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-33936

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it made the decision to add the imminence of Christmas as a factor in determining COVID-19 restriction levels for local authorities; what modelling it did regarding the imminence of Christmas in each area, and whether it will publish this.

Question reference: S5W-33904

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 22 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that betting shops were not added to the specific categories of businesses entitled to COVID-19-related economic support, in light of other business types being specified, and for what reasons it made this decision.

The Scottish Government recognises that this is an extremely difficult time for businesses across Scotland. From the outset we have been explicit that we are passing on to support business in Scotland every penny of the UK Government’s consequential funding that has come for business support to Scotland, and we have delivered a package of financial support to help as many businesses as possible. In designing the relief system we had to balance helping as many businesses as possible against affordability.

The non-domestic rates reliefs introduced in Scotland as a result of the COVID-19 disruption are set out in The Non-Domestic Rates (Coronavirus Reliefs) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, as amended. These may be accessed at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2020/101/contents/made .

In 2020-21, all non-domestic properties in Scotland will automatically benefit from a 1.6% rates relief, and a 100% relief is available for properties in the Retail, Hospitality, Leisure and Airport sectors that meet the qualifying purpose or purposes specified in the classes in schedule 1 of the regulations, as amended. Non-domestic rates are administered by local authorities, and the interpretation of the relevant legislation and the awarding of reliefs is a matter for them.

When the pandemic began, we moved rapidly to put in place a support package worth over £2.3 billion, including reliefs, to provide lifeline support to businesses enabling them to close down safely, and survive though the initial crisis, protecting jobs and livelihoods. We have since announced a further £570m of business support to help mitigate some of financial challenges facing businesses.

Betting shops may have been eligible for the £10,000 Small Business Grant Fund which was available for the ratepayers of properties in receipt of Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) relief or Rural relief, or eligible for SBBS but in receipt of certain other reliefs.

From 2 November the Strategic Framework Business Fund offers financial support for businesses required to close by law, or specifically required to modify their operations by law. Eligibility depends on where the premises are located and what level of restrictions are in place at any point in time.

Further, the Local Authority Discretionary Fund empowers local authorities to support businesses and self-employed people in their area who require additional financial support, including supply chain businesses impacted by restrictions. This fund is specifically designed to target businesses who have not received direct financial support through other Scottish Government schemes, and recognises the insight that councils have on the business community in their area and where funding would be most effectively deployed in supporting local economies. It is for Local authorities to use this fund at their discretion, and they will undertake their own assessment of need.

We continue to seek the funding and powers we require to support Scottish businesses through this pandemic and to engage with specific sectors who may face unique impacts and consider how best to provide help and support.

Question reference: S5W-33905

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 22 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether some betting shops have been excluded from receiving COVID-19 (a) rates relief and (b) small business grants and, if so, (a) for what reason and (b) what funding support it will make available to such businesses.

Question reference: S5W-33869

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33520 by Michael Matheson on 4 December 2020, what correspondence it has had with the City of Edinburgh Council regarding the issues raised in correspondence on the Spaces for People initiative.

Question reference: S5O-04881

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 December 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what impact any reduction in residential drug rehabilitation treatments has had on recovery rates and the level of drug-related deaths.

Question reference: S5W-33479

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 16 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32056 by Jeane Freeman on 25 September 2020, what discussions are taking place regarding free hospital parking after January 2021.

In September 2020, the Scottish Government reached an agreement with the three PFI hospital car park providers to extend the free car parking arrangements until January 2021. This extension of free parking continues to support staff and remove the barriers to our staff working with the NHS during these unprecedented times.

The Health Boards, together with the PFI providers, are currently reviewing the options for beyond that period. Parliament will be updated once these discussions have concluded, but as they are commercially sensitive negotiations we are not in a position to provide further detail at this point.

Question reference: S5W-33518

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 16 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32418 by Jeane Freeman on 23 October 2020, when a decision on funding for a new Edinburgh Cancer Centre will be made.

Funding decisions for all major infrastructure projects are taken as part of the development of the Scottish Government's Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP). Funding for this project will be considered when the IIP is next updated and after we have received an approved business case.

NHS Lothian have submitted an Initial Agreement (IA) for the development of a new Edinburgh Cancer Centre (which is the first stage in the business case process) and that will be reviewed by the Capital Investment Group (CIG) at their meeting in December. No decision on funding will be made until the CIG is satisfied that the strategic case for investment has been effectively evidenced.

Question reference: S5W-33584

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 14 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of its Programme for Government 2020-21 on 1 September 2020, and its plan to “reduce long-term reliance” on specialist treatments and reduce or stop opioids, whether it is in a position to identify the chronic pain specialist services and treatments that it considers “demonstrate limited health outcomes” so that patients can be informed, and what consultation it has had with patients on this.

Question reference: S5W-33383

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Medicines Consortium has been working with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry on introducing multi-indication pricing.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has had no discussions this year with NICE or the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) on multi-indication pricing. The SMC was required to temporarily suspend all meetings in March 2020, in the early phase of the pandemic. Since meetings resumed in July the focus has been on prioritising the assessment of new medicines with the potential to deliver the greatest benefits to patients. A high proportion of company submissions to SMC include a Patient Access Scheme (PAS) to improve the cost-effectiveness of a medicine. Where the cost-effectiveness of a medicine varies significantly across indications, companies can address this through the current PAS arrangements.

Question reference: S5W-33384

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the feasibility of outcome-based payment for cancer medicines.

Scottish Government officials are actively considering new opportunities in relation to innovative and flexible approaches to pricing, including exploring outcome based reimbursement and commercial payment agreements. This work will also consider some of the associated uncertainty about a medicine’s clinical and/or cost effectiveness. As the work progresses, Scottish Government will engage with a range of stakeholders who can provide expertise in this area. In the meantime, Patient Access Schemes (PAS) offer the opportunity for outcome-based payments for cancer medicines. The feasibility of linking outcomes with pricing relies on whether the outcome of interest is routinely collected and readily available for monitoring. In addition, at UK level, Scottish Government officials are working with the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC). The AAC programme of work for ATMP treatments, which include cancer medicines, includes a workstream that is focused on new payment and reimbursement models.