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: S6O-04054

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consider making mental health first aid awareness training mandatory for all MSPs and their staff, to support them with their own mental health, and in light of the significant number of people that MSPs and their staff support on a daily basis who may be in crisis or dealing with longstanding mental health issues.

Question reference: S6O-03978

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on work at Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow, in light of the announcement of £14 million worth of investment into the yard earlier this year.

Question reference: S6W-30827

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 11 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the availability of roadside facilities for HGV drivers, and provide an analysis of where secure facilities should be available on the trunk road network.

In 2022, the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) was published. recommendation-36-strategy-for-improving-rest-and-welfare-facilities-for-hauliers.pdf (transport.gov.scot) includes a detailed national audit and review of support for lorry parks. This would include consultation with the freight industry, representative bodies, local authorities, and other stakeholders to collect views on the provision of lorry parks including where and what type of facilities are required. The audit will indicate which routes have gaps in provision and support Transport Scotland in making future decisions on the need (or otherwise) to address market failure.

Development of the STPR2 Delivery Plan is currently underway. This is a complex piece of work, with consultation ongoing across the Scottish Government, including with Statutory Bodies and Exchequer officials. Once this exercise is complete we will be able to advise with more certainty on the potential implementation of and the associated timelines of the proposed audit.

Question reference: S6O-03758

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of what Scotland's fiscal position would be today if a "Yes" vote had been returned in the independence referendum of 18 September 2014.

Question reference: S6W-28043

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the latest round of negotiations between the college sector and trade unions.

A pay deal between the college employers and support staff trade unions was agreed on 31 May 2024.

Negotiations between the employers and EIS-FELA in regards to a pay deal for lecturers remains ongoing. The National Joint Negotiating Committee will meet again on 21 June 2024. I continue to urge the employers and EIS-FELA to work collaboratively to agree a fair and affordable settlement, in order to bring an end to this dispute as a matter of priority.

Question reference: S6W-28075

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any benefits to (a) public expenditure and (b) patients’ wellbeing of an increase in the deployment of combined cataract and glaucoma procedures.

The Scottish Government is committed to fully harnessing the potential of research-proven technological and scientific innovations through their rapid national adoption. The Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway, led by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery and drawing on the expertise of NHS National Services Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Public Health Scotland, and NHS Education for Scotland, has been established to provide a once for Scotland approach to:

• identifying innovations the Scottish Government should consider for national adoption within the NHS through a quarterly horizon scan report

• producing robust value cases around clinical and financial impact

• their national adoption at pace, if approved

The ANIA pathway is governed by an Innovation Design Authority (IDA). This brings together senior Scottish Government and NHS leadership to support improved partnership working, provide system leadership and take joint decisions on the progression of innovations through ANIA stage gates.

Combined cataract and glaucoma procedures will be considered through the ANIA pathway. Scottish Ministers would then consider investment in this programme following any recommendation by the IDA.

Question reference: S6W-28073

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which emerging medical technologies it considers to have the most potential to improve the treatment of glaucoma over the next five years.

The Scottish Government is investing £250,000 including VAT, in a Small Business Research Initiative focused on Home Glaucoma Monitoring. The innovation challenge is to develop and validate the tools needed for home (or near-patient) glaucoma assessment, including home tonometry and home assessment of visual function, and potentially even optic disc imaging.

Priority areas:

? Development and validation of an affordable tool for home perimetry for monitoring glaucoma.

? Development and validation of an affordable tool for home perimetry for detecting glaucoma.

? Development of method of secure data storage, analysis, and transfer (or integration) with NHS electronic patient records.

? Development of tools for home tonometry and /or home optic disc / retinal imaging, in addition to methods for integrating results from these tests with NHS electronic patient records.

The challenge was launched in 2022 and attracted a high number of applications. Three companies successfully completed 4-month Phase One feasibility projects in June 2023. Following a competitive application, two companies have embarked on their Phase 2 prototyping and validation projects.

Question reference: S6W-28074

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the current deployment of combined cataract and glaucoma procedures.

Question reference: S6T-02048

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde regarding dental provision in the Greenock and Inverclyde constituency.

Question reference: S6W-28089

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 14 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to replace the fishery protection vessel, MPV Minna, which came into service in 2003.

MPV Minna was commissioned in 2003 with an expected service life of 25 years. Concept designs for the vessels replacement have been developed and we are currently looking at funding options for a replacement in the near future. To ensure service continuity, upgrades and replacement of machinery and equipment have been scoped so we can safely extend the service life of the vessel should that be required.