- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 30 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government on what date its More Homes Division next plans to publish an updated Affordable Housing Supply Programme: process and procedures guidance note, and for what reasons it did not do so at the beginning of the current financial year.
Answer
The update to the Affordable Housing Supply Programme process and procedures guidance note has been a detailed piece of work comprising a number of elements. While this has taken longer than expected to complete, the updated guidance will be published shortly.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the investigation by the BBC programme, Panorama, into pregnancy advice centres outside the NHS giving misleading information about abortion, which found that more than a third of these services gave misleading medical information or unethical advice, and sometimes both, what its response is to Stanton Healthcare East of Scotland obtaining charitable status to operate a pregnancy advice centre in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government believes all women in Scotland should be able to access timely abortion care without judgment, should they require it. We would encourage all women wanting advice on an abortion or considering options for their pregnancy to contact their NHS Board, who can help offer advice or signpost them to other appropriate services.
The Scottish Government respects the fact that many individuals and organisations do not support abortion and may wish to discuss alternatives with patients, where patients request this. However, we expect all organisations to provide clear information for clients about the nature of the services they provide.
Decisions on the registration of charities in Scotland are a matter for the Scottish Charities Regulator OSCR, which is independent of the Scottish Government. Concerns about the actions of a charity should be raised with the charity trustees in the first instance and then with OSCR. If there is any evidence to suggest that Stanton Healthcare East of Scotland has provided any misleading or unethical advice, the Scottish Government would be happy to discuss this and, if appropriate, share any relevant evidence with OSCR.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to mark Coeliac Awareness Week, which runs from 15 to 21 May 2023, and what strategies it has in place to raise awareness of the condition.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomes the work of organisations like Coeliac UK who are already undertaking communications work to increase awareness and knowledge of coeliac disease. We supported their messaging on Coeliac awareness week by sharing their twitter campaign raising awareness of lesser-known symptoms of the disease.
NHSinform.scot provides clear and accessible information on Coeliac Disease including, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the current prevalence of coeliac disease is, and what plans it has to tackle any (a) under-diagnosis and (b) delayed diagnosis of the condition.
Answer
The Modernising Patient Pathway Programme Coeliac Disease Pathway Test of Change Final Report, September 2020 estimates that the incidence of diagnosed Coeliac Disease is 1% of the population in Scotland with 7-8 people remaining undiagnosed for every person diagnosed.
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with long term conditions such as coeliac disease are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put the person at the centre of their care.
We expect all Health Boards to fully implement the Coeliac Disease Pathway in Scotland to improve under diagnosis and improve time to diagnosis for those with coeliac disease. Our £70 million Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan is increasing capacity and supporting workforce training. This also includes a commitment to promote and implement guidelines for non-biopsy diagnosis for coeliac disease, which is expected to reduce waiting times for diagnosis for this condition.
Health Boards have developed plans to increase capacity, workforce and activity. Mobile Endoscopy Units are providing access to an additional six endoscopy rooms to help people get the diagnostic tests they need. Additional activity throughout the week, including weekends, will help reduce diagnostic waits.
- Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to improve access to clinical trials for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Answer
The NHS Research Scotland (NRS) Cancer Network is funded by the Scottish Government to increase, support and sustain clinical trial activity in cancer care within NHS Scotland. The fundamental aim of NRS Cancer is to support the recruitment of cancer patients into clinical research and to thereby contribute to improving the quality of cancer care for patients across Scotland, including those diagnosed with ovarian cancer. https://nhsresearchscotland.org.uk/research-areas/cancer
The Scottish Government also works with Cancer Research UK to support the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres (ECMC's) in Glasgow and Scotland. These are part of a UK-wide ECMC Network of 18 adult centres and 11 paediatric locations https://www.ecmcnetwork.org.uk/ Glasgow’s Adult ECMC and Paediatric ECMC, together with Edinburgh’s Adult ECMC receive around £1 million annually to help doctors and scientists develop the cancer treatments of the future for both adults and children, including in ovarian cancer. The funding is split 50:50 Scottish Government / Cancer Research UK
On 13 February 2023 we published an Independent Report on Improving Equity of Access to Cancer Clinical Trials. We will be working closely with the cancer research community here to prioritise the report’s recommendations.
https://www.gov.scot/publications/improving-equity-access-cancer-clinical-trials-scotland/
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 30 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17423 by Patrick Harvie on 9 May 2023, how much funding has been allocated for the loans to date, and whether it has a target for the number of private rented sector landlords that it hopes will use the scheme.
Answer
The Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan Scheme was launched in April 2020 to support landlords with the cost of installation for energy efficiency improvements, renewable systems and energy storage systems.
The funding allocated for the scheme is set out in the following table:
Allocated Budget for Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan Scheme |
Year | Allocated Budget |
2020 - 2021 | £1,000,000 |
2021 - 2022 | £500,000 |
2022 – 2023 | £500,000 |
2023 – 2024 | £500,000 |
The scheme is demand led and as such, there are no specific targets set for the usage of the scheme.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Coeliac Awareness Week, which runs from 15 to 21 May 2023, what steps it is taking to tackle under-diagnosis of coeliac disease, in light of reports that more than 30,000 people in Scotland with the condition are undiagnosed.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17929 on 30 May 2023. 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/questions-and-answers .
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Royal College of Nursing Scotland report, The Nursing Workforce in Scotland, published in May 2023.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomes the publication of the RCN Scotland report, The Nursing Workforce in Scotland, and notes the report's recommendations.
On 21 February 2023 we announced that a Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce had been established to build on efforts to make Scotland the best place for nurses and midwives to work by developing plans for recruitment and retention. The Nursing Workforce in Scotland Report, and its recommendations, will be considered by the taskforce as a part of its work.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 30 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government's proposed "immediate justice" approach to antisocial behaviour, which
will reportedly require people who vandalise public spaces to repair the damage
within 48 hours of being given an order, whether it is considering introducing
similar measures in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government condemns all acts of antisocial behaviour, including vandalism, and we believe that our focus should be on preventing these crimes from occurring in the first place.
There are currently a number of provisions contained in the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 and Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 that specifically deal with the offence of vandalism and these include on the spot fixed penalties that the police can issue to those suspected of low-level statutory vandalism offences. Local agencies, such as Police Scotland and local authorities, are best placed to deal with these offences and it also open to them to undertake early intervention and diversionary work to prevent antisocial behaviour in their areas . We currently have no plans to replicate the UK Government’s proposals, but will monitor the development of this approach.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 30 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17458 by Kevin Stewart on 9 May 2023, what its position is on whether the extension of the current operating hours of the Glasgow Subway is an opportunity to improve public transport services in the city, and whether it is a consideration in the planning of the wider Clyde Metro by Transport Scotland.
Answer
The management and opening hours of the Glasgow Subway is currently an operational matter for Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT). SPT along with Glasgow City Council, are part of a working group led by Transport Scotland to develop Clyde Metro. Operating hours of the Glasgow Subway and Clyde Metro public transport provision respectively will be considered as the programme develops.
