Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-18930

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of delays to the R100 programme on access to digital healthcare services for remote and rural patients.

Our investment through the R100 programme will be transformational for many of Scotland’s most rural communities and is providing a full fibre backbone that will enable reliable connectivity services to be delivered.

An individual’s ability to access digital healthcare can be impacted by a number of factors, not just their rurality and the availability of digital infrastructure in their area.

That is why, while recognising the importance of access to digital healthcare, it should be promoted as one choice for patients but not the only available option. Digital healthcare programmes are subject to Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs) to assess the impact of accessibility.

Question reference: S6W-18908

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 22 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what data from the fishing industry will feed into any current or future assessments of fish stocks in the River Clyde, and whether any such data will include information from randomised checks of fishing boats.

The stock assessment mentioned in the response to S6W-18907 is still at a developmental stage. Before it could be used as the basis for advice, it would need to a) be finalised and published, and b) undergo a rigorous benchmark process conducted under the auspices of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas [ICES]. There are therefore as yet no firm plans for increasing monitoring coverage of commercial fishing vessels in the Firth of Clyde, over and above what is routinely done now. Should the assessment model be accepted for advisory use, then consideration would need to be given to how to ensure adequate data for it.

Question reference: S6W-18910

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many properties have been removed from the R100 build scope since 2017, broken down by (a) lot and (b) year.

Our Reaching 100% (R100) commitment is delivered through three strands of activity – the R100 contracts, the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (R100 SBVS) and continued commercial build.

While a property may move between these strands, for example properties can move from being eligible for R100 SBVS to being delivered commercially, no properties are removed from the overall scope of the programme.

Question reference: S6O-02429

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to "support the constitutional protection of the specific interests and needs of island communities", as outlined in its latest Building a New Scotland paper.

Question reference: S6W-18907

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which universities and research establishments are currently working with Marine Scotland in relation to fishing issues on the River Clyde.

The University of Strathclyde, through a PhD project co-supervised with Marine Directorate staff, is involved in data collation and stock assessment modelling for demersal fish stocks in the Clyde. The project uses fisheries-dependent data (from logbooks for landings), routine Marine Directorate on-board observer sampling data (for fish not officially landed), and fisheries-independent data from the Scottish West Coast groundfish survey. The PhD project is in the writing-up phase, aiming to submit at the end of the summer 2023.

Question reference: S6W-18906

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on whether the University of Strathclyde is involved in any fishing trials or surveys, or computer modelling work regarding fish stocks in the River Clyde.

The University of Strathclyde, through a PhD project co-supervised with Marine Directorate staff, is involved in data collation and stock assessment modelling for demersal fish stocks in the Clyde. The project uses fisheries-dependent data (from logbooks for landings), routine Marine Directorate on-board observer sampling data (for fish not officially landed), and fisheries-independent data from the Scottish West Coast groundfish survey. The PhD project is in the writing-up phase, aiming to submit at the end of the summer 2023.

Question reference: S6W-18905

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any River Clyde fishery surveys that have taken place in the last 24 months.

The following table summarises the survey work conducted by the Marine Directorate in the Firth of Clyde, between June 2021 and June 2023.

Year	Month	Survey	Vessel	Days in Clyde
2021	June	Nephrops underwater TV survey	Scotia	2
2021	August	NatureScot benthic habitat survey	Alba na Mara	16
2021	October	Clyde Scallop dredge survey	Alba na Mara	13
2021	December	Scottish West Coast Groundfish Survey Q4	Scotia	1.5
2022	May-June	Licensing	Alba na Mara	5
2022	June	Nephrops underwater TV survey	Scotia	1.5
2022	October	Clyde Scallop dredge survey	Alba na Mara	15
2022	October	OSPAR	Alba na Mara	5
2022	November	Scottish West Coast Groundfish Survey Q4	Scotia	1
2023	January	OSPAR/MFSD	Scotia	1
2023	February	Scottish West Coast Groundfish Survey Q1	Scotia	1
2023	June	Nephrops underwater TV survey	Scotia	1.5

Question reference: S6W-18934

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that NHS dental patients with chronic dental problems or ongoing dental treatment can continue to access non-emergency NHS dental care when it is clinically required.

The new Policy Prospectus, set out by this Government on 18 April, further commits us to sustained and improved equitable national access to NHS dentistry by 2026. This reaffirms our commitment to the sector and to patients in all parts of Scotland.

Official statistics published in May this year by Public Health Scotland show a significant recovery in NHS dental service provision, with over 3.8 million courses of treatment completed in 2022-23, an increase of more than 40% compared with 2021-22, when IPC restrictions were in force

Through a combination of payment reform and working closely with NHS Boards on local solutions, the intention of Scottish Government is to continue to build on this positive trend.

Question reference: S6W-18928

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact that the reported scarcity of NHS dental care availability in Dumfries and Galloway will have on the (a) oral and (b) general health of the population.

The Scottish Government is aware of emerging access issues within NHS Dumfries and Galloway, noting that this is an area which has suffered disproportionately with dental workforce issues in the past – an issue has only been heightened by the significant loss of EU workforce as a result of Brexit.

While an overall assessment of the impact of local access issues has not been undertaken, as it is a matter for the NHS Board, Scottish Government is working closely with the recently appointed Board Dental Taskforce to help understand and mitigate against the drivers of access issues. This includes strategic planning on the design and implementation of more sustainable dental services across the Board area. While this work continues, unregistered patients will continue to be able to access emergency and urgent care via Public Dental Service clinics.

Question reference: S6W-18935

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of accelerated home working and flexible working practices on the health of the working population, and of any consequential impact on the NHS.

Good quality employment contributes to good health. We know that home and flexible working can have both positive and negative impacts on workers’ health and wellbeing. ONS data has found positive and negative health impacts vary by socio-demographic characteristics and factors, such as an employee’s work satisfaction and personal circumstances. Our understanding of the range of factors which may impact health system pressures remains informed by the latest emerging evidence.

Tell us your views

Chamber and committees