Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-28195

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27323 by Neil Gray on 17 May 2024, how it plans to evaluate the role that the Golden Hello payment scheme plays in supporting GP retention.

Question reference: S6W-28189

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 26 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to undertake a review of the short-term let licensing scheme by late spring 2024 to assess how the scheme is working in practice, as it has previously committed to.

The implementation update will be published later in July instead of June. I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27717 on 4 June 2024 in relation to the monitoring work. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-28191

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its next Carbon Neutral Islands Project Progress Report.

Question reference: S6W-28048

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the question S6W-25696 by Jenny Gilruth on 5 March 2024, whether it is still the case that its report following the consultation on draft guidance on the Delivery of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education in Scottish schools will be published in spring 2024.

Question reference: S6W-28196

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 21 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considered establishing a ferry compensation scheme for island businesses in advance of its announcement on 24 May 2024 of new funding schemes for island communities.

Scottish Ministers are focused on ensuring a reliable and resilient ferry service, including six new vessels in service by 2026. We fully recognise the need to support our island businesses and that is why we are offering 100% relief in 2024-25 for hospitality businesses located on islands or in specified remote areas, capped at £110,000 per business.

The package of measures announced on 24 May 2024 also provides a further £5m support across our island communities.

Question reference: S6W-28090

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported data published by the British Medical Association Scotland showing that the top five NHS boards with the highest number of GP vacancies per 100,000 population are within the Highlands and Islands region.

The British Medical Association has used data from the latest General Practice Workforce Survey , published by NHS Education Scotland in December 2023, which collects data on vacancies throughout the year. This report notes data quality concerns over vacancy status and advises caution when referring to vacancy rates published from the survey, which are likely an overestimation. It further suggests that the particularly high vacancy rates for island boards are unlikely to be an accurate reflection of the current staffing situation.

Improving recruitment and retention of GPs and other doctors is vital in all localities, including rural and island areas. The Scottish Government provides a range of supports to the GP workforce, including a rural specific graduate entry medical degree (ScotGEM), Golden Hello payments for harder to fill posts mostly in remote and rural areas, as well as bursaries for GP Speciality Training aimed at attracting GPs to work in rural Scotland. NHS Education for Scotland (NES) also provide a Rural GP Fellowship for those interested in working in general practice in rural and island Boards.

The Scottish Government funds the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care which focuses on recruitment and retention, education and training, research and evaluation, leadership and good practice.

We will publish a Remote and Rural Workforce Recruitment Strategy by the end of 2024.

Question reference: S6W-27595

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints of breaches of section 7.3 of the Scottish Ministerial Code by (a) ministers and (b) special advisers have been upheld in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S6W-27596

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints have been reported to it in relation to potential breaches of section 7.3 of the Scottish Ministerial Code by (a) ministers and (b) special advisers in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S6O-03541

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has held any discussions with stakeholders regarding the future of hyperbaric treatment services on the west coast.

Question reference: S6O-03515

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has held any recent discussions with SSEN Transmission, in light of reported concerns by communities in the Highlands and Islands region regarding electricity transmission proposals.

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