Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-04347

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to increase the number of film and television productions created in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-34367

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its draft Budget 2025-26, how much funding it plans to allocate to NHS capital projects, once the replacements for the Edinburgh Eye Pavilion, Monklands Hospital and Belford Hospital in Fort William are accounted for.

The 2025-26 draft budget provides increased investment of £139 million across the NHS estate. This allows plans for Monklands and Belford hospital replacements and a new eye pavilion to be progressed, supports a new radiopharmacy facility and provides increased core capital allocations to NHS Boards, as well as additional support for Boards’ priority maintenance and improvements.

The budget also provides continued support for NHS projects already in construction and for the national replacement programmes for ambulances and radiotherapy equipment.

Beyond this, further NHS projects cannot be supported at this time, as there remains challenge and uncertainty in the capital budget position. All due consideration will be given as to which projects are affordable and deliverable, following the outcome of the UK Government’s spending review.

This will be supported by our work with Health Boards to develop a whole-system NHS infrastructure plan which will consider health infrastructure needs for the whole of Scotland, supporting the continued safe operation of existing facilities, as well as determination of longer-term investment priorities.

Question reference: S6W-34796

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, following the drug, exagamglogene autotemcel, being approved for use in England to treat sickle cell disease, what progress has been on approving it for use in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-34354

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 7 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to ensure that (a) local authorities and (b) housing associations provide social housing suitable for families with multiple disabled people.

We want disabled people in Scotland to have choice, dignity and freedom to access suitable homes, built or adapted to enable them to participate as full and equal citizens.

As the statutory housing authority for their area, local authorities are responsible for assessing housing need and demand, including specialist housing requirements, and for setting out how this will be met through their Local Housing Strategies and Strategic Housing Investment Plans. This includes the location, size and type of housing required.

Local authorities are also required to include all-tenure wheelchair accessible housing targets as part of their Local Housing Strategy.

The Affordable Housing Supply Programme provides a flexible grant system to local authorities and registered social landlords to support the delivery of specialist affordable housing, including wheelchair accessible homes.

In addition, the draft budget includes funding of £20.9 million for 2025-26 to enable registered social landlords to deliver necessary adaptations to ensure disabled people can live independently at home for as long as possible.

Question reference: S6W-34587

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will begin its review into alternative and additional funding mechanisms to grow funding for culture.

Question reference: S6T-02335

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the banking sector regarding how to ensure that communities do not lose access to banking services, in light of reports that Lloyds Banking Group plans to close 14 Bank of Scotland branches over the next two years.

Question reference: S6W-34285

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the creation of the Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-34286

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland to become operational.

Question reference: S6W-34284

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether funding for the Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland will be separate and additional to existing budgets.

Question reference: S6O-04286

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to increase investment in Scotland’s artificial intelligence sector.

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