Jackson Carlaw

17 Oct 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will engage with stakeholders, such as Education Scotland, to determine whether feedback needs to be sought on what information and what training should be available to teachers about antisemitism through initiatives such as the Building Racial Literacy programme.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable educational environment. Engaging with key partners such as Education Scotland to gather feedback on professional learning, training and the information provided about antisemitism t…

17 Oct 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed Education Scotland's Building Racial Literacy programme and, if so, whether it can set out what specific materials on antisemitism are included as part of the initiative.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Building Racial Literacy (BRL) Programme is funded by the Scottish Government as part of the work of the Anti-Racism in Education Programme. An interim review Building Racial Literacy (education.gov.scot) was undertaken in 2022 and the programme underwent…

17 Oct 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information resources and training are available for teachers in all local authority areas to learn more about antisemitism and the need to guard against this form of hatred.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: There is a range of investment and resources available to support teachers to promote equality and address racism and other forms of discrimination within their school communities.For example, Education Scotland, our national education improvement body, in pa…

11 Oct 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed what other NHS boards can learn from the pilot initiative in NHS Grampian that is focused on improving training for migraine management and promoting public awareness of migraine treatment options in community pharmacies, and what steps it is taking to assess the …

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Migraine Trust were awarded £85,675 in 2022-23 through the Scottish Government Neurological Care & Support Framework, for work upskilling community, primary and secondary care pharmacists across NHS Grampian to help people with migraine manage t…

10 Oct 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much NHS funding has been spent on communication equipment to deliver augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) support in each financial year since the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) Scotland Act 2016 came into force, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Maree Todd: Since 2018, NHS boards across Scotland have had a legislative duty to provide children and adults who have lost their voice or have difficulty speaking with communication equipment and support, necessary to meet their requirements.As such, this information is…

10 Oct 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff in NHS Scotland are specifically trained in the use of communication equipment to help people who require augmentative and alternative communication (ACC) support, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Maree Todd: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.Since 2018, NHS Boards across Scotland have had a legislative duty to provide children and adults who have lost their voice or have difficulty speaking with communication equipment and support,…

10 Oct 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it has monitored the performance of (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) all other NHS boards in delivering augmentative and alternative communication (ACC) support to people in the period since the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) Scotland Act 2016 came into force.

Answer · Maree Todd: Since 2018, NHS boards across Scotland have had a legislative duty to provide children and adults who have lost their voice or have difficulty speaking with communication equipment and support, necessary to meet their requirements.To support and monitor the d…

10 Oct 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Part 4 of the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) Scotland Act 2016, whether it can provide more detail on what would be considered as the "reasonable requirements" to meet in order to support (a) people who have lost their voice or have difficulty speaking with communi…

Answer · Maree Todd: The legislative duty provides flexibility for the development of future communication equipment technology. Through the assessment process health boards should ensure they have justification based on the circumstances of each individual regarding necessity an…

10 Oct 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what specific technology and communication equipment is available in (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) all other NHS boards to provide care to patients who need augmentative and alternative communication (ACC) support, and how such support can be accessed.

Answer · Maree Todd: Information on the specific technology and communication equipment that is available in NHS boards is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) support is being delivered across Scotland by NHS boards, prim…

27 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions staff employed as medical receptionists in a GP surgery have applied to be excused from jury duty, and what the total number is of such requests that have been (a) accepted and (b) declined, in each financial year from 2018-19 to 2023-24, and so far in 2024-25, als…

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not hold this data. Court operational matters, including the system and arrangements for jury service, fall within the remit of the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS).

27 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions people who are employed as medical receptionist staff in GP practices have been cited for jury service in each financial year from 2018-19 to 2023-24, and so far in 2024-25, also broken down by (a) local authority and (b) NHS board.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not hold this data. Court operational matters, including the system and arrangements for jury service, fall within the remit of the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS).

27 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any form of review exercise regarding the impact of medical receptionist staff who are employed at a GP practice having to attend jury duty, both in terms of the ability of surgeries to manage a high volume of patient phone calls and digital triage requests.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government has made no assessment of the impact of GP medical receptionists being called for jury duty. Individual GP practices are responsible for ensuring that they are adequately staffed for normal contingencies.

27 Aug 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider adding medical receptionist staff who work in a GP surgery to the category of "persons excusable as of right" for jury duty.

Answer · Angela Constance: Court operational matters, including the system and arrangements for jury service, fall within the remit of the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.Jury service is an important civic duty, and I am grateful to all those who undertake it.The Scot…

28 May 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to Police Scotland to tackle violent crimes in local communities.

5 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26211 by Neil Gray on 2 April 2024, whether the total of 19 positions that have reportedly been advertised on the recruitment portal, Oriel, for August 2024, is the maximum number of radiology training places for 2024, and, if this is the case, for …

Answer · Neil Gray: The recruitment round has not yet closed for 2024. The 19 positions currently advertised on the recruitment portal is a provisional figure and is therefore subject to potential change. The number of posts advertised per year by NHS Education for Scotland is …

15 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the total number of radiology training places has been in financial year (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22, (d) 2022-23 and (e) 2023-24.

Answer · Neil Gray: The number of medical training places is calculated by the training year they are advertised/filled rather than by financial year. Most posts start in August to September of each year, with a smaller number from a subsequent recruitment round starting in Febr…

7 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether financial support, in the form of legal aid, can be awarded to families to help meet the costs associated with the renewal of guardianship orders for parents of adult children with learning disabilities.

Answer · Maree Todd: Legal aid, via the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) can provide financial support to families renewing guardianship orders for adults with learning disabilities. This assistance may cover legal representation costs, including solicitor fees and court expenses,…

7 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it offers to local authorities in relation to circumstances in which a family requests support from a local authority social care service to protect the welfare and financial interests of a loved one because they have not been able to renew a guardianship order due to any cos…

Answer · Maree Todd: If a family cannot afford to renew a guardianship order, the local authority can offer support by providing non-legal advice on the Adults with Incapacity (AWI) (Scotland) Act 2000, suggesting independent advice sources, and conducting needs assessments for b…

7 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in the event that a person is unable to meet the financial costs of renewing a guardianship order for a family member, what support is available to safeguard the welfare and financial interests of the family member.

Answer · Maree Todd: Eligible individuals may qualify for legal aid to help cover the costs associated with legal representation and court fees involved in renewing a guardianship order. Legal aid is means-tested, and eligibility criteria apply. Organisations such as Citizens Ad…

7 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) maximum, (b) minimum and (c) average cost was for a person to renew a guardianship order in the last five financial years.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government does not have access to specific data regarding the maximum, minimum, or average costs for individuals renewing a guardianship order over the past five financial years. The costs associated with renewing a guardianship order can vary…

7 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm whether the parents of adults with learning disabilities may be required to meet costs of around £720 to successfully renew guardianship orders.

Answer · Maree Todd: It is difficult to confirm costs in guardianship cases as the circumstances will differ in each case. When registering a guardianship order renewal, the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) will charge a £95 fee. This fee covers the administrative processing …

7 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications were made to renew guardianship orders in financial year (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22, (d) 2022-23 and (e) 2023-24 to date; of these, how many (i) were successful, (ii) were unsuccessful and (iii) are still to be decided, and whether it can provide a breakd…

Answer · Maree Todd: The number of applications for renewal of guardianship orders for the years requested (statistics from the Office of the Public Guardian) are in the following table: 2019-20 830 2020-21 634 2021-22 936 2022-23 1165 2023-24 to date 1294 The number o…

28 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the 21 recommendations set out in the Transvaginal Mesh Case Record Review by Professor Alison Britton are now fully embedded within healthcare services in Scotland.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The report of the Transvaginal Mesh Case Record Review underlined what was already an important agenda for the Scottish Government: to improve care and services for women who are experiencing complications as a result of a transvaginal mesh; and, to ensure th…

28 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many mesh removal procedures in total have been carried out in Glasgow through referral to the National Complex Mesh Surgical Service since the centre was established, and how many of these procedures are considered to have been (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The National Complex Mesh Surgical Service assesses patient needs and, where appropriate and subject to shared decision making and informed consent, performs mesh removal surgery. To date, 135 mesh removal procedures have been undertaken by the Service. Many …

28 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-11632 by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2022, what recording procedures are in place to ensure that, after referral to the specialist mesh service in Glasgow, all women are informed of the options to seek treatment at an NHS England specialist centre, …

Answer · Jenni Minto: Once there is agreement between the patient and her clinicians that removal surgery is the best course of treatment, the decision on where that treatment is carried out, whether it is by the NHS or an independent provider, rests with the patient. Both NHS Gr…

23 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Part H of its publication, Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010: guidance - updated, published on 23 December 2020, in particular the paragraph titled "Local Authority bye-laws", what its position is on the possible introduction by local authorities of bye-laws to ban XL Bull…

Answer · Siobhian Brown: Under powers contained in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, it is for local authorities to consider byelaws as provided for in section 201 of that Act. The Act provides that local authorities ‘… may make byelaws for the good rule and government of the…

8 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the entirety of the £1 million mesh fund was needed to deliver the one-off, £1,000 financial support awards to mesh survivors, and if this is not the case, whether it will set out how much of the allocated budget was required to make payments to all successful applicants.

Answer · Jenni Minto: £648,000. At the time of its announcement we indicated that the Mesh Fund would have an upper ceiling of £1 million, we have therefore ensured that the remainder of those funds have been invested in other mesh-related initiatives, including the Reimbursement…

8 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much public money has been spent to reimburse the costs associated with mesh injured women experiencing private mesh removal surgery in the period since the Transvaginal Mesh Removal Reimbursement Scheme opened for applications.

Answer · Jenni Minto: As at 15 February 2024, £481,423.63 had been paid to applicants. Administration costs to the same date are approximately £120,000. The original scheme closure date was specified in the Scheme documentation and announced at the time of the Scheme’s opening as…

8 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the recommendations outlined in The Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, by the Patient Safety Commissioner for England, Dr Henrietta Hughes OBE; what consideration it has given to delivering an initial £20,000 finan…

Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-03094 on 21 February 2024. Answers to Oral parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, Meeting of the Parliament: 21/02/2024 | Scottish Parliament Website .

7 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many simple procedure claims were submitted in each financial year from 2019-20 to 2023-24 to date; of those, how many claims were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful, and what the average monetary value was of successful claims in each financial year.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: Simple procedure is a court process designed to provide a speedy, inexpensive and informal way to resolve disputes. A claim is made in the sheriff court with the final decision in a claim made by a sheriff or a summary sheriff. Claimants do not need to use a …