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-27667

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital beds have been available in each year since 2007, broken down by NHS board.

ISD Scotland routinely publishes data on average available staffed beds in its “Acute Hospital Activity and NHS Beds Information (Annual)” publication. The latest annual publication released on 10 September 2019 gives bed numbers back to 2009-10 and can be found at the following link:

https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/health-services/hospital-care/acute-hospital-activity-and-nhs-beds-information-annual/

Previous releases of this publication containing bed numbers for 2007-08 and 2008-09 (published 7 November 2017) can be found at the following link:

https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Hospital-Care/Publications/index.asp

Question reference: S5W-27878

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 19 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the comment in the paper, Open Government in Scotland Action Plan 2018-2020, that "our involvement in Open Government [is] one way of achieving transformative change in how we govern. We joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in 2016 because we share the values of openness, transparency and accountability with the 90+ governments and their civil society partners around the world who are members of OGP", for what reason its National Advisory Committee for Chronic Pain meets in private without media and public access, and which of its other similar advisory groups, forums, partnerships, boards and task forces follow a similar practice.

In line with our participation in the Open Government Partnership, we have worked with the public, Civil Society and Local Government to design two action plans that contain commitments designed to improve the transparency, openness, accountability and citizen participation in Scotland’s governance. The first plan was delivered in 2017 and the second plan is in the implementation phase. There is not a single defined format for all advisory groups, forums, partnerships, boards and task forces, because of their varying nature, however, we actively work to ensure that citizens are integral to the design of our policies.

The National Advisory Group for Chronic Pain (NACCP), and similar groups for other specialties, provide advice to the Scottish Government to inform policy development. The NACCP’s membership includes representation from across the clinical community, third sector, academia, NHS Boards and Integrated Authorities. Minutes of NACCP meetings are published on the Scottish Government website here .

There are currently two vacancies on NACCP for people with lived experience, which has provided an opportunity to re-think how lived experience is represented. We recognise the challenges for one or two individuals to contribute the voices of multiple conditions and circumstances beyond personal experience. We have therefore asked the Health and Social Care Alliance to facilitate the creation of an independent lived experience consultation group for chronic pain that will enable meaningful input across Scottish Government policy areas, including the NACCP. This group met for the first time on 27 February 2020 and development of its terms of reference is based on a co-production approach, which also includes defining its representation on the NACCP.

Question reference: S5W-27759

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing on 3 March 2020 (Official Report, c. 78), which members of the Expert Women’s Health Group have specific experience and expertise in dealing with the issues regarding pregnancy and pre-eclampsia, and whether it will publish the agenda and minutes of the meeting that took place on 5 February 2020 and routinely make public future agendas and minutes.

A full list of members of the Women’s Health Group can be found on the Women’s Health Plan page of the Scottish Government website using the following link: https://www.gov.scot/groups/womens-health-plan-womens-health-group/ Those members who are obstetricians have specific experience and expertise in dealing with pre-eclampsia. Papers including approved minutes of meetings will also be published on the website.

Question reference: S5W-27677

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help encourage an increase in the recycling of medical plastic, including anaesthetic plastic, and what support it provides to NHS boards, anaesthetists and other staff to assist with this.

Each NHS Board has an appointed Waste Management Officer or Manager whose responsibilities include promotion of best practice in waste management and recycling. They work closely with clinical and estate colleagues to ensure that the appropriate waste collection infrastructure is in place and that correct use if promoted throughout the Board.

At a national level, NHS National Services Scotland provides a range of professional advice and support to all NHS Boards in relation to waste management and sustainability, including development of national best practice guidance such as the NHSScotland Waste Management Action Plan, training programmes, and procurement advice. These services are provided primarily through Health Facilities Scotland (HFS) via its Energy and Sustainability Team and NHSScotland National Procurement.

In terms of specific actions relating to anaesthetic services, the Health Facilities Scotland Energy and Sustainability Team works with organisations such as the Association of Anaesthetists Great Britain and Northern Ireland to raise awareness of climate change and sustainability issues and to promote sustainable best practice.

Question reference: S5W-27664

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many appeals have been made under the PACS Tier 2 system, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S5W-27665

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have been able to access drugs via the PACS Tier 2 system in each year.

Question reference: S5W-27726

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 16 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many ambulances have been out of use, for example because of requiring repair, since 2007, also broken down by (a) quarter and (b) percentage of the total number of ambulances.

Question reference: S5W-27660

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 13 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many places have been available for people to study (a) childcare and (b) adult social care in each year since 1999.

The number of places which have been made available to study childcare and adult social care qualifications is not held centrally. The Scottish Social Services Council gathers data on the provision and uptake of Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) in Health and Social Care and Children’s Care Learning and Development in Scotland and the latest report can be found at https://data.sssc.uk.com/data-publications/20-svq-reports .

Question reference: S5W-27659

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 13 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have graduated in (a) childcare and (b) adult social care in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S5O-04275

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what progress the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is making with efforts to reduce waiting times for toxicology results.