Miles Briggs

27 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) assessment it has made of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, and (b) potential lessons can learned for Scotland.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting all survivors of childhood abuse. We are currently considering the evidence, findings and recommendations which have come out of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in England and Wales, and …

27 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been helped through the Help to Buy scheme in each year since its introduction.

Answer · Shona Robison: Information on how many people have been helped through the Help to Buy (Scotland) scheme can be found under the Monitoring Information Report heading here: https://www.gov.scot/policies/homeowners/help-to-buy/

27 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support has been provided to help fund rural small-scale housing developments in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shona Robison: Whilst the Scottish Government funds the delivery of homes in rural areas to support local authorities’ Local Housing Strategies , rural investment has only been reported on since 2015-16. Data has therefore been provided for housing investment in rural areas…

26 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what mental health support it is providing for Ukrainian refugees.

Answer · Neil Gray: The health and welfare of all displaced people from Ukrainian staying in Scotland remains our priority. The Scottish Government Mental Health directorate worked closely with our partners such as Heads of Psychology Scotland, NHS Scotland, COSLA, the Scottish…

14 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported progress NHS England has made towards elimination of hepatitis C by collaborating with the pharmaceutical industry and using artificial intelligence, and whether a similar approach would be considered in Scotland.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government remains committed to achieving elimination of Hepatitis C (HCV) in Scotland by 2024. We are pleased that excellent progress has been made to date, despite the additional challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. An update on the pro…

14 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to consult the NHS and other stakeholders as it updates its Sexual Health and Blood Borne Viruses Framework.

Answer · Maree Todd: Work is currently underway to develop an updated Sexual Health and Blood Borne Viruses Framework. The Scottish Government has set up a steering group to bring together key stakeholders from across the sector to ensure that the new Framework is fit for purpos…

14 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the NHS and other stakeholders on ensuring hard-to-reach populations are included within efforts to eliminate hepatitis C in Scotland by 2024.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government remains committed to reaching its target of eliminating Hepatitis C (HCV) in Scotland by 2024, whilst recognising the impact that the covid-19 pandemic has had across all our health services. In 2019, the Scottish Health Protection Ne…

14 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether additional resources will be required to meet its target to eliminate hepatitis C by 2024.

Answer · Maree Todd: Public Health Scotland produced the “Surveillance of Hepatitis C in Scotland” report earlier this month and the report indicated that major progress in Scotland has been made. By 2021, 80% of individuals diagnosed with chronic HCV infection in Scotland had be…

14 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to eliminate hepatitis C in Scottish Prisons.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government remains committed to achieving elimination of Hepatitis C across the whole of Scotland by 2024. This includes the prison population. However, we know that the health needs of those in prison can be complex and may need more targeted i…

14 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of progress towards realising its target to eliminate hepatitis C by 2024.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government remains committed to achieving the 2024 target of eliminating Hepatitis C in Scotland, whilst recognising the impact that the covid-19 pandemic has had on all our health services. Public Health Scotland (PHS) recently published a repo…

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) suicides and (b) attempted suicides have been recorded in mental health facilities in each year since 1999, broken down by location.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: This data is not held centrally by The Scottish Government, National Records of Scotland or Public Health Scotland. In September 2022 the Scottish Government and COSLA published Scotland’s 10 year suicide prevention strategy and action plan, ‘Creating Hope To…

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma among adults with cirrhosis.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: We expect clinicians to adhere to current guidelines from authoritative sources such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The NICE quality statement on surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma, published in 2017, states that adu…

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of female genital mutilation have been prosecuted in each year since the Female Genital Mutilation (Protection and Guidance) (Scotland) Bill was passed.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Female Genital Mutilation (Protection and Guidance) (Scotland) Act 2020 was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 19 March 2020. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service have provided an update from their live system and confirm that there have been …

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether its forthcoming workforce projections for health and social care will include breakdowns for (a) consultant hepatologists, (b) liver nurse specialists and (c) alcohol liaison nurses.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: As committed to in the National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care we will, for the first time, publish our high level indicative projections for the Health and Social Care Workforce. As part of the development of the indicative workforce projecti…

12 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of people trafficking have been recorded in each year since 1999.

Answer · Keith Brown: The National Referral Mechanism is the UK-wide framework for identifying victims of human trafficking and exploitation and ensuring they receive appropriate support. The NRM is operated by the Single Competent Authority and Immigration Enforcement Competent A…

6 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to (a) review the financial support available for 18- to 25-year-olds with cancer and (b) expand the support available to this age group, if it is considered necessary.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Those aged between 18 – 25 years old continue to have access to the Patient Travel Expenses Scheme or the Highlands and Islands Travel Scheme, both of which provide eligible claimants with support to meet travel costs associated with outpatient appointments. …

6 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its Budget allocation for the Young Patients Family Fund was reportedly reduced from £5 million in 2021-22 to £4 million in 2022-23.

Answer · Maree Todd: 25 October 2022 The Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF) was launched on 26 July 2021 and the 2021-22 budget was based on estimated maximum spend based on analysis of the number of families likely to claim support. The 2022-23 budget has been based on prior ye…

6 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to maximise awareness and uptake of the Young Patients Family Fund for young cancer patients and their families.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Young Patients Family Fund is available to families of all young inpatients aged under 18 - no matter their diagnosis. Posters and leaflets to promote the Fund are available in all Health Boards and we continue to work with Health Boards to best ensure fa…

6 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to hold a full review of the Young Patients Family Fund in order to assess (a) its implementation and impact to date and (b) what further support is needed to support young cancer patients and their families, and when it will publish the outcomes of such a review.

Answer · Maree Todd: There are no plans at this time to carry out a full review of the Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF) however the Scottish Government has recently liaised with all Health Boards to discuss the implementation of the fund following its first full year of operatio…

6 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding tenancies that have indexed or fixed rent increases as part of their contractual agreements, whether the provisions set out in the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Bill overwrite these contracts and lease arrangements, and, in instances where rent was previously s…

Answer · Patrick Harvie: Provisions within Part 1 of the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022, introduce a temporary cap on in-tenancy rent increases, which is set at 0% until at least 31 March 2023. The following tenancies are not covered by the rent cap:some assu…

6 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding new tenancy agreements whereby the tenant remains the same person, whether this is within the scope of the provisions set out in the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Bill for the purposes of a rent cap, or whether an actual gap in time between the tenancies is req…

Answer · Patrick Harvie: Provisions within Part 1 of the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022, introduce a temporary cap on in-tenancy rent increases. The cap is set at 0% until at least 31 March 2023. This means that a landlord is able to set the rent for any new …

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the nationality of homeless people in Scotland, and what data it holds on this.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government does not make assessments of those who are homeless. The Scottish Government collects information from local authorities that is recorded as part of the of the homelessness application process. This data includes ethnicity and some li…

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to introduce a Human Rights Bill.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government has committed to introducing a Human Rights Bill in the 2021-26 Parliamentary session. We will consult formally on proposals in 2023.    

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will accelerate clinical research and development to encourage participation in clinical trials for people living in remote and rural areas.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government is committed to tackling health inequalities and providing access to the highest quality of care for all. We work across the clinical research system to ensure sponsors of clinical studies understand their ethical and legal responsibil…

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many police responses there have been to mental health distress emergency calls in each year since 1999.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of police responses to mental health distress emergency calls.  

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that any reduced capacity in the cancer services workforce is not limiting patient choice and equitable access to treatment.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Cancer remains a priority for the Scottish Government with NHS Scotland continuing to prioritise urgent suspicion of cancer (USC) referrals and delivering high-quality care, in the safest possible way, to those who need it most. We’re continuing to invest in …

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the gender of homeless people in Scotland, and what data it holds on this.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government does not make assessments of those who are homeless. The Scottish Government collects information from local authorities that is recorded as part of the homelessness application. Data is collected on gender of the main applicant and p…

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been reallocated from Scottish Budget underspends in each year since 1999.

Answer · Tom Arthur: Since 2007 the Scottish Government has retained, and subsequently deployed, any and all net underspends which have been available following the conclusion of the Final Outturn process at the end of each financial year. The mechanism for doing so is via the Sc…

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many homeless shelter beds have been available in each local authority area in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government does not hold or collect information about the availability of homeless shelter beds. The Scottish Government established rapid rehousing welcome centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2020 as part of our commitment with partners to end …

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its plan is for stopping the use of National Cancer Medicines Advisory Group recommended medicines that are not Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) approved, and therefore not considered cost effective, when there are SMC approved and cost-effective alternatives available to the NHS…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The National Cancer Medicines Advisory Group (NCMAG) provides advice on the off-label uses of certain cancer medicines, which are out with the remit of the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC). Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCMAG provided rapid national …