme for maternity and neonatal care.

Question reference: S6W-28927

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of safe staffing numbers in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Neonatal Unit as part of its Best Start programme for maternity and neonatal care.

The Scottish Government commissioned independent modelling report was published on 29 May, and, following consideration of that report, we have asked the Regional Chief Executives to progress with the development of implementation plans.

We have asked that implementation plans are developed with the input of multidisciplinary clinical teams and describe service requirements for the new model and how they will be achieved.