Foysol Choudhury

9 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Kidney Research UK’s report, Kidney Health Inequalities in the UK, what analysis it has conducted regarding access to kidney disease services among BAME communities in Scotland. 

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with long term conditions including Chronic Kidney Disease are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective…

9 Jun 2025 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government is working to ensure that patients are accurately informed of waiting times for NHS treatments following referrals to a specialist.

3 Jun 2025 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to ensure that schools are tackling racism and racist bullying.

29 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-37589 by Jenni Minto on 27 May 2025, whether the figure of £6,252,000 forms part of recurring funding of up to £8.8 million per year for diabetes technology.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The £6,252,000 of new funding we are providing for diabetes technology in 2025-2026 is in addition to the recurring funding we have announced previously.

29 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Additional Support for Learning: Findings Report, published by the Scottish Assembly of Parents and Carers on 27 May 2025.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that parents and carers are central to shaping the development of Additional Support for Learning (ASL) policy. As part of a wider review of ASL, Ministers will consider this publication and its recommendations…

27 May 2025 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is working to reduce the average time families spend in temporary accommodation. 

19 May 2025 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister, in light of recent reported incidents, how the Scottish Government is working to prevent knife crime.

8 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-36792 by Jenni Minto on 7 May 2025, how much funding it has allocated to expanding access to diabetes technology for people with type 1 diabetes in the financial year 2025-26, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government will be allocating an additional £6,252,000 to territorial boards in 2025-26 specifically to fund insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGM). Additional funding of around £800,000 will be used to fund the National …

8 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) adults and (b) children with type 1 diabetes it expects to onboard to closed-loop systems in 2025.

Answer · Jenni Minto: We expect to provide hybrid closed loop systems to at least 2500 people in the financial year 2025-2026. This builds on the more than 2100 people who received a hybrid closed loop system in 2024-2025.The approach of this programme allows boards to manage thei…

23 Apr 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to allocate additional funding from its Budget 2025-26 to provide further financial support for universities, in light of the University of Edinburgh reporting a financial deficit. 

15 Apr 2025 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging the growth of community energy projects.

9 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide additional financial support for NHS boards to allow more adults with type 1 diabetes access to closed-loop systems.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is committed to expanding access to diabetes technology. Since 2016, we have invested almost £30 million to support expansion. Last year, we established a national programme aiming to provide over 2000 more people with access to …

3 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to NHS boards to ensure that patients currently on a waiting list are able to access the new digital dermatology pathway.

Answer · Neil Gray: The scope of the digital dermatology pathway is for new referrals from primary care into secondary care dermatology services. The Scottish Government’s NHS Operational Improvement plan has set out that no one is waiting longer than a year new outpatient…

3 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its NHS Scotland operational improvement plan, what assessment it has made of the impact of the digital dermatology pathway on waiting times for patients currently waiting to see a dermatologist.

Answer · Neil Gray: The £1.8m Digital Dermatology programme referenced within the NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan (OIP) is designed to reduce the number of patients who require a dermatology outpatient appointment through the creation of a digital triage system e…

3 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with NHS boards to better inform patients of how long they will be waiting after being referred to see a dermatologist.

Answer · Neil Gray: We expect Health Boards to write to patients when the patient is added to a waiting list for treatment to provide an estimation of their treatment date. In circumstances in which this cannot be provided, Boards are expected to signpost patients to an online p…

31 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the projected funding gap of £457 million for Integration Joint Boards on its goal of preventative healthcare.

Answer · Neil Gray: The 2025-26 Budget balances the requirement to address immediate pressures and recovery of the system whilst driving forward our long-term reform and prevention agendas, providing increased investment for NHS Boards, alongside continued focus to improve popul…

31 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its target to increase the amount of heating and cooling supplied by heat networks, what recent discussions ministers have had with the UK Government regarding the affordability of heat networks for consumers.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: I recently wrote to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero regarding the introduction of consumer standards for heat networks. I sought assurance about the use of pre-payment meters, recommending that their installation is banned where househ…

27 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Lothian to discuss replacing East Calder Medical Centre; what the outcome was, and what future meetings are planned.

Answer · Neil Gray: Scottish Government officials met NHS Lothian on 7 March to discuss all their capital priorities, which includes the East Calder Medical Centre.

25 Mar 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to promote the benefits of volunteering, in light of the recent research from Volunteer Scotland indicating that regular participation in volunteering can have wellbeing benefits worth approximately £1,000 per person per year.

17 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered the impact of the conclusion of the Inspiring Scotland Leadership Framework on the operation of the Scottish Assembly for people with learning disabilities and/or autism.

Answer · Maree Todd: The leadership framework provided the Scottish Assembly with significant investment over three years from 2022-23 to 2024-25 totalling £430,000. Funding was provided for a time limited project which has reached its natural conclusion.The funding was pro…

17 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to the Scottish Assembly for people with learning disabilities and/or autism.

Answer · Maree Todd: Over the last three years, the Scottish Government has provided the Scottish Assembly with £425,136 to build capacity via our leadership and engagement framework and over the last 4 years has provided £316,349 of core funding via our Inspiring Inc…

5 Mar 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in tackling the housing emergency.

3 Mar 2025 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on how the Scottish Government is working to tackle Islamophobia in Scotland, in light of reports that anti-Muslim hate incidents across the UK reached record levels in 2024.

27 Feb 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the availability of unscheduled care services in the NHS, and how it ensures that people can access these.

Answer · Neil Gray: At the heart of our NHS Scotland Renewal Plan, which is supported by £200 million to address backlogs and improve capacity, is that we have a person-centred, cohesive healthcare system that is built around the patient journey, ensuring appropriate care …

26 Feb 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what resources it has allocated to projects in the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, including transport projects.

18 Feb 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to increase the number of film and television productions created in Scotland.

6 Feb 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, following the drug, exagamglogene autotemcel, being approved for use in England to treat sickle cell disease, what progress has been on approving it for use in Scotland.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has not yet received a submission from the manufacturing company, Vertex, for exagamglogene autotemcel (Casgevy®) for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD).The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO) and the SMC hav…

5 Feb 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will begin its review into alternative and additional funding mechanisms to grow funding for culture.

Answer · Angus Robertson: On 13 January 2025, the Scottish Government launched a survey for people working in or with an interest in culture. This asked about their experience of currently available support and what they would like to see provided in the future to better meet the need…

3 Feb 2025 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the banking sector regarding how to ensure that communities do not lose access to banking services, in light of reports that Lloyds Banking Group plans to close 14 Bank of Scotland branches over the next two years.

29 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its draft Budget 2025-26, how much funding it plans to allocate to NHS capital projects, once the replacements for the Edinburgh Eye Pavilion, Monklands Hospital and Belford Hospital in Fort William are accounted for.

Answer · Neil Gray: The 2025-26 draft budget provides increased investment of £139 million across the NHS estate. This allows plans for Monklands and Belford hospital replacements and a new eye pavilion to be progressed, supports a new radiopharmacy facility and provides i…