Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-36587

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many international students have accessed GP services in each NHS board area in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-36570

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to (a) promote and (b) invest in alternatives to assisted dying, including hospice and end-of-life care.

The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is a Member's Bill, introduced to the Scottish Parliament by Liam McArthur MSP, not a Scottish Government Bill. It is the role of the Scottish Parliament Health, Social Care and Sport Committee to scrutinise the Bill and it will be for the Scottish Parliament to decide on whether or not to pass it into law.

Regardless of whether or not assisted dying becomes lawful in Scotland, the Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring that everyone who needs it can access well co-ordinated, timely and high-quality palliative care, care around dying and bereavement support based on what matters to them.

In October 2024, we published our draft palliative care strategy for consultation. The consultation closed on 10 January 2025 and we are in the process of analysing the responses. The final strategy and delivery plan will set our direction of travel for the next five years.

Further to that, the Scottish Budget 2025-26 identified funding of £5 million to help support independent hospices deliver pay parity with Agenda for Change (AfC) levels for this and future years.

Question reference: S6W-36488

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 17 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position on whether underlying economic and housing pressures might contribute to Scotland’s reported low birthrate.

Question reference: S6W-36713

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 17 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with (a) Police Scotland and (b) other organisations to address antisocial behaviour on off-road bikes, and what recent action it has taken regarding this.

We continue to support and work in partnership with Police Scotland and Local Authorities in tackling vehicle nuisance and related safety issues.

Police Scotland have a range of existing powers under road safety and antisocial behaviour legislation and common law to prevent and tackle vehicle misuse. They have also pursued educational awareness campaigns and highlighted that 442 vehicles had been seized in 2024 comprising of 327 e-bikes and 115 e-scooters.

We welcome the development of innovative tools such as the recent use of SelectaDNA tagging spray, which provides a forensic link, by officers in Hawick as part of ongoing work to combat antisocial behaviour connected with off-road bikes.

Ministers met recently with MSPs and Police Scotland about this issue and as a result of that, options are being explored including liaising with the UK Government, and on its legislative proposals, as part of a cross-party approach. We will also continue to liaise with the UK Government where there are reserved matters relating to road safety, including vehicle licencing, off-road vehicles and legal use of both e-scooters and e-bikes.

Question reference: S6W-36711

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 17 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the approach taken in Staffordshire regarding addressing antisocial behaviour on off-road bikes, and whether it will consider a similar approach being taken in Scotland, including in the Mid Scotland and Fife region.

The Scottish Government is aware of this approach.

Police Scotland have a range of existing powers under road safety and antisocial behaviour legislation and common law to take appropriate action such as seizure of vehicles and disposal where appropriate. They have also pursued awareness campaigns, such as in December 2024, that highlighted concerns around illegal e-bikes, clarified the legal position, and publicised the number of such vehicles that had been seized.

Police Scotland also pursue a range of initiatives based on identified local need such as increased and targeted patrols at hot-spot areas, use of off-road vehicles for pursuit where safe to do so, and potential measures such as use of drones. This flexible local needs approach is undertaken by policing divisions including Mid Scotland and Fife.

Question reference: S6W-36714

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 17 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding the use of drones as part of the response to antisocial behaviour on off-road bikes.

Operational decisions are rightly a matter for Police Scotland. They use a range of existing powers under road safety and antisocial behaviour legislation to take appropriate action in response to the illegal use of off-road vehicles. This includes various initiatives which take account of local need such as local engagement, increased and targeted patrols at hot spot areas, use of off-road vehicles for pursuit where it is safe to do so. We are aware that drones have been used operationally by Police Scotland and it is their decision when they are utilised.

We continue to consider ways forward in partnership with Police Scotland and Local Authorities for tackling vehicle nuisance and related safety issues.

Question reference: S6W-36752

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce cancer waiting times in NHS Grampian, in light of the NHS board reportedly recording the worst cancer waiting times in Scotland.

Cancer remains a national priority, within the Scottish Government and across NHS Scotland, and I recognise that we must do more to ensure patients with cancer are treated faster.

We have invested over £40 million across NHS Scotland over the past five years to support cancer services and improve waiting times, with a focus on urology, colorectal and breast.

In NHS Grampian specifically, over £1.5 million of cancer funding has been provided to the board in 2024-25, to support delivery of diagnostics and treatment for patients referred with an urgent suspicion of cancer to reduce waiting lists.

Each territorial Health Board across Scotland has agreed performance improvement plans in place, detailing what is being done at local level to drive improvements. The Scottish Government has a sustained focus on the delivery of these plans and meet with Cancer Management Teams in all health boards across Scotland frequently, including NHS Grampian, to identify challenges, explore solutions, and share best practice.

Question reference: S6O-04561

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what dialogue it has had with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde regarding shared care agreements for adults with private ADHD and autism diagnoses.

Question reference: S6O-04560

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that gulls can cause serious human injury, whether it will direct NatureScot to issue licences to control the birds and help prevent such injuries.

Question reference: S6O-04566

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish the outcome of the latest A96 corridor review.

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