Alex Cole-Hamilton

1 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of the reported long-term disruptions to the supply of the pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, Creon, on the health of people with cystic fibrosis.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government recognises the impact of these global medicine shortages on people living with cystic fibrosis. The supply of medicines and associated legislation are a reserved matter for the UK Government, and we continue to engage with them on this…

24 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16651 by Maree Todd on 21 April 2023, whether it will provide an update on whether it has commenced the recruitment for the additional roles to ensure that every GP practice has access to a mental health and wellbeing service, and, if so, how ma…

Answer · Maree Todd: The recruitment of the 1,000 additional roles to support community mental health resilience, ensuring every GP Practice has access to a mental health and wellbeing service has not yet commenced. The economic conditions for the 2024-25 Scottish Budget remain c…

14 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to answers to questions S6W-26914 and S6W-26915 by Neil Gray on 8 May 2024, whether it will provide the equivalent data for each month of 2023-24.

Answer · Neil Gray: The following table shows the number of attendances and those waiting eight hours or more and 12 hours or more aged 65-74, 75-84, 85-94, and 95+ at A&E in Scotland in 2023-24. Month Age Group Total Number of Attendances Number of Attendances Over 8 Hours …

13 May 2024 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

2 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much money from the Road Safety Improvement Fund was awarded to each local authority in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: In the financial year 2022-23 no money was awarded to local authorities for the Road Safety Improvement Fund. The proposed allocation of funding was reallocated due to the cost of living crisis and other Scottish Government pressures. Funding for 2023-24 fin…

22 Apr 2024 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

18 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people waiting at A&E for 12 hours or more are aged (a) 65 to 74, (b) 75 to 84, (c) 85 to 94 and (d) over 95, based on the latest information available.

Answer · Neil Gray: Table 1 shows the number of attendances and those waiting 12 hours or more aged 65-74, 75-84, 85-94, and 95+ at A&E in Scotland in March 2024. Table 1: Attendances and over 12 hours waits, March 2024 AgeGroup Total Number of Attendances Number of Attendan…

18 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people waiting at A&E for eight hours or more are aged (a) 65 to 74, (b) 75 to 84, (c) 85 to 94 and (d) over 95, based on the latest information available.

Answer · Neil Gray: Table 1 shows the number of attendances and those waiting eight hours or more aged 65-74, 75-84, 85-94, and 95+ at A&E in Scotland in March 2024. Table 1: Attendances and over 8 hours waits, March 2024 AgeGroup Total Number of Attendances Number of Attend…

18 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an assessment of any impact on (a) buildings and (b) contents insurance of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete being identified in a property, and whether it has any plans to provide guidance or support in relation to this matter.

Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government has met with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) around the issue of insurance and we have been clear that we would expect responsible insurance companies to offer as much assistance as possible to residents affected by RAAC. The…

9 Apr 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land since it launched on 1 April 2022.

5 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much money would have been allocated to GPs through the GP Premises Sustainability Fund over the current financial year that will now not be allocated.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government did not allocate money to GP practices through the GP Premises Sustainability fund. GP practices could apply for GP Sustainability Loans to their Health Boards. These were funded by the Scottish Government as and when loans were compl…

5 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its reported decision to suspend the GP Premises Sustainability Fund, how many applications for such loans to GPs have been processed since the scheme was introduced in 2018, and how many applications remain outstanding.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government has issued £11 million of GP Sustainability Loans to 45 practices since 2018. There is a further £3.5 million of loans to 11 practices pending. The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many applications at a less advan…

3 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many cancer nurses have been employed by each NHS board in each year since 2011-12.

Answer · Neil Gray: As set out in answer S6W-26209 on 19 April 2024, the information requested on how many cancer nurses have been employed in each year since 2011-12, broken down by NHS board area is not centrally available. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are av…

3 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on cancer research in each year since 2011-12 in (a) cash and (b) real terms, also broken down by spending through (i) NHS Research Scotland and (ii) other routes.

25 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25624 by Angela Constance on 18 March 2024, whether it will provide an update on its discussions with the UK Government regarding a possible UK-wide Bill, and when it expects to bring forward any Scottish legislation if such an approach is requi…

Answer · Angela Constance: On 18 April 2024 I wrote to Kevin Hollinrake MP, with a list of 15 straightforward draft amendments to the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill which would have the effect of extending the scope of that Bill to cover Scotland. In doing so I urged him to…

22 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many 3G rubber pitches there are in Scotland.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many 3G rubber pitches there are in Scotland. In 2023, sportscotland identified that there were 505 full size (approx. 100x60m) synthetic surfaces in Scotland. Of those 398 are 3G with polymeric infill.

18 Mar 2024 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

14 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many cancer nurses have been employed in each year since 2011-12, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Neil Gray: The information requested on how many cancer nurses have been employed in each year since 2011-12, broken down by NHS board area is not centrally available.  

14 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on cancer research in each year since 2011-12 in (a) cash terms and (b) real terms, broken down by spending through (i) NHS Research Scotland and (ii) other routes.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Within the Scottish Government, funding for Health and Care Research comes under the policy remit of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) (A) The following table provides the amount in cash terms of CSO cancer research funding per year from 2011-12 Column 1 - N…

12 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the remaining funding from the £10 million Long COVID Support Fund will be allocated in 2024-25, and when any such funding will be allocated.

Answer · Jenni Minto: As set out in my answer to question S6W-25994 on 18 March 2024, we remain committed to delivering the £10 million long COVID Support Fund in full. The 2024-25 budget published on 19 December 2023 outlines our plans to make £3 million from the long COVID Suppo…

12 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government with which governments the First Minister raised any (a) general and (b) specific human rights issues, during his meeting with the Council of Arab Ambassadors in March 2024.

Answer · Angus Robertson: During the First Minister’s recent meeting with the Arab Ambassador Corps in London, the First Minister set out his vision for Scotland around the three pillars of equality, community, and opportunity, focusing on Scotland’s economic potential and commitment …

8 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government allocating £685 million for reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete mitigation and management works within its NHS estate up to 2024-25, whether it will provide an update on what consideration it has given to providing money to NHS boards in Scotland for thi…

Answer · Neil Gray: There have been no consequentials forthcoming to the Scottish Government as a result of the UK Government decision to allocate funding for RAAC mitigation works. If rectification is required on RAAC within the NHSScotland Estate that will have to be managed f…

6 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of remedial works at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh regarding the spacing of cavity barriers.

Answer · Neil Gray: There has been significant progress on proposals for work on the spacing of cavity barriers behind the cladding, since NHS Lothian was recommended to reduce the spacing with cavity barriers from 20 metre intervals to 10 metre intervals. The following is a sum…

6 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the projects that were successful in the 2022 ScotWind leasing round, broken down by the stage that each project has achieved; in light of any modelling that it has undertaken regarding any rental income from these projects, on what da…

Answer · Gillian Martin: There are 20 ScotWind projects with seabed option agreements. The first 17 successful projects were announced by Crown Estate Scotland in April 2022. These were joined in October 2022 by three further projects, granted agreements through the Clearing process.…

6 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the reported £700 million that it received in option fees through the 2022 ScotWind leasing round it spent in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24, and how much it projects that it will spend in (i) 2024-25, (ii) 2025-26, and (iii) 2026-27.

Answer · Shona Robison: Crown Estate Scotland received £756 million in option fees from the initial ScotWind auctions in 2022-23. As set out in the 2022 Resource spending review, and subsequent budget publications, these funds were initially profiled to be drawn down by the Scottish…

1 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing (a) a system of licensing for professional dog walkers and (b) restrictions on the number of dogs that a person can walk at one time.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Scottish Government consulted on proposals to licence animal care services, including commercial dog walking services from 4 July 2023 to 26 September 2023. The analysis of responses to this consultation was published on 16 February 2024 and is available …

26 Feb 2024 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

20 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25060 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 February 2024, in which sportscotland buildings the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was confirmed.

Answer · Maree Todd: Sportscotland lease a building from Heriot-Watt University which has been found to contain RAAC.

8 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the report of the Fair Fares Review will be published.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The review has now reported its findings, recommendations, and proposed actions. I am carefully considering these, particularly in the context of the Scottish budget set out on 19 December, ahead of publication in the coming weeks.

30 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has (a) carried out any research into and (b) undertaken any other work exploring any impact that the presence of fire can have on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) panels and beams.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government has not carried out or commissioned research into the impact that the presence of fire can have on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). However, the Scottish Government works directly with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service…