Parliamentary questions

Monica Lennon

3,484 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

18 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of how the social care sector will adhere to infection control and PPE guidance following the withdrawal of Scottish Government funding, and whether it plans to change the guidance.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Infection Prevention control (IPC) measures remain important in care homes but with high levels of vaccination and new treatments, the risk of serious illness from COVID-19 has decreased and the protective measures in adult social care including care homes ha…

16 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which (a) clinical networks and (b) stakeholders it is working with to inform the delivery of the new Framework for Pain Management publication.

Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-09303 on 5 July 2022. 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-committees/…

16 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, following the reported cancellation of a proposed meeting with patient representatives on 20 June 2022, whether it can confirm that a rescheduled meeting will take place before the publication of the new Framework for Pain Management.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government intends to publish the Implementation Plan for the Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery in summer 2022. As advised in a letter to the Convenors of the Cross Party Group on Chronic Pain on 15 June, Ministers intend to meet wit…

16 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that newly qualified teachers are able to secure a post in their own, or a nearby, local authority.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Local authorities are responsible for the recruitment and deployment of their staff. They have the autonomy to provide incentives to attract teachers to their area, and we know some have offered initiatives like free housing for an extended period. During th…

15 Jun 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how its Resource Spending Review publication, Investing in Scotland’s Future, will ensure that children and young people’s rights to food, education and fun will be met.

14 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to review the policy regarding home educated pupils and entitlement to free school meals.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: There are no plans to review home educated pupils' entitlement to free school meals at present. Free school meals are not normally provided for children and young people whose parents have chosen to home educate them, as the local authority is not responsible…

13 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on (a) workplaces and (b) education providers having policies on (i) menstrual, (ii) perimenopause and (iii) menopause leave.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government vision is for Scotland to be a leading Fair Work Nation by 2025, where fair work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, businesses, organisations and society. This includes tackling the drivers of workplace inequalit…

10 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address any geographical variation in primary care pathways for the early detection of liver disease.

Answer · Maree Todd: The intelligent Liver Function Testing pathway (iLFT) used in Dundee, Tayside has been identified as best practice of early detection of liver disease. It uses an automated, algorithm-based system to further investigate abnormal liver function test results o…

10 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the use of FibroScan and enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) tests in primary care in order to improve the early diagnosis of liver disease.

Answer · Maree Todd: The existing National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on the diagnosis and management of cirrhosis recommends that very heavy daily drinkers (men drinking up to 50 units per week or women 35 units per week) should be screened for cir…

10 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what public health measures it is taking to reduce stigma around liver disease.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is committed to tackling stigma. In December 2021 a national campaign was launched to tackle the stigma people with problematic alcohol and drug use face. This campaign sought to communicate that drug or alcohol problems are health co…

10 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the impact of (a) alcohol misuse and (b) obesity on liver disease mortality rates.

Answer · Maree Todd: In 2020, the latest year for which data are available, there were 912 chronic liver disease deaths in Scotland. Of these, 759 were alcohol-related liver disease deaths. Data are not available for obesity related liver disease deaths. Liver diseases are gener…

10 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07901 by Maree Todd on 3 May 2022, when it will publish the findings of the public consultation on the draft Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government intends to publish the summary report on the responses to the public consultation alongside the Implementation Plan for the Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery later this summer.

7 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what protections exist for ancient and veteran trees, and how ancient and veteran trees are recorded for protection purposes.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: There are a number of measures in place to ensure that ancient and veteran trees are protected, including as protected areas for nature, which engage statutory mechanisms to protect sites of ecological interest, such as ancient woodlands. Protection for woo…

3 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported comment by the Royal College of Nursing Scotland that fewer than a quarter of shifts had the planned number of registered nurses on shift, by what date the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 will be implemented.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: An implementation timetable for the Health & Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 has been published. Implementation will be a collaborative and iterative process with frontline staff, taking account of the learning from the pandemic whilst recognising the new…

3 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Royal College of Nursing Scotland survey, which recorded that 86% of nursing staff who responded said that the staffing levels on their last shift were not sufficient to meet the needs of patients safely and effectively.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the sustainability of the NHS and in March 2022 we published, in partnership with CoSLA, the National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care . The Strategy outlines our shared vision: a sustainable, skil…

3 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment by the General Secretary and Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing Scotland that "nursing staff are being driven out by the current way of working - the shortage of staff and too often the poor culture".

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government recognises that recruitment and retention of nursing staff is key to the provision of safe and high-quality health care services. We published our National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care in March 2022, which outlines our…

3 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) crimes and (b) injuries were reported in connection with the use of e-scooters on (i) roads and (ii) pavements in (A) 2021 and (B) 2022.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many crimes were reported in connection with the use of e-scooters. Police Scotland collect data on road traffic accidents that were a) reported to the police and b) involved someone being injured or k…

2 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of anti-abortion gatherings at healthcare settings, what discussions it has had with trade unions regarding (a) the reported harassment and intimidation of patients and staff and (b) proposals for harassment-free buffer zones at these facilities.

Answer · Maree Todd: The First Minister is hosting a summit on abortions on 27 June, and an invitation has been offered to the Scottish Trade Union Congress. In addition to this, Scottish Government has publically stated that it will work constructively with Gillian Mackay MSP o…

2 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce measures to reduce cigarette butt pollution as part of its work to reduce the amount of single-use plastic items.

Answer · Maree Todd: We are currently refreshing our Tobacco Action Plan and considering a range of evidence-based interventions. One of the actions we are considering within the next Tobacco Action Plan is to introduce more ‘SmokeFree’ spaces. This could include beaches, amuseme…

2 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the Chief Executive of Scottish Care has said that the requirement for 10,000 people with advanced dementia to pay for healthcare is a "moral outrage" and that this would be free if they had any other terminal illness.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government acknowledges Alzheimer Scotland’s 2019 Fair Dementia Care report – referenced in the Chief Executive of Scottish Care’s article in the Herald - which claimed that people with dementia are paying care costs amounting to approximately £5…

1 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to prohibit smoking in and around school grounds and entrances.

Answer · Maree Todd: Many local authorities across Scotland already discourage smoking near children’s play areas and near schools. We are currently refreshing our Tobacco Action Plan and considering, among other initiatives, the introduction of nationwide bans on smoking in thes…

31 May 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what additional support and resources can be provided to Police Scotland to tackle domestic abuse, in light of statistics showing that the force receives a domestic abuse-related call on average every nine minutes.

Answer · Keith Brown: Domestic Abuse remains a high priority, and Police Scotland are committed to proactively target perpetrators and to protect victims and their families from the harms of domestic abuse. Police Scotland have a well-established National Domestic Abuse Taskforce …

31 May 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reports that primary school pupils in Scotland are falling behind those in England for reading skills, whether a review of teaching practices will be carried out.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: There is no evidence to support the claim that primary school pupils in Scotland are falling behind pupils in England and due to the differing education systems and curriculums, direct comparisons cannot be made. The reports referred to by Monica Lennon relat…