Miles Briggs

5 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to Edinburgh’s festivals to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government is determined to work to support the festivals in the face of the 2020 festival cancellations. Since COVID-19 restrictions have been in place, we have worked closely with our festival partners and Creative Scotland to explore ways to s…

5 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which flooding defence schemes/projects (a) have and (b) have not been awarded funding in each year since 2007.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Prior to 2008-09 the grant for flood protection was allocated to approved projects on a project-by-project basis and paid to local authorities as those projects progressed. From 2008-09 a number of ring-fenced grants, including the Flood Prevention and Coast …

5 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the reopening of Edinburgh's South Suburban rail line for passenger services.

5 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many anti-depressants prescriptions have been prescribed in each month since January 2019, also broken down by how many were for new patients.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested. All information on prescribed and dispensed items are published, and categorised by British National Formulary chapter, in both monthly open data files and as part of the annual Dispenser Paymen…

5 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to the independent cinema sector.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government provides funding for the independent cinema sector though Screen Scotland, the dedicated public sector agency for the film and television industry in Scotland. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Scottish Government recognised the impac…

5 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the delivery of a new-build Liberton High School.

Answer · John Swinney: It is the statutory responsibility of the City of Edinburgh Council to manage its school estate. The Scottish Government works with local authorities to provide additionality to their own investment plans and Phase 2 of the Learning Estate Investment Program…

23 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding NHS managers being allowed to overrule clinicians regarding patients' treatment renewal, in light of reports that some chronic pain patients have been told that they will have to wait twice as long for treatment that that recommended by their clinicians.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: We appreciate how difficult it has been for people who have had procedures or treatments postponed due to the pandemic. Putting the NHS on an emergency footing has meant the focus has initially been on urgent and essential care including for acute and persist…

22 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the report requested by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport from the Junior Doctors' 48-hour Expert Working Group, and whether it will provide an update on its plans to ensure that all junior doctors work for no more than 48 hours every week.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We have received the final report from the independent expert working group. The pandemic response remains a priority and we have agreed with BMA Scotland that this report and its important recommendations will be released at the first available opportunity.…

19 Oct 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proposed changes have come from its review into international development programmes in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

19 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26493 by Clare Haughey on 9 December 2019, whether it will provide the same information for 2019-20.

Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Scottish Health Service Costs are published annually by Public Health Scotland. Data for 2019-20, which includes Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services spending, is expected to be published on 19 Ja…

19 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much each NHS board spent on mental health in each year from 2016-17 to 2019-20, also given as a percentage of (a) the NHS board's and (b) Scotland's health and social care budget.

Answer · Clare Haughey: Detail on mental health spending and the NHS budget is made available each year as part of the annual NHS Costs Book publication and the Scottish Budget.  

12 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of secondary breast cancer nurses and patients' access to them.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Scotland's staffing levels are at a record high, with 16,300 more whole time equivalent staff members working in our NHS under this Government. To meet projected future requirements, we are creating an estimated 2,600 extra nurse and midwifery training p…

12 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce treatment times for secondary breast cancer.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We are continuing to work with Health Boards throughout the COVID19 pandemic and beyond to ensure patients are seen and treated based on their clinical priority. Guidance and direction has been provided to boards to help prioritise cancer, including all breas…

12 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons collecting secondary breast cancer data will reportedly not be prioritised as part of the cancer recovery plan or its cancer strategy.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: A range of new national data collection has been undertaken to inform our response to COVID19. This is addition to a wide range of Health Board level data collection, including some on secondary breast cancer. There is work ongoing to develop systems for the…

12 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase awareness among GPs of the potential symptoms of recurring breast cancer.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: To support GPs in referring patients on an Urgent Suspicion of Cancer pathway, including Breast, the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer was updated and disseminated in January 2019. These guidelines are applicable to patients who have already …

8 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many cancer referrals there have been in each week since 2 March 2020.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Data collected on the Number of Urgent Suspicion of Cancer referrals is management information which is not validated and is not currently published. However we are currently working with Public Health Scotland to develop data set that will include referral d…

8 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many avoidable death lawsuits have been made against the NHS in each of the last 10 years; how many were upheld, and how much was paid out in compensation each year.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Annual Reports for the NHS Clinical Negligence and Other Risks Indemnity Scheme (CNORIS) provide details of the scheme along with the number and value of claims made during each financial year and historical values. The annual reports, which also cover i…

8 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much hospital waste has been stored in each month since April 2010, broken down by location.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS sites do not routinely store waste, waste that is generated on site remains on site until the next scheduled collection.  

8 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what additional support it has provided to help parents of autistic children with home learning.

Answer · John Swinney: We recognise that children and young people with additional support needs, including those with autism may be finding this difficult time particularly challenging. The Scottish Government has developed a range of information and guidance, to help support all…

8 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to the arts sector from the Barnett consequentials arising from the culture rescue fund that was announced by the UK Government in July 2020.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: We have announced dedicated support for the culture and heritage sectors of £96.47m, comprising:£12.5 million for Performing Arts Events Venues Relief Fund (added to £10 million already made available by the Scottish Government, announced 3 July and fully dis…

8 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints it has received regarding the human rights of care home residents in each month since April 2019.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has received a considerable amount of correspondence concerning care homes since April 2019 . Most of the correspondence has come from care home relatives who have raised a range of issues, mostly relating to the impact of the pandemic…

8 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to soft play centres during the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Soft play centres are currently required to remain closed by law. We will soon be publishing provisional guidance for the re-opening of soft play centres to support soft play businesses to prepare for the day they can re-open. The Cabinet Secretary for Econo…

8 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what communications Ministers have received regarding a bullying culture in local authorities.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government occasionally receives allegations of bullying and harassment within local government from individuals. However, as councils are independent corporate bodies responsible for the management of their workforces we have no power to investi…

8 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what infrastructure projects are planned for Lothian in the next 10 years.

Answer · Michael Matheson: On 24 September 2020 the Scottish Government published its draft Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) which sets out a clear vision for our future infrastructure from 2021-22 to 2025-26. The draft IIP is available on the Scottish Government website at https:…

8 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints it has received regarding do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders in each month since April 2019.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: As with all other clinical treatments, decisions about CPR should be based on the individual clinical circumstances and wishes of the patient and recorded appropriately. Such information is only shared for the purposes of direct care and is therefore not cent…

8 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions in each of the last five years non-ministerial MSPs have travelled with Ministers using the ministerial vehicle fleet, broken down by date.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Government does not hold information about any such journeys.

8 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many dentists have stopped providing NHS services in each month since April 2019, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Individual health boards should be able to advise on the number of dentists who have resigned their list number for providing NHS services in their area.  

8 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on introducing driver awareness courses as an alternative to penalty points for motoring offences.

Answer · James Wolffe QC: A working group comprising Police Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Transport Scotland, the Road Safety Programme and the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service is developing the infrastructure and guidance for the possible introduction …

8 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it will provide for the public regarding taking vitamin D supplements over the winter months.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government is taking forward a range of actions to raise awareness of current advice on vitamin D supplementation. Current advice on vitamin D was updated on 21 October 2020 to emphasise the importance of supplementation during the autumn and wi…

8 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the upgrade to the Sheriffhall roundabout will commence.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is committed to delivering improvements to Sheriffhall as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. Following publication of draft Orders for the scheme, a significant number of representations, including objecti…