Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 8756 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-26727

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason training places for radiology students reportedly decreased for the West of Scotland training centre/region from 19 places in August 2023 to six places in August 2024.

The number of established clinical radiology training posts in Scotland has not decreased between 2023 and 2024 in any region. There are 192 established posts in clinical radiology spread across the five year training programme (ST1-ST5) and this has been the case since 2022 i.e. since the latest funded increase was applied. The number of posts advertised per year by NHS Education for Scotland is determined by two factors: i) the number of vacant posts, due to trainees completing training, resigning from post or undergoing an inter-deanery transfer, and ii) whether any additional posts have been created. The number of posts which are available for new applicants to apply for varies annually due to trainees working on a part-time basis (and therefore taking longer to complete training and vacate their post).

Question reference: S6W-26728

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that any decrease in training places for radiology students between 2023 and 2024 will prevent it meeting its aim to provide 10 additional radiology training places each year.

A commitment was made in 2018 to create 10 additional clinical radiology training places per year over a five-year period. This commitment was met in full in 2022 following five years of consecutive uplifts. This saw the overall training establishment rise from 139 in 2017 (before the commitment was made) to 192 in 2022 (after the commitment had been met). The number of established clinical radiology training posts in Scotland has not decreased between 2023 and 2024 in any region. There are 192 established posts in clinical radiology spread across the five year training programme (ST1-ST5) and this has been the case since 2022 i.e. since the latest funded increase was applied. The number of posts advertised per year by NHS Education for Scotland is determined by two factors: i) the number of vacant posts, due to trainees completing training, resigning from post or undergoing an inter-deanery transfer, and ii) whether any additional posts have been created. The number of posts which are available for new applicants to apply for varies annually due to trainees working on a part-time basis (and therefore taking longer to complete training and vacate their post).

Question reference: S6W-26725

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many training places for radiology students there have been in each year since 2018, also broken down by training centre/region.

The following table sets out the number of clinical radiology training places advertised and filled per year from 2017 onwards (broken down by region) as well as the overall training establishment in each year. ‘Training establishment’ is the term given to the overall number of funded places on a training programme. Please note that the 2024 recruitment cycle is currently underway and will conclude in November.

	East	North	South East	West	Total no. of new trainees recruited	Overall training establishment
2023	4/4 (100%)	5/5 (100%)	8/8 (100%)	19/19 (100%)	36/36 (100%)	192
2022	4/4 (100%)	4/4 (100%)	7/7 (100%)	22/22 (100%)	37/37 (100%)	192
2021	3/3 (100%)	6/6 (100%)	8/8 (100%)	17/17 (100%)	34/34 (100%)	182
2020	5/5 (100%)	6/6/ (100%)	11/11 (100%)	17/17 (100%)	39/39 (100%)	172
2019	4/4 (100%)	4/4 (100%)	6/6 (100%)	12/12 (100%)	26/26 (100%)	160
2018	3/3 (100%)	6/6 (100%)	7/7 (100%)	19/19 (100%)	35/35 (100%)	149
2017	4/4 (100%	6/6 (100%)	4/4 (100%)	14/14(100%)	28/28 (100%)	139

Question reference: S6W-27075

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 10 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how the £30 million of targeted investment to help reduce inpatient and day-case waiting lists, as announced on 1 April 2024, will be spent, and how much is being allocated to each NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-27076

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 10 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional (a) appointments and (b) procedures will be delivered through the £30 million of targeted investment to help reduce inpatient and day-case waiting lists, as announced on 1 April 2024.

Question reference: S6W-27077

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 10 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a timetable for when the remaining £270 million in funding for additional appointments and procedures will be allocated, and from where this funding will be allocated.

Question reference: S6W-26759

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to deliver a primary care community audiology service during the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S6W-26762

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what community audiology services are currently available.

Question reference: S6W-26764

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans for community audiology services to be able to prescribe and fit hearing aids.

Question reference: S6W-26741

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide funding to fill any gaps in NHS Scotland's provision for community children’s nursing posts.

The Scottish Government increased student funded places for pre-registration nursing, including children's nursing, for ten successive years and we now have a record intake target of 4,536 to support workforce sustainability.

Whilst the Scottish Government sets strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland, operational matters including staffing are in the first instance the responsibility of the relevant NHS board. This will depend on the service needs of each board taking account of national, regional and local priorities, and we expect NHS boards to plan and provide safe, effective and high-quality care, in line with their statutory service provision and workforce planning responsibilities.

The Scottish Government actively supports health boards across Scotland to plan locally for service need and for service delivery.