Paul Sweeney

24 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in the last five financial years, how much was allocated to the General Dental Service budget in total, and how much of the yearly allocation was spent, broken down by financial year.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Figures in the following table show the gross General Dental Services budget and respective spend for the previous four financial years.Information on 2023-24 spend is not available at this time and will be published as part of the overall Scottish Government…

24 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether patients receiving their free NHS dental check-up may be charged for receiving verbal advice on dental health and toothbrushing during their appointment.

Answer · Jenni Minto: In introducing dental payment reform from 1 November, we have rightly sought to place greater focus on preventive treatment, including detailed clinical advice on the importance of self-care for good oral health. During routine check-ups, and where a dentist…

19 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to rapidly emulate the national roll-out of pay-as-you-go mobile in/out public transport ticketing, which was launched in April 2024 in Denmark by Rejsekort and Rejseplan with vendor FAIRTIQ, in order to meet its climate change and modal shift targets.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government is committed to enhancing smart integrated ticketing and has set out its intention to develop a new national integrated ticketing system for public transport in Scotland, across all modes of transport, to enable a system that can used …

19 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is permissible for the emergency vehicles operated by Glasgow Street Aid to use blue lights.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is not responsible for authorising any company or organisation to drive under blue light conditions.

18 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the Adult Eating Disorder Service in Glasgow, and whether it plans to continue funding the originally temporary government-funded posts at the service that are reportedly due to end in the coming months.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting and improving eating disorder services across Scotland and ensuring everyone receives the best possible care and support from our health services. It is essential that someone who is diagnosed with an ea…

17 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is measuring how often different charging codes are used under the new NHS dental payment reform system.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Independent dentists and dental bodies corporate make claims for items of treatment provided under NHS General Dental Services. As part of the claims process, patient charges, where appropriate, are also recorded. Practitioner Services of National Services Sc…

16 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26224 by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2024, whether it will measure current traffic flows using the two junctions and test the subsequent impact on traffic flows from a temporary closure of the M74 Junction 1 Kingston Interchange, in order to develop a …

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Transport Scotland's National Traffic Data System (NTDS) has live traffic counters at the two junctions measuring the volume of traffic on the slip roads and the main carriageway. At this stage, as previously stated, there is no reason for Transport Scotland…

16 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reported high level of vacancies for psychiatrist posts.

Answer · Maree Todd: We are taking forward a number of steps to address issues around vacancy levels for psychiatry posts. Through the Psychiatry Working Group we are actively looking at how we can better support the recruitment and retention of psychiatrists in NHS Scotland. …

16 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for people who have received a private diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but who are not able to access support due to their diagnosis not being recognised by practitioners in the NHS.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government acknowledges that there is the need for better access to NHS diagnostic assessment and support for people who may have ADHD, and that private assessments can lead to issues with accessing pharmaceutical interventions. We expect, howeve…

15 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to ensure that people with long COVID can access specialist treatment that may only be available in NHS boards outside of the one at which they are registered.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The NHS Scotland National Access Policy provides that whilst the vast majority of patients are seen within their local area, services may also be delivered through another Health Board or suitable alternative provider. We have commissioned NHS National Servi…

15 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any instances where a patient has been referred to a different NHS board to the one at which they are registered in order to receive long COVID treatment.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Information on the destination of referrals made for patients in relation to long COVID is not held centrally. This is a matter for territorial NHS Boards.

11 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26199 by Jenni Minto on 26 March 2024, what criteria a medicine would have to meet in order to be considered for "specialist medicine" designation by the Scottish Government.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Special medicines or ‘specials’ refer to unlicensed medicinal products that should only be supplied to meet the special clinical needs of an individual patient. An unlicensed medicinal product should not be supplied where an equivalent licensed medicinal prod…

10 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason short-term let operators reportedly benefit from the Small Business Bonus Scheme to the extent that 80% of those paying non-domestic rates pay nothing towards local services.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Small Business Bonus Scheme offers up to 100% relief to non-domestic properties where the rateable value of the property does not exceed £20,000, the rateable value of all of the ratepayer’s properties does not exceed £35,000 and the property is not used …

8 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26225 by Fiona Hyslop on 8 April 2024, what the estimated capital expenditure on the M8 Woodside Viaduct project is expected to be during the 2024-25 financial year.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The M8 Woodside Viaducts are a vital element of the motorway and road network serving Glasgow, the wider region and country, carrying approximately 150,000 vehicles per day. The structure requires to be temporarily propped to facilitate the refurbishment of t…

5 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Scotland is participating in the UK Government scheme to donate surplus medical supplies to Ukraine, or any other such scheme.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government has participated in UK government schemes and donated medical supplies to Ukraine. No recent requests have been made to the Scottish Government. Should further requests be received the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland are ready to…

3 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that Scotland's Railway engages with Tracey Investments Ltd and London & Scottish Property Investment Management Ltd on the potential to transform and integrate Charing Cross railway station in Glasgow as part of the proposed redevelopment of the adjace…

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government is aware that Network Rail has arrangements in place to assist other organisations to invest in appropriate developments around the railway estate. These arrangements are intended to facilitate beneficial third-party investment in the …

26 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the £1.3 billion that it has committed to spend on mental health in 2024-25, and in light of the "Mental Health Services" budget being frozen at £290.2 million, whether it will provide a breakdown of the source of the funding, including any allocated from (a) other budget…

Answer · Maree Todd: The most recent Scottish Health Service cost book data published by Public Health Scotland for 2022-23 show that NHS Board spend on Mental Health is over £1.3bn and we expect this will continue in future years.The source of this funding is mainly from NHS Hea…

26 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local authorities to ensure that adequate and accessible mental health support is available to asylum seekers in Scotland.

Answer · Emma Roddick: The Scottish Government funds a range of action that supports mental health and wellbeing which is available to anyone living in Scotland, regardless of their residence status. The Home Office is responsible for the provision of asylum accommodation and supp…

26 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent reports that five asylum seekers living in hotels in Scotland have attempted suicide.

Answer · Emma Roddick: The Home Office is responsible for the provision of asylum accommodation and support, including the use of contingency hotels. The Scottish Government has consistently made clear to UK Government that hotels are not appropriate accommodation and we continue t…

26 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the funding streams introduced by the Mental Health Directorate, such as the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund and Recovery and Renewal Fund, broken down by how much has been allocated to each fund in each year of the current parliamentary ses…

Answer · Maree Todd: The Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027 set out a 10-year vision of where mental health funding would be focused. This included areas such as additional investment for mental health workers and improved provision of services including CAMHS. In addition, our Me…

25 Mar 2024 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to expedite the restoration of the Glasgow School of Art, in light of it being nearly a decade since the first fire.

22 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on improving links between Glasgow Street Aid and emergency services, and whether it will take steps to support a more joined-up approach between the project and emergency services in the city.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government welcomes the participation of civil society in developing local responses to issues affecting people in Scotland. It is for Local Authorities, Health Boards and other public services to best engage on issues regarding service delivery…

22 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider including Glasgow Street Aid in its Resilience Room emergency and crisis response work.

Answer · Neil Gray: Individual voluntary sector organisations are not routinely involved in Scottish Government Resilience Room meetings.

22 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider visiting the Glasgow Street Aid project to see its work providing care on the streets of the city centre.

Answer · Neil Gray: There are no plans for a visit at this point time. The Scottish Government remains grateful to Glasgow Street Aid and other voluntary organisations who provide care and support across Scotland.

22 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what Scottish Water is doing to make safe and restore to a sustainable use, the historic Waterman's Cottage, which is adjacent to Lambhill stables on Balmore Road in Glasgow.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows: Scottish Water is taking steps to secure the building. No decision on the long term future of the cottage has yet been taken; any decisions in relat…

19 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what practical measures it is taking to sustain the expertise and learning curves developed by the project team on the Edinburgh Trams to Newhaven project in order to optimise the delivery of the Clyde Metro project.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The current phase of Clyde Metro is being led by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, working alongside Glasgow City Council and with Transport Scotland providing support in a project assurance role. I am advised that the multi-partner project team has bee…

19 Mar 2024 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consider commissioning a Scottish Parliament wall shield plaque featuring the badge element of the Scottish Parliament's Corporate Identity and the official Scottish Parliament tartan, which could be available for MSPs to purchase as a presentational or …

Answer · Christine Grahame (on behalf of the SPCB): We have asked staff to include the idea in the next survey of products available via our shop as a potential MSP only product branded with the Scottish Parliament identity. Whilst the Member will be aware that MSPs are unable to claim the cost of such gif…

19 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much the fluoride varnish aspect of the Childsmile programme has cost in each of the last five financial years.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Funding provided to NHS Boards for the delivery of Childsmile covers the full programme, and we do not separate the cost of certain aspects of the programme, such as the fluoride varnish element. My answer to the Member’s separate question (reference S6W-262…

19 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the Childsmile programme in each of the last five financial years, also broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Childsmile funding is provided annually to Boards through i) the Outcomes Framework and ii) direct allocation from the General Dental Services (GDS) budget. The Outcomes Framework is a single source of funding to NHS Boards which provides for local flexibili…

18 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in each local authority area received support through services funded through the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund in 2023, and what assessment it has made of the number of children, young people and family members in total that were supported.

Answer · Maree Todd: According to reports provided by local authorities, the number of children, young people and family members accessing the funded Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services in each local authority area in the first half of 2023 was as follows …