Miles Briggs

18 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the reported failures with paediatric audiology services in NHS Lothian, what action was taken for patients identified in the first and second audits as needing further follow up who did not attend or reply to a letter, and, for every child, whether (a) there was direct contac…

Answer · Jenni Minto: NHS Lothian have advised that they make significant efforts to support attendance at appointments with affected families and follow an enhanced did not attend (DNA) policy whereby if a patient doesn’t attend their first appointment, they are contacted by tele…

16 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on the Edinburgh festivals in 2024 of any reduction in home-sharing accommodation.

Answer · Paul McLennan: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20573 on 5 September 2023. 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-commit…

16 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what review it has undertaken of the publication of return patient data for people accessing chronic pain services.

Answer · Jenni Minto: As outlined in the Pain management service delivery framework: implementation plan update , we are working with Public Health Scotland to improve how we capture and report national data on patients with chronic pain. The current focus is to review and impro…

16 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work has been undertaken to improve braille signage within public buildings.

Answer · Shona Robison: At the start of 2023 the Scottish Government (SG) completed a package of signage works at Victoria Quay, this work included tactile floor maps, accessible wayfinding signs and meeting room door signs which all incorporated braille. Victoria Quay was selected …

16 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in utilising the role of pharmacies in alleviating any pressure on GP practices, and what plans it has for pharmacists to have the ability to refer patients directly for blood tests.

Answer · Jenni Minto: NHS Pharmacy First Scotland provides advice, treatment or referral to another healthcare professional for a wide range of minor illnesses as well as common clinical conditions such as impetigo, shingles, uncomplicated UTIs, skin infections and hay fever. It i…

16 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanism is in place for local authorities to remove home sharing from the scope of the short-term lets licensing legislation.  

Answer · Paul McLennan: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15120 on 20 March 2023. 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-committee…

16 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions its ministers have had regarding mandatory braille labelling on food products. 

Answer · Jenni Minto: Scottish Ministers are advised by Food Standards Scotland (FSS) on matters of food safety, standards and labelling. FSS met with Sight Scotland, Disability Equality Scotland and the Oban and District Access Panel on 1 March 2023 to discuss braille labelling o…

16 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many working groups it has established in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shona Robison: Due to the scope and timeframe of the question, the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost as this data is not available from a single source. However, the Scottish Government has responded to FOI requests seeking information in…

16 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made to ensure (a) equity in data availability across cancer types and (b) the frequent publication of emergency presentation data for blood cancers, as outlined in its Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-2026.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is committed to improving the quality, frequency and usage of a number of datasets, including emergency presentation data, across cancer types. Blood cancers often present in different ways. A wide range of data on blood cancers are r…

16 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many first-time buyers have been assisted to buy a home in each year since 1999.

Answer · Paul McLennan: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16291 on? 12 April 2023. 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…

15 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many operators of short-term lets that were operational before 1 October 2023 have yet to apply for a short-term let licence. 

Answer · Paul McLennan: I refer the member to the nswer to questions S6W-23003 on? 4 December 2023 and S6W-12484 on 8 December 2022. Please note that in S6W-23003 we advised the next statistical publication would be early 2024, however, we now anticipate this will be published in Ap…

9 Jan 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the allocation of funding for the development of a national funding framework for adult and child hospices in Scotland.

20 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many university students have been registered with a GP in each NHS board in each year since 1999.

Answer · Michael Matheson: GP practice funding is based on weighting practice lists of registered patients for age, sex and deprivation. Educational status is not recorded.  

20 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to each Regional Growth Deal, broken down by how much has been allocated to each individual project.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish and UK Governments have committed over £3 billion to the City Region Deals programme and its associated investments. Information on the individual projects funded through the growth deals are outlined in their associated deal agreements. Deal S…

20 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people who applied for a free personal care package have not received one in each year since 1999, also broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government does not collect data on the number of people who have applied for free personal care packages but have not received it. However, numbers of people who have received a personal care package are published as part of the latest statist…

20 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many cases of graffiti on public buildings have been reported to Police Scotland in each year since 1999.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested. The data we receive from Police Scotland for production of the Recorded Crime in Scotland National Statistics is a simple count of the numbers of crimes and offences, for each local authority,…

20 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding personal health alarms and the move to digital calls only by the end of 2025.

Answer · Maree Todd: Since 2017, the Scottish Government has commissioned COSLA’s Digital Office for Local Government to implement a national programme for the transition of analogue to digital telecare. This approach has ensured a Scotland wide approach, the efficient use of res…

19 Dec 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address any challenges in relation to the accessibility of traditional skills programmes to ensure that young people have access to the same career opportunities.

12 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W- 21565 by Natalie Don on 4 October 2023, whether it will publish the outcomes of the research by The Lines Between before the end of 2023.

Answer · Natalie Don: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23892 on14 December 2024. 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-committ…

12 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many training opportunities have been available for students at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh in each year since 1999.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The University of Edinburgh advised approximately 200-250 of their students per year attend undergraduate medical placements at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion since 1999. The University of Aberdeen advised that one student had attended in 2023 with no ot…

12 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it has made available to help cover the costs of running vital medical equipment for patients at home.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is acutely aware that energy consumers, and especially consumers that receive treatment at home, are feeling the impact of price hikes in the cost of energy. Increased energy costs are just one of a range of cost pressures NHS Boards n…

12 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many outpatient appointments there have been at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh in each year since 1999.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Table 1 provides the number of attended outpatient appointments in consultant-led clinics at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion by financial year from 2004/05. It is not possible to provide figures for 1999-2003, as prior to 2004 activity at the Princess Ale…

12 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many deaths have been attributed to thrombosis in Scotland in each year since 1999.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Table 1 - deaths from thrombosis-related conditions, 2000-2022. Figures provided go back to 2000 and not 1999 as requested, as this is the period for which the National Records of Scotland have consistent data. Year Coronary thrombosis - all due to (1) Co…

12 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many eye patients in NHS (a) Lothian, (b) Borders and (c) Fife have had to receive treatment in Glasgow due to a  reported lack of theatre capacity at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not held centrally. We do not hold the information that would allow us to identify the reason for an ophthalmology patient to receive treatment in Glasgow. The table below provides information on the number of inpatient and daycase hospit…

6 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22410 by Jenni Minto on 7 November 2023, what data it has on any variation in practice regarding reimbursement policies for electricity costs relating to home dialysis in the financial year (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23.

Answer · Jenni Minto: We have surveyed NHS Boards on their local policies regarding reimbursement of electricity costs for home dialysis. We are working with health boards to understand how best to achieve national consistency so that patients undergoing home dialysis are protecte…

6 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22410 by Jenni Minto on 7 November 2023, what the nature is of the activity that it has undertaken with NHS boards to work towards achieving national consistency regarding reimbursement policies for electricity costs relating to home dialysis, in or…

Answer · Jenni Minto: As outlined in the answer to question S6W-23689 on 19 December 2023, we have surveyed NHS Boards to understand their local policies regarding reimbursement of electricity costs for home dialysis. In addition, input has been given by those responsible for serv…

6 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22410 by Jenni Minto on 7 November 2023, within what timescale it will publish the outcome of the work that it is undertaking with NHS boards on national consistency regarding reimbursement policies for electricity costs relating to home dialysis.

Answer · Jenni Minto: As outlined in my answer to question S6W-23137 on 4 December 2023, I expect to provide a further update on this in the coming weeks. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can b…

5 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on (a) how well the Ask for ANI scheme has been implemented by pharmacies and (b) the reasons for any differences in its availability across Scotland, in light of reports that it is still mainly available in the more populated Central Belt but is often unavailable…

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Ask for ANI scheme is an initiative led by the Home Office, and as such they oversee the UK wide rollout alongside key partners. This includes in Scotland, where Ask for ANI is currently operational in 430 pharmacies. A campaign ‘UK Says No More’ encoura…

5 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to tackle economic crime committed against vulnerable older people.

Answer · Angela Constance: Older people can be particularly vulnerable to being targeted by criminals intent on carrying out fraudulent activity. The Scottish Government is committed to working with partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT) to disrupt fraudsters and prot…

5 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to work with (a) Police Scotland and (b) safeguarding stakeholders to improve data collection regarding abuse and neglect of older people, and for what reason such data is reportedly unavailable in Scotland but available in other parts of the UK.

Answer · Emma Roddick: The Scottish Government provides over £2m of our Equality and Human Rights Fund to older people’s organisations to deliver work focused on tackling inequality and enable older people to live independent and fulfilling lives. These organisations deliver work t…