Parliamentary questions

Jackie Baillie

9,379 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

8 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider giving Scottish Water additional functions to (a) consult Consumer Scotland and have specific regard to its views on the affordability of water charges in advance of proposing a scheme of charges in any given year prior to submitting its annual scheme of charges …

Answer · Michael Matheson: Consumer Scotland already has a statutory role and actively engages in the scrutiny arrangements underpinning the delivery of Scottish Water’s investment programme to ensure that Ministers’ objectives are being delivered. As a member of key strategic stakehol…

8 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has issued specific policy requirements or explicit directions to the Water Industry Commission or Scottish Water to statutorily require the Commission to set, and Scottish Water to raise, a specific minimum amount of funds from charges during the 2021-27 regulatory period.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-11009 on? 30 September 2022. 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-comm…

8 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its direct involvement in the setting of water charges for 2022-23, whether it will use its powers of direction to require it to be consulted or have its approval sought by Scottish Water on the setting of charges for the year 2023-24, in order to ensure that charges are set …

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11011 on 4 October 2022. 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-committe…

8 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its direct involvement in the setting of water charges for 2022-23, whether it will use its powers of direction to require the Water Industry Commission to consult it or seek its approval on any actions that the Commission proposes that could require, or otherwise press, Scot…

8 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will take action to require the Water Industry Commission for Scotland to (a) have regard to the affordability by householders and businesses of any water charges scheme that Scottish Water proposes, (b) consult on and publish the factors that will be considered relevant to ju…

Answer · Michael Matheson: The regulatory framework for the Water Industry requires the Scottish Ministers to issue to Scottish Water and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) a statement of policy regarding Scottish Water’s charges under a charges scheme in respect of each…

8 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether there is (a) sufficient flexibility in the interpretation of and (b) a need to clarify or revise the policy and objectives for the delivery of water services for the current regulatory period to ensure they are consistent with delivering levels of water ch…

Answer · Michael Matheson: Ministers’ charging policies and Objectives for the water industry are clearly set out in the key framework documents that can be found on the Scottish Government’s website. Current circumstances facing the industry, indeed the country at large, are undoubted…

8 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work is being undertaken on a national lung cancer screening programme in line with pilots that are progressing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to S6W-10989 on 3 October 2022. 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/writte…

8 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) recommendations on lung cancer screening and what action it is taking to implement these recommendations.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is aware that the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) now recommend that the four UK countries should move toward the implementation of a targeted screening programme for lung cancer in adults aged 55-74 with a history of smoking.…

8 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when a national lung cancer screening programme will be rolled out.

7 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08912 by Michael Matheson on 15 June 2022, how it reconciles the uplift in Scottish Water charges of 1.5% a year above inflation and the revised figure of 1.8% above the rate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation that would be required to achi…

Answer · Michael Matheson: As set out in the response to S6W-08912, the Final Determination explained that the Commission would expect that its charge caps would allow Scottish Water’s annual revenue in the final year of the current regulatory control period to be no less than £1,392m …

7 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08911 by Michael Matheson on 15 June 2022, what steps it took to ensure that, in making comparisons between average water charges in England and Wales and those in Scotland, the average prices were calculated on the same basis.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The independent economic regulator, the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS), produces the average charge data in Scotland. In England and Wales, Water UK provides the data to Discover Water. Both average charges are produced independent of water com…

7 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-08907 and S6W-08908 by Michael Matheson on 15 June 2022, how it reconciles the answer given by the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport in the Parliament on 18 May 2022 that Scottish Water's cash balance is “substantially allocated…

Answer · Michael Matheson: Any large infrastructure organisation that provides an essential service requires significant access to cash to maintain its activities and to respond to unforeseen events. Scottish Water’s cash balances each year are largely a function of when the business b…

2 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers there to be a parity of treatment between blood cancers and solid tumour cancers, and how it will improve treatment for blood cancers.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government remains focused on delivering high-quality care in the safest possible way for patients of all cancer types, including blood cancers. The National Cancer Plan, published on 9 December 2020, includes actions to improve…

2 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce the number of emergency blood cancer diagnoses following presentation at accident and emergency departments.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Three Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDS), formerly known as Early Cancer Diagnostic Centres (ECDC), have been established in NHS Scotland, and we are committed to ensuring equitable access across the country. RCDS’s provide primary care with a new refer…

2 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Education for Scotland regarding specific training for primary care staff on identifying symptoms of and diagnosing blood cancer.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Scottish Government officials are meeting with NHS Education Scotland on 27 September to explore primary care cancer education. This follows the recent cessation of Cancer Research UK’s Clinical Engagement Team that played a key role in delivering cancer educ…

2 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will include blood cancer-specific questions as part of the next Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey, and if this is the case, whether any data collected will be broken down by cancer type to facilitate comparison between blood cancers and solid tumour cancers.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The questions used in the next Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey will be relevant to all cancer patients including those with blood cancer. The data collected will be broken down by cancer type and published as it has been in previous years.

2 Sep 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what actions it is taking to ensure the sustainability of blood cancer diagnostic services.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: £10 million of funding has been directed to support Cancer Waiting Times improvements in our NHS across 2022-23. Significant funds are going towards up-skilling nurses and investing in diagnostic tests to support extended working days/weekend working to incre…

25 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest time taken has been for processing applications to Scotland's Redress Scheme since its introduction.

Answer · John Swinney: It is not possible to produce statistically relevant data on average processing times for applications. Each application varies in complexity, with survivors and applicants requiring differing levels of support to complete the application and a dependency on …

25 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to Scotland's Redress Scheme have been (a) received and (b) approved to date.

Answer · John Swinney: (a) Since Scotland’s Redress scheme was launched in December 2021, 1,468 survivor applications and 88 next of kin applications have been received, as of week commencing 29 th August 2022. (b) 189 redress applications have been passed to Redress Scotland for …

25 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been distributed in payments by Scotland's Redress Scheme to date.

Answer · John Swinney: Applicants have 6 months from receipt of offer of payment to accept or decline the offer. As of week commencing 29th August 2022, redress payments totalling £4,868,548 have been made.

23 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the £50 million COVID-19 funding that was provided to support NHS dentistry, in addition to the £5 million of funding for ventilation improvements, £7.5 million for the purchase of new speed adjusting hand pieces, and £35 million of PPE, has all been allocated and spent, and, if …

Answer · Maree Todd: Scottish Government has provided an unprecedented level of financial support throughout the pandemic to support NHS dentistry. The £50 million of COVID-19 funding was provided directly to NHS dental contractors through the financial support payments. Alongsid…

23 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on establishing design groups to develop a new of model care for adult dentistry, including a long-term replacement for the Statement of Dental Remuneration, as part of the implementation of its Oral Health Improvement Plan.

Answer · Maree Todd: We are committed to engaging with the profession on a reform programme for NHS dental services. As part of that commitment we have recently issued a profession-wide survey asking for comments on a list of possible treatment items for inclusion in a future NHS…