Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,379 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
1 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost was for the planned commencement of the three ferries serving Dunoon and Kilcreggan in 2019.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Gourock – Dunoon ferry service was incorporated into the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) network from 21 January 2019 and therefore integrated as part of the monthly subsidy paid to the operator, CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL). The subsidy is not split…
1 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates will be raised from the rationalisation of the public sector estate, as set out in the Resource Spending Review.
Answer · Tom Arthur: It is clear that the changes in working practices and budgets will offer opportunities to right-size the portfolio and improve efficient delivery of services to the public. There are no details of any savings available yet as the multi-year programme has not …
1 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many public sector bodies it considers are required for good governance and regulation of the country.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Good governance and regulation is not captured by a single number. We will work with public bodies leaders and other stakeholders in the coming months, to agree the optimal public body landscape for achieving improved outcomes, good governance and regulation.…
1 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish level 4 data for the Resource Spending Review.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Resource Spending Review is not a budget and Level 4 information will be published as part of the annual budget process. The Resource Spending Review sets out the high-level parameters for resource spend within future Scottish Budgets up to 2026-27. The f…
1 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the removal of £489 million from the Scottish Water budget in the Resource Spending Review will have any impact on water charges for customers.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-09008 on 15 June 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…
1 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which of the 129 public sector bodies it plans to reform.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The scope for reform applies to all public bodies. After years of growth in the public sector, due to Brexit and the pandemic, we need to reset. We expect all public bodies to demonstrate that they remain fit for purpose against the present and future needs o…
1 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason £97 million has been removed from the Scottish Water budget in 2022-23, and then £98 million in each of the next four years, in the Resource Spending Review.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government Budget for 2022-23 sets out that during this financial year, the Scottish Government intends to lend £170m per annum in capital funding and to receive some £105m income per annum which is the interest on loans issued to Scottish Water.…
31 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much NHS National Services Scotland has spent on the purchase of (a) PPE items and (b) lateral flow tests that were provided to unpaid carers in each month since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, also broken down by financial year.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08988 on ? 22 June 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…
31 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many unpaid carers there were in Scotland on 1 April 2022.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The exact number of unpaid carers living in Scotland is not known. Therefore, the number of unpaid carers in Scotland is estimated from national survey data. The preferred survey used to estimate the number of unpaid carers is the Scottish Health Survey , a…
31 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much NHS National Services Scotland has spent on the purchase of (a) PPE and (b) lateral flow tests in each month since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, also broken down by financial year.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) publish spending in relation to PPE and Covid-19 testing kits as part of their annual accounts, which are published on their website. NSS’ 2021-22 annual accounts, once finalised, will be published in line with their fina…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08705 by Maree Todd on 7 June 2022, what the timetable is for its plans to work with the UK Government to explore areas of potential shared interest and learning, particularly in terms of research into ME/CFS, and how it is engaging with the UK Gove…
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is a member of the UK Government ME/CFS Delivery Plan Task and Finish Group, which is scheduled to convene in June and to meet monthly thereafter. Officials are maintaining close and regular contact with the UK Department of Health and…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08705 by Maree Todd on 7 June 2022, when it anticipates the commissioned external report regarding the implementation of the 2021 NICE guideline on ME/CFS will be published.
Answer · Maree Todd: We are working to publish the external report regarding the implementation of the 2021 NICE guideline on ME/CFS as soon as possible, and anticipate that it will be published by the beginning of July 2022.
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time is for women to receive a first appointment at the Complex Mesh Surgical Service in Glasgow.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08949 on 26 July 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…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time is for mesh surgery organised by the Complex Mesh Surgical Service in Glasgow.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: There are a range of options available to women who require transvaginal mesh removal surgery. A contract with Spire Healthcare, where Professor Hashim operates, was agreed earlier this year and arrangements for the first patients to travel to Bristol are und…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many women have requested that they want to have mesh surgery carried out by either (a) Dr Veronikis and (b) Professor Hashim.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: To date 10 patients have requested referral to either Dr Veronikis or Professor Hashim. It is possible, however, that this number will increase once the contract arrangements with Dr Veronikis have been finalised and the formal referral pathways are in place.
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many women have received mesh surgery from (a) Dr Veronikis or (b) Professor Hashim to date.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08953 on 24 June 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/…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the process is for women who are seeking a referral for mesh surgery to (a) Dr Veronikis and (b) Professor Hashim.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Anyone who wishes to be referred to either Dr Veronikis or Professor Hashim should firstly discuss their case with their GP who will refer them to the local specialist within their Health Board. If considered appropriate they would then be referred to the Com…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what role, if any, does the Complex Mesh Surgical Service in Glasgow have in determining whether women can be referred to (a) Dr Veronikis and (b) Professor Hashim for mesh surgery.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: For complex mesh removal surgery, case review by a specialist multi-disciplinary team (MDT) is seen as pivotal in ensuring that all clinical considerations are taken into account in the planning of surgery which meets the needs of the patients. With the agree…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many women have been referred to (a) Dr Veronikis and (b) Professor Hashim for mesh surgery to date.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The contract negotiations with Dr Veronikis are progressing and are expected to reach a positive conclusion imminently. No patients can be referred until this process is complete, however referrals for those who wish to travel for treatment by Dr Veronikis wi…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to Health and Social Care Partnerships for the purpose of implementing Frank’s Law.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06836 on 8 March 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…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been collected by Health and Social Care Partnerships as payment to cover care charges in each of the last five years.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Responsibility for the delivery of social care, including the setting and collecting of charges related to social care and support, lies at a local level. The Scottish Government collects and publishes national data through the Local Financial Returns (LFRs)…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons it is delaying the introduction of legislation on buffer zones outside abortion clinics.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is not delaying the introduction of legislation on buffer zones. We have agreed to work constructively with Ms Gillian Mackay MSP on her forthcoming Member’s Bill. The First Minister is wholeheartedly committed to addressing the issue…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons it is commissioning a £65,000, 18-month study into the “prevalence and impact of vigils/protests that take place outside of abortion clinics within Scotland”.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is seeking to commission independent research in relation to protests and vigils that take place outside of abortion clinics to collect evidence of both the scale and impact of protest and vigils. The research will provide meaningful i…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessments it has carried out on the continued impact that protests outside abortion clinics can have on those seeking access to healthcare.
Answer · Maree Todd: As outlined in response to question S6W-08944 on 21 June 2022, the Scottish Government is currently seeking to commission research which will provide evidence on the impact protest and vigils outside of abortion clinics have on people accessing healthcare. Th…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what emergency measures it can take to end the intimidation and harassment reportedly caused by anti-abortion protests outside clinics.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that women can access comprehensive universal healthcare, including abortion services, without fear of intimidation or harassment. The First Minister has convened an emergency summit on abortion rights which ta…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address widening health inequalities in light of reports that an increasing number of people are using private healthcare in order to receive elective and orthopaedic surgery.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The National Treatment Centre (NTC) Programme will deliver the single biggest increase in protected planned care capacity ever created in NHSScotland. The network of 10 NTCs will deliver capacity for over 40,000 additional planned procedures and diagnostic ca…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to patients who are (a) on a waiting list and (b) have been on a waiting list for over one year for elective surgery.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: We recognise the impact long waiting times can have on a patient, from both a clinical and mental health perspective. At this stage in recovery from the pandemic, long-waiting patients must be considered a priority. Work is underway, through the Care and Wel…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to utilise the independent sector to address any capacity issues within orthopaedic and elective surgery.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: During the pandemic, the private sector was utilised to provide additional capacity to treat urgent and cancer patients, and this proved to be of great assistance. We remain open to the option of utilising the private sector again to support orthopaedics and …
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the Impossible To Ignore campaign, which is led by Versus Arthritis and is seeking to reduce waiting times for joint replacement surgery.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government are committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with long-term conditions such as arthritis are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put the p…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider adopting a similar model of support for elective surgery candidates to that which is currently available in Wales, which uses an app to manage communication with patients pre- and post-operation.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government is currently working with Public Health Scotland to develop an online platform for members of the public to access information on the average waiting times for a range of treatments within their health board area. We expect the platfor…