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-09231

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the escalation status of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Firstly, I want to place on record my thanks to the staff of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde who have continued to support the escalation work whilst delivering patient care. I also want to acknowledge and thank the patients and families for their patience and understand during what I know has been a challenging time.

In response to concerns raised in relation to patient safety and healthcare associated infections at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) and Royal Hospital for Children (RHC), the previous Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport commissioned a number of investigations into the built environment at the hospitals and a review of clinical cases in relation to children who had been treated there. On 22 November 2019 the then Cabinet Secretary escalated NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC) to Stage 4 of the NHS Board Performance Escalation Framework.

The reports from the investigations that were commissioned between 2019 and 2020 include:

The Independent Review conducted by Dr Andrew Fraser and Dr Brian Montgomery (published June 2020);
The Oversight Board chaired by Professor Fiona McQueen Interim Report (published December 2020);
The Oversight Board Final Report (published March 2021);

The Overview Report of the Case Note Reviews led by Professor Mike Stephens (published March 2021).

There has been significant progress made by NHS GGC regarding the actions of these reviews.

NHS GGC has undertaken a detailed and highly complex programme to implement and evidence action against the 108 recommendations outlined in the Independent Review, Oversight Board and Case Note Review reports.

This represents a substantial NHS GGC wide programme of work, with clinical, managerial and support staff all contributing to the successful completion of the recommendations. An audit process has been established, with audit actions being monitored and tracked and a portfolio of evidence being maintained.

All recommendations have now been completed including both Wards 2A/B being successfully re-opened on 9 March 2022, which has allowed the patients and families to return to the wards and receive the quality care provided by the staff.

As NHS GGC have provided the relevant assurance and evidence to support the delivery of the 108 actions. The Scottish Government therefore accepted the closure of all 108 actions. It was on this basis and on this evidence and assurance that NHS GGC will be de-escalated to Level 2 of the NHS Board Performance Escalation Framework.

As part of this Level 2 escalation, measures will remain in place to ensure Scottish Government officials continue to provide support to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as they continue to deliver quality healthcare with the implemented actions and improvements.

Question reference: S6O-01235

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is, regarding the potential impact on Scotland, on the upcoming first meeting of states parties to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Vienna.

Question reference: S6O-01082

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to support community integration for Ukrainian refugees resettling in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-07326

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 29 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the total estimated (a) cost of Scottish Social Security benefits, (b) funding provided through the fiscal framework and (c) additional Scottish Government funding required is for 2022-23.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission published updated forecasts alongside the 2022-23 Scottish Budget on 9 December 2021.

In line with their forecasts, the Scottish Government is committing £3,949 million to social security assistance in 2022-23, and is investing an additional £2.7 million to uprate eight Scottish benefits by 6% from 1 April, subject to parliamentary approval.

The UK Government Spring Statement was made on 23 March and provided an updated set of Social Security Block Grant Adjustments for 2022-23 which total £3,601 million.

Therefore, the Scottish Government is making an additional investment of over £346 million in the social security benefits in 2022-23.

Social security spending is demand-led which means it is variable and harder to control than other areas of spending. We will manage any variance between actual and forecast expenditure or Block Grant Adjustment, in a competent, responsible and balanced way.

Question reference: S6O-00946

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Warm Scots Welcome scheme for Ukrainian refugees.

Question reference: S6O-00863

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the OSCE report, Policy responses to technology-facilitated trafficking in human beings, and accompanying recommendations on action areas for parliaments.

Question reference: S6O-00772

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support expanded recruitment of teaching assistants.

Question reference: S6O-00708

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent survey, which found that 65% of those asked preferred to see the national flag of Scotland on their food.

Question reference: S6O-00598

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what cross-government strategies have been identified, as part of its work on COVID-19 recovery, to support communities and businesses most affected by the pandemic.

Question reference: S6O-00559

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what training is given to the police force to identify potential victims of modern slavery involved in organised crime.