- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 November 2024
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 14 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government test
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 14 November 2024
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 12 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when its (a) ministers and (b) civil servants last met with representatives of each of the 131 public bodies.
Answer
Given the wide range of bodies that make up the public bodies landscape in Scotland, and that not all public bodies share the same relationship with Government, there are no set rules as to the frequency ministers and officials should meet with them. Ministers with portfolio responsibility for public bodies do meet with them on a regular basis, and I have met with multiple public bodies over the past 6 months.
Of the 131 public bodies referred to there are some public bodies such as Parliamentary Commissioner that Ministers are not responsible for, but those public bodies that Ministers have responsibility for, civil servants make up the public body sponsor team within the Scottish Government.
Sponsor teams are the first point of contact between an Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) and the Scottish Government. They provide advice, help and support to the public body and advice on accountability, governance and performance to Ministers and Portfolio Accountable Officers both on an ad-hoc basis and as part of regular meetings. Sponsorship is flexible, proportionate and responsive; and facilitates positive relationships between the body and the Scottish Government. Each public body will have a Framework Document that outlines the working relationship between itself and the Scottish Government. The Framework Document should be published on the public bodies website and will set out expectations for regular meetings.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether reform to the NHS dental payment system in 2023 has meant it is not possible to compile data in a way that allows for examination of longer term trends.
Answer
The data available through NHS dental payment reform reflects the revision to fee codes that was delivered in November 2023. Activity and treatment trends are available in the Public Health Scotland statistics that have been published post reform.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to measure long-term trends in NHS dental activity and assess if activity has improved year on year, given there has been reform in the system
Answer
Public Health Scotland have produced regular Official Statistics post introduction of NHS dental payment reform. The most recent version was published on 27 August 2024 and provides the activity levels for all treatment items, each month since introduction. Statistical information will form the basis of ongoing monitoring of dental sector activity.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2024
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 14 November 2024
To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 14 November 2024
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 October 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 8 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many live homeless applications there were in each local authority area on Christmas Day 2023, and how many (a) adults and (b) children these related to.
Answer
The following table gives the number of live homeless applications at December 25th 2023 for each local authority, along with the number of adults and children these applications refer to.
| | Live cases at 25 December 2023 | Number of adults | Number of children |
All | 30,557 | 35,361 | 17,002 |
Aberdeen City | 707 | 763 | 306 |
Aberdeenshire | 219 | 255 | 133 |
Angus | 730 | 820 | 232 |
Argyll & Bute | 371 | 434 | 166 |
Clackmannanshire | 318 | 361 | 173 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 540 | 606 | 217 |
Dundee City | 813 | 885 | 320 |
East Ayrshire | 387 | 414 | 188 |
East Dunbartonshire | 359 | 398 | 216 |
East Lothian | 842 | 928 | 266 |
East Renfrewshire | 507 | 657 | 361 |
Edinburgh | 6,815 | 8,276 | 4,099 |
Eilean Siar | 107 | 126 | 54 |
Falkirk | 1,161 | 1,288 | 548 |
Fife | 1,847 | 2,036 | 686 |
Glasgow City | 5,800 | 6,920 | 3,988 |
Highland | 772 | 860 | 359 |
Inverclyde | 195 | 201 | 63 |
Midlothian | 727 | 804 | 515 |
Moray | 198 | 214 | 65 |
North Ayrshire | 459 | 532 | 185 |
North Lanarkshire | 874 | 972 | 461 |
Orkney | 192 | 233 | 125 |
Perth & Kinross | 141 | 156 | 39 |
Renfrewshire | 353 | 392 | 89 |
Scottish Borders | 425 | 533 | 272 |
Shetland | 94 | 105 | 17 |
South Ayrshire | 449 | 478 | 216 |
South Lanarkshire | 1,650 | 1,900 | 1,282 |
Stirling | 563 | 649 | 355 |
West Dunbartonshire | 481 | 520 | 224 |
West Lothian | 1,461 | 1,645 | 782 |
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to (a) Epilepsy Scotland, (b) Epilepsy Connections, (c) Quarriers' non-clinical and non-residential care services, (d) Cerebral Palsy Scotland, (e) MS Society Scotland, (f) Parkinson's UK and (g) MND Scotland in each year since 2019.
Answer
The following funding has been given to the identified charities, both directly and indirectly:
a) Epilepsy Scotland
| | Funding via Intersectional Partners | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |
(b) Epilepsy Connections
| | Funding via Intersectional Partners | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |
(c) Quarriers' non-clinical and non-residential care services
| | Funding via Intersectional Partners | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |
*a quarter of an annual payment of £36,000.00 in 2018-2019
(d) Cerebral Palsy Scotland
| | Funding via Intersectional Partners | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |
*a quarter of an annual payment of £50,000.00 in 2018-2019
(e) MS Society Scotland
| | Funding via Intersectional Partners | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |
(f) Parkinson's UK
| | Funding via Intersectional Partners | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |
(g) MND Scotland
| | Funding via Intersectional Partners | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 October 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards completing the partial electrification of the Fife Circle, in light of its final completion being due by December 2025.
Answer
As reported in the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26, Major capital projects progress update (December 2023), I can advise that a refresh of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan is underway. Timescales for this project will be updated in the light of current affordability constraints as part of the wider programme and the rolling stock procurement exercise.
Meanwhile, progress with development work for this project continues and I am pleased to confirm that a contract to provide a new electrification Feeder Station at Thornton has been placed with National Grid PLC.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 October 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided in each of the last five years for research projects aimed at developing a more reliable prostate cancer screening test.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office supports open competitive grant and fellowship schemes for applied health research in Scotland across a wide remit that is inclusive of consideration of applications for research relating to prostate cancer. Applications submitted to these schemes are assessed through independent expert peer-review with funding recommendations made by independent expert committees. While projects on prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment have been awarded funding in the course of these schemes, in the period from 2019 to date, no funding awards have been made for research specifically relating to prostate cancer screening test development.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 29 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it being approved in principle 12 years ago, for what reason there is reportedly still no completed design specification, business plan or agreed promoter to progress the Winchburgh railway station project.
Answer
The station proposal is a developer led proposal with planning permission in principle granted by the Planning Authority, in this case West Lothian Council. It is for Winchburgh Developments Limited to progress the above items.
Transport Scotland, utilising its considerable experience of rail infrastructure construction, is currently supporting West Lothian Council and Winchburgh Developments Limited as they look towards identifying a lead promoter, or promoters, and the development of both the station design and business case process.
