- Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 January 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 25 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what economic impact assessment it has undertaken on the effect of Brexit on Scottish businesses and jobs.
Answer
The Scottish Government continues to closely monitor the impact of Brexit on businesses, jobs and the wider economy.
The latest Business Impact and Conditions (BICS) survey for December shows that Brexit is having a visible impact on Scottish businesses, with 49% of all manufacturing businesses reporting higher costs due to increased paperwork and 57% facing higher transportation costs.
Early trade statistics indicate that Scottish trade with the EU in 2021 was 24% lower compared to 2019 levels. New customs regulations from the 1st January 2021 are likely to further increase barriers for Scottish businesses importing from the EU.
The latest BICS survey also indicates that Brexit has exacerbated the current labour market shortages as Scottish businesses struggle to hire workers from the EU. In manufacturing and the accommodation and food sectors around 25% of businesses with unfilled vacancies cite a reduced number of EU applicants as a cause of difficulties in hiring.
In the long run, forecasts by the Office of Budgetary Responsibility indicate that Brexit will be more detrimental to the UK’s productivity than the pandemic, causing an estimated 4% fall in productivity compared to 2% for the pandemic.
- Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 December 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 12 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the UK Government to discuss the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and what the outcome was.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 12 January 2022
- Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 21 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address any workforce issues in social care, in light of comments from the Chief Executive of Scottish Care that the social care sector is facing the biggest workforce crisis it has ever experienced.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 21 December 2021
- Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage uptake of science subjects by secondary school pupils.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2021
- Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that there has been a 44% increase in the number of people paying for private procedures since 2019 and that waiting lists for NHS outpatient appointments have reportedly risen to 400,000 over the first half of 2021, what its position is on whether this represents a move towards a two-tier public/private health service in Scotland based on the ability to pay.
Answer
During 2020-21 the percentage of total NHS procedures carried out by non NHS-providers was 0.6%. Non-NHS provider figures relate to NHS patients treated in non-NHS locations such as private hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, care homes, etc.
The impact of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that many health and social care services had to be suspended or reduced in scope and scale. This has affected almost all aspects of NHS Care. As a result, this regrettably means there are many people who are waiting longer for the care they need. Addressing the backlog of care, while continuing to meet the ongoing urgent health and care needs of the country, is a priority for this Government.
The Scottish Government remains fully committed to a publicly funded National health service that is accessible to all of the people of Scotland. That is why the First Minster launched the NHS Recovery Plan on the 25 August which sets out our objectives for tackling the Covid-19 related backlogs of care and putting the NHS on a sustainable path for the future. The plan is backed by more than £1 billion of investment over the next five years of which over £400 million will support nine National Treatment Centres (NTC) – the first of which opened at the Golden Jubilee November 2020.
- Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will undertake a cross-government COVID-19 strategic review into the impact of the pandemic on frontline public services.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2021
- Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 October 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 5 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what the estimated cost has been of establishing Social Security Scotland, and what the estimated (a) staff and running cost and (b) budget for the provision of social security payments is for (i) the current financial year and (ii) each of the next four years.
Answer
The Programme Business Case, published in February 2020, provides future forecasted operating costs for Social Security Scotland. The link to the Business Case can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.scot/publications/social-security-programme-business-case-executive-summary/documents/
The 2021-22 Autumn Budget Revision, published on 27 September 2021, set out the financial position for Social Security in the current year. The Social Security budget line captures staff and running costs, and Social Security Assistance covers benefits expenditure. The document can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.scot/publications/2021-22-autumn-budget-revision-budget-scotland-act/
The 2022-23 Scottish Budget, which is set to be announced on 9 December 2021, will set out what the Scottish Government will invest in Social Security over the next financial year. The 2021 Medium Term Financial Strategy will be published alongside the new Budget and will focus on the fiscal position within the Parliamentary term.
- Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 October 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 29 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made to date on each of the key actions in the Women's Health Plan.
Answer
Since the publication of the Women’s Health Plan on 20 th August 2021, there has been progress towards the implementation of some of the short term actions within the Plan. For example, a menopause platform on NHS Inform was launched in October 2021. This is the first phase of work to establish a women’s health platform on the NHS Inform website. A network for menopause specialists in Scotland has also been established and meets regularly.
As noted in the Women’s Health Plan, an update will be published annually to detail progress made towards the implementation of the actions included within the Plan. It is also planned to produce an implementation report in 2024 - 25 to describe progress made in the time since August 2021, analyse the impact of the Plan and consider lessons learned.
- Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering a vaccine booster programme for the whole population, in light of findings in a recent study of people who are double-vaccinated, showing a decrease in protection from COVID-19 after six months.
Answer
People who received their vaccination during the early stages of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme started to receive booster injections from 20 September. This follows advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which advised that the booster dose can be given alongside the flu jab and should be offered no earlier than six months after completion of the primary vaccine course.
Frontline health and social care workers were able to book their appointment online at NHS Inform from 20 September. Residents in care homes for older people were also being offered both flu and COVID-19 boosters from this date. Adults aged 70 years and over and adults aged 16 and over who are on the highest risk list (previously known as the shielding list) are being contacted, either by letter or by their GP.
All those aged 16 to 49 years with underlying health conditions, adult carers, unpaid and young carers, adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals and all adults over 50 will be able to book online soon.
As most younger adults will only receive their second COVID-19 vaccine dose in late summer, the benefits of booster vaccination in this group will be considered by the JCVI at a later time when more information is available.
- Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 September 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it supports veterans, and what official statistics it records to monitor this.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2021
