Parliamentary questions
Tess White
414 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
21 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering a ban on under-18s receiving cosmetic treatments, such as dermal fillers and Botox.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Scottish Government officials are working with beauty industry representatives, environmental health officers and healthcare professionals to explore the next steps in potential further regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Work with stakeholders wi…
21 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment has been made of the Redesign of Urgent Care Programme, which was launched in December 2020.
Answer · Neil Gray: Through the Redesign of Urgent Care (RUC), we have bolstered capacity at NHS24, which has seen staffing levels increase by 65% since 2007 and now operates as a 24/7 service, and are providing more hospital alternatives to prevent unnecessary attendances to A&…
21 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported decision by Aberdeenshire Integration Joint Board to close Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Huntly Minor Injury Units (MIUs) overnight on a permanent basis due to budgetary pressures, what action it will take with NHS boards and local partners to ensure that MIUs cont…
Answer · Neil Gray: It is important to note that through the Redesign of Urgent Care Programme, NHS 24 is available 24/7 and will be able to assist patients across Scotland, including the North East Scotland region, access the most appropriate healthcare pathway over a 24 hour p…
20 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce will publish its recommendations; how many times the taskforce has met since it was established, and when any meetings took place.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Taskforce is making good progress with the development of its recommended actions and will continue to work until members have agreed a comprehensive action plan. We anticipate the publication of a report later in 2024. Since the establishment, the Nursin…
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its consultation in 2017 on updating the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967, whether it still plans to update these regulations, and, if so, whether it will provide details of the anticipated timeframe.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: It remains the Scottish Government’s intention to update the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967. Given the time elapsed between the consultation that took place in 2017-18, we must now consider the updated contex…
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the progress of the Family Justice Modernisation Strategy, published in September 2019, and whether it plans to further reform family justice, including custodial arrangements for children.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government is preparing an update for publication on progress on the Family Justice Modernisation Strategy (the FJMS). I will write to the Member as soon as this is available. I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26002 on 18 Mar…
13 Mar 2024 · SPCB Oral Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many visitors to the Scottish Parliament have been asked by security and other SPCB staff to remove badges and other apparel since May 2021.
24 Jan 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it sets the priorities for its international offices each year.
18 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many trans (a) women and (b) men have (i) requested and (ii) undergone gender reassignment surgery while in prison in each of the last five years.
Answer · Jenni Minto: This is a matter for NHS Health Boards. The information requested regarding how many trans men and women have either requested or undergone gender reassignment surgery while in prison is not held centrally.
18 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many times intrauterine devices have been prescribed to prisoners in the female prison estate in each of the last five years, broken down by type of device.
Answer · Jenni Minto: This is a matter for NHS Health Boards. The information requested regarding the number of times intrauterine devices have been prescribed to female prisoners in each of the last five years, broken down by type of device, is not held centrally.
18 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many times an early medical abortion, or so-called abortion pill, has been prescribed to prisoners in the (a) female and (b) male prison estate, who were not pregnant upon incarceration, in each of the last five years.
Answer · Jenni Minto: This is a matter for NHS Health Boards. The information requested regarding data on early medical abortion medication prescribed in prisons is not held centrally.
18 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many times emergency contraception, or the so-called morning after pill, has been prescribed to prisoners in the (a) female and (b) male prison estate in each of the last five years.
Answer · Jenni Minto: This is a matter for NHS Health Boards. The information requested regarding data on emergency contraception prescribed in prisons is not held centrally.
18 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that NHS boards have been asked to pause spending on capital projects, when the National Treatment Centre for NHS Grampian is expected to become operational.
Answer · Michael Matheson: As set out in our draft budget the capital funding position is extremely challenging, with a UK Government cut of some 10% in our capital budget over the next five years. That has inevitably led to some difficult decisions on what capital projects will be pro…
10 Jan 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the consultation process for energy infrastructure projects.
8 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23865 by Jenni Minto on 21 December 2023, when the policy to distribute condoms in the women's prison estate was introduced, and whether sanitary products are available in the men's prison estate, and, if so, when this policy was introduced.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The provision of condoms in all prisons (male and female) in Scotland has been a long standing health intervention dating back before the publication of ‘Respect and Responsibility: A Strategy and Action Plan for Improving Sexual Health’ in 2005. All individ…
21 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23865 by Jenni Minto on 21 December 2023, whether records are kept of the condoms issued to prisoners on the female prison estate; if so, how many have been issued in each month of the last two years, and for what reason condoms are issued on the fe…
Answer · Jenni Minto: Data on the numbers of condoms issued in prisons is not collected centrally. Condom provision is one of the most effective harm reduction interventions to control sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV and therefore condoms are available to all…
14 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of reports that deaths of newborn babies have reached a 15-year high, with 41 neonatal deaths recorded in the three months prior to the end of September 2023.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The recent quarterly increase in the rate of neonatal mortality is concerning. We have asked Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) to look into the increase in neonatal mortality reported in 2021-2022, and although this report has been slightly delayed, we e…
14 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the 11% drop in acceptances onto nursing programmes in Scotland in the last year, as reported by UCAS.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has been monitoring UCAS figures, which exclude Open University and Honours programmes, and we thank our Higher Education Institutions who have worked hard to promote their programmes by visiting schools, attending careers fairs and pr…
14 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the (a) Royal College of Nursing report, The Nursing Workforce in Scotland: Review of Progress, (b) reported concern regarding high nursing vacancy rates across the NHS and social care and (c) most recent NHS statistics showing that 5,400 nursing and midwifery pos…
Answer · Michael Matheson: As set out in our Health and Social Care: National Workforce Strategy we are committed to taking all the appropriate steps to support staffing levels across our Health and Social Care settings. Since October 2021 we have provided c. £18m funding to Health B…
12 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether condoms are available to prisoners in the women's prison estate.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Prison healthcare centres can issue condoms for all prisoners including those in the women’s prison estate as part of a range of approaches to support sexual and reproductive health among the prison population.
4 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of children in the NHS Grampian area who were referred for mental health treatment in (i) 2021, (ii) 2022 and (iii) 2023 started treatment within the 18-week target.
Answer · Maree Todd: Table 1 shows total referrals, accepted referrals, total started treatment, total started treatment within 18 weeks of referral, and percentage started treatment within 18 weeks of referral at NHS Grampian for 2021, 2022 and 2023 (January to September, which …
4 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of children in the NHS Tayside area who were referred for mental health treatment in (i) 2021, (ii) 2022 and (iii) 2023 started treatment within the 18-week target.
Answer · Maree Todd: Table 1 shows total referrals, accepted referrals, total started treatment, total started treatment within 18 weeks of referral and percentage started treatment within 18 weeks of referral at NHS Tayside for 2021, 2022 and 2023 (January to September which is …
4 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19273 by Angela Constance on 14 July 2023, how many mobile phones have been confiscated from prisoners in HMP and YOI Grampian in each month since the scheme was first introduced on the prison estate.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: Introduced on 1 July 2020 during the COVID-19 global pandemic, restricted prison issue mobile phones provided those in our care with t…
30 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking with NHS boards to review NHS security measures, in light of reports that an individual impersonating a nurse gained access to the medical details of several patients at a hospital in NHS Fife.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is concerned at this breach of security which has been the subject of an investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office. NHS Fife has introduced a system on the ward for documents containing patient data to be signed in and out…
29 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement of flat rate grants to households and businesses impacted by Storm Babet, how this package of support can be accessed and when this will be communicated to the public.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: We recognise the significant impact on people, businesses and communities in areas affected by storm Babet. The Scottish Government is committed to playing its part in helping them through this horrible experience which has destroyed so many people’s property…
29 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the new fund outlined in paragraph 10.2.1 of Scotland's Mental Health and Wellbeing - Delivery Plan 2023-25, which is expected to be launched in 2024-25 to build on the learning and successes of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Main Fund.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Third Sector plays a key role in providing perinatal mental health support and we are working with stakeholders as we develop this next stage. Since 2020, over 10,000 people have been supported by the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Main Fund and Smal…
29 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the new strategic board for children and families mental health will have a sub-group for perinatal mental health, in light of the conclusion of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board, and whether it can provide an update on when it expects that the new strategic …
Answer · Maree Todd: The new Joint Strategic Board for Children and Family Mental Health, co-chaired by Scottish Government and COSLA, will have a strategic overview of mental health work spanning preconception, the perinatal period, parent-infant relationships, early years (up t…
29 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the extension of funding for third sector perinatal and infant mental health services to March 2024, when third sector services will be notified of any future funding to support their work in this area.
Answer · Maree Todd: In September 2023, organisations in receipt of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Grant funding were informed that this would be extended until the end of September 2024. A commitment to further grant funding was made in the Mental Health & Wellbeing De…
29 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21458 by Michael Matheson on 4 October 2023, how many NHS properties have been physically surveyed as part of the national programme to identify the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.
Answer · Michael Matheson: In June 2023, NHS Scotland Assure completed a desktop review of the entire NHS estate which identified 254 health properties that were assessed to have a high or medium likelihood of RAAC. The Scottish Government made a commitment that all 254 priority proper…
29 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the Nurofen report, Gender Pain Gap: Index Report: Year 2, published in November 2023, including the finding that the gender pain gap has widened since the previous report, from 7% to 11%.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that anyone living with pain is able to access the best possible care and support. Through our commitment to implementing our Pain Management Service Delivery Framework we are seeking to amplify the voices of p…