Miles Briggs

16 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review how maternity wards can be made more family-friendly.

Answer · Maree Todd: Family-centred care is at the heart of our maternity and neonatal strategy, the Best Start: A Five Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland . We expect all maternity units to take a flexible approach to the presence of partners, to provid…

16 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time to access alcohol addiction treatment services has been in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Maree Todd: The information requested is publicly available from PHS website:the latest release published on 29 June 2021 - National drug and alcohol treatment waiting times - 1 January to 31 March 2021 - National drug and alcohol treatment waiting times - Publications …

16 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many case transfers have been (a) lost and (b) compromised by Social Security Scotland since its establishment.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: Since we commenced Case Transfer, there have been a) zero cases lost and b) zero cases compromised. We work in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions and Social Security Scotland to design and deliver a safe and secure case transfer process fo…

16 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time for people to access chronic pain services has been in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Maree Todd: Waiting time statistics on the waits experienced by patients for first appointments with chronic pain services can be found on the PHS website at the following link: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/chronic-pain-waiting-times . Data is availab…

16 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many inspections of COVID-19 passports have taken place in each local authority area since they were introduced.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Since the scheme was introduced the total number of scans carried out by the verifier app in Scotland has been 309,168. The large majority of inspections consist of manual or visual checks, which are not included in this figure. It is not possible to break th…

16 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it has provided to local authorities to cover the costs associated with the COVID-19 passport scheme.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government has not provided additional financial support to local authorities specifically relating to the Covid certification scheme. We are working closely with Local Authorities, the Health and Safety Executive and Police Scotland to ensure t…

16 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to deliver free rail travel across Scotland for those with a National (Scotland) Concessionary Travel for Blind Persons card and their companions.

Answer · Graeme Dey: There are currently no plans for a national blind persons entitlement to enable free travel on rail services however for those that are blind or visually impaired there are alternative discounts available. Details of these can be accessed via:- https://www.di…

16 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for access to IVF treatment has been in year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Local Delivery Plan Standard for IVF Waiting Times is for ‘90 per cent of eligible patients to commence IVF treatment within 12 months of referral. The 90% standard continues to be met since it was first measured in March 2015. Waiting time statistics on…

16 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many reports of benefit fraud have been made to the mygov.scot portal in each year since it was established.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: The mygov.scot portal for reporting allegations of benefit fraud to Social Security Scotland was launched on 24 August 2020. A total of 429 reports have been submitted to Social Security Scotland through this portal. Of these, 173 were received in financial …

16 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) assessment and (b) review of EPC rating regulations it will undertake to assess their suitability to deliver outcomes.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government’s Heat in Buildings Strategy sets out our intention to reform Energy Performance Certificates to ensure they are a suitable basis for future Energy Efficiency Regulations. In Summer 2021 we consulted on the first step of our proposed E…

16 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in introducing a "red bag" scheme for patients to keep their belongings, medications, and information safe when in hospital, and which NHS boards are currently delivering the scheme.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: NHS boards are required to make every effort to ensure the safety of patients' belongings while they are in hospital, and to have appropriate security arrangements in place.

16 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is applying evidence-based psychological interventions to change lifestyle behaviours related to (a) obesity, (b) disability and (c) chronic disease.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Evidence-based psychological interventions, based on psychological concepts and theory, are designed to help people understand and make changes to their thinking, behaviour and relationships. These are delivered across a wide range of services in both physica…

14 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the British Academy of Audiology report on NHS Lothian's Paediatric Audiology Services, which reportedly found there were 887 cases in which children were affected of which at least 100 were deaf, what measures it is taking to ensure that all children who may have been affec…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: NHS Lothian has, as part of their response to the reports, sent diagnostic appointments for those children identified in the review as being of clinical concern and requiring recall. In addition, the Board is working with the British Academy of Audiology to r…

14 Dec 2021 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the delivery of the extension of free personal care to people under 65.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government extended Free Personal Care to under 65s from the 1 April 2019. We fully recognise the difficulties facing the social care sector during the current pandemic. That is why we recently announced £300 million in additional funding to help…

7 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost was to the National Advisory Committee for Chronic Pain of providing capacity building sessions and other work using an external source.

Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04311 on 3 December 2021. 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…

7 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding was given to the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland in relation to its involvement with chronic pain patients and the National Advisory Committee for Chronic Pain in the years 2020 and 2021.

Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04311 on 3 December 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found athttps://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committee…

30 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS boards hold data on whether people are housebound, and what measures are being taken to ensure that such people receive their COVID-19 booster vaccine at home, if they are unable to attend a vaccination centre.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Health boards have a list of people currently registered as housebound with their GPs, and are in the process of contacting them all to receive their flu and Covid-19 booster in line with eligibility. Procedures are in place for when the nature of an individ…

23 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, what its position is on parents attending nativity plays, and whether schools are permitted to require them to provide a valid vaccination status.    

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Current guidance reflects the best scientific and clinical advice, as well as the current state of the pandemic and the anticipated trajectory of infections. The restrictions which limit non-essential visitors in schools and early learning and childcare setti…

16 Nov 2021 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support the funding of flood mitigation schemes.

11 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what investigation or assessment of any human rights abuses it has undertaken in relation to Police Scotland's reported involvement in providing training for Sri Lanka's police force.

Answer · Keith Brown: It is a matter for the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to agree and deliver any overseas training programme, with oversight by the Scottish Police Authority. The Chief Constable of Police Scotland announced, at the Scottish Police Authority Board meeting …

11 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many first-time buyers it has offered financial support to in each year since 2007, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Shona Robison: An evaluation of the Scottish Government shared equity schemes (Help to Buy, Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) and New Supply Shared Equity (NSSE)) was published in June 2020. The evaluation can be found on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.s…

11 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources it will provide to Edinburgh City Council to help address the reported homelessness issues in the city.

Answer · Shona Robison: Scotland has led the way in the delivery of affordable housing across the UK with 103,650 affordable homes delivered since 2007, nearly 72,000 of which were for social rent, including 16,432 council homes. And we are committed to delivering a further 110,000 …

11 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the community alarm charge is in each local authority area.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The community alarm/telecare charging amounts are set out below by Local Authority. The rate of charging varies depending on a range of factors including what technology offering they receive. This can be a standard community alarm package to more advanced te…

11 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many severe mental impairment evidence forms have been issued by medical professionals in each year since 1999.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: This information is not held centrally.

11 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support services are being developed to support (a) children and (b) parents who have experienced forced adoption.

Answer · Clare Haughey: I will be continuing to engage with people who have direct experience of this practice. Listening to the voices of those affected will help us to understand and inform what support and action is needed.

11 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will deliver on The Promise that it made to care experienced young people.

Answer · John Swinney: On 5 February 2020 the Independent Care Review published its conclusions which became ‘The Promise’ . On the same day the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament agreed to implement all the findings of the Independent Care Review by 2030. The Scotti…

11 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it can provide on the levels of financial fraud that have been detected since the establishment of Social Security Scotland.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: Social Security Scotland regularly publishes information on levels of detected fraud in its Annual Report and Accounts. The most recent document covering the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 was laid before the Scottish Parliament on 3 November 2021. Fr…

11 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many tenancies have been inherited by a (a) family member and (b) next of kin in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government publishes as part of annual housing statistics publications information on the number of local authority housing tenancy changes made each year due to succession. The available Scotland level published information on this, covering the…

11 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many deaths have been attributed to alcohol-related liver damage in each year since 1999.

Answer · Maree Todd: Information about alcohol specific deaths, which includes deaths by latest cause, is published annually by National Records of Scotland. The latest data was published on 17 August. There have been 16,917 deaths attributed to alcohol liver disease since 2000.…

11 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many supported living accommodation projects it has supported in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shona Robison: Local Authorities and Integration Joint Boards are responsible for allocating funding from their budgets towards revenue costs for services for supported living accommodation. The following table sets out the number of supported accommodation capital project…