- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 19 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, according to the latest data, how many people (a) in Aberdeen and (b) throughout Scotland are in receipt of free personal and nursing care.
Answer
The latest statistical release for Free Personal and Nursing Care is for the period 2022-23 and was published on 05 September 2023. Two published excel files accompany the publication, for people aged between 18 – 64 and for people aged over 65. These can be found at: .
The relevant data can be found in table 2 within both excel files.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 19 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what support it plans to make available to NHS boards to cope with any further rise in COVID-19 infections.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the totality of the Health and Social Care system to deal with emerging pressures including any rise in COVID-19. We have made available record levels of funding in this financial year to support the NHS and Social Care and are committed to working with local systems to ensure that they are well prepared for pressures that can be expected. The Scottish Government and COSLA are developing the Winter Plan for 2023-24, working collaboratively with local systems and partners to ensure that the necessary steps are being taken now to support system resilience. We will publish the plan in October. The Scottish Government and COSLA will also continue to monitor the situation and stand ready to enact the National Response Framework if needed.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, according to the latest data, how many children
(a) in Aberdeen and (b) throughout Scotland are in receipt of Scottish Child
Payment.
Answer
Social Security Scotland routinely publishes information on Scottish Child Payment applications, payments and the number of children actively in receipt of the payment.
As of 30 June 2023, 316,190 children aged 0-15 years were actively benefitting from Scottish Child Payment. Of those children, 10,165 children resided in Aberdeen City. This information along with other local authority areas can be found in the latest Scottish Child Payment Official Statistics publication:
.
The next edition of the Scottish Child Payment publication which will cover the period to the end of September 2023, is due to be published in late November 2023.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of Baby Boxes that have been distributed since the scheme began, broken down by local authority, NHS board or any other local area breakdown for which figures are available.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s universal Baby Box programme, the only one in the UK, opened for registration on 15 June 2017. Nationwide delivery of Baby Boxes began on 15 August 2017 for all babies born and resident in Scotland.
We are unable to give the number of Baby Boxes delivered by local authority or other local area breakdown area as we only record numbers of Baby Boxes distributed by Health Board area.
The following table shows the number of Baby Boxes distributed by NHS Board area since the Scheme began up to 25 th August 2023.
Health Board | Boxes Delivered |
NHS Ayrshire and Arran | 16,508 |
NHS Borders | 4813 |
NHS Dumfries and Galloway | 6466 |
NHS Fife | 17,584 |
NHS Forth Valley | 14,265 |
NHS Grampian | 29,954 |
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde | 67,367 |
NHS Highland | 13,459 |
NHS Lanarkshire | 31,126 |
NHS Lothian | 47,881 |
NHS Orkney | 1042 |
NHS Shetland | 1267 |
NHS Tayside | 19,385 |
NHS Western Isles | 1006 |
Total | 272,123 |
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 19 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities have an up-to-date autism strategy, and which do not.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not routinely collect or monitor information on local authority autism strategies for data purposes.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 19 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of
COVID-19 cases in Scotland, and what assessment it has made of the potential impact of
the newly-identified Eris strain, which the World Health Organization has
classified as a "variant of interest".
Answer
Public Health Scotland continue to monitor all COVID-19 variants in Scotland and publish this regularly within the “National respiratory infection and COVID-19 statistics” report available at . The latest report was published on 14 September and included a section dedicated to EG.5.1.
The on 9 August 2023 and has assessed the risk to global public health as low. 320 cases of EG.5 (or “Eris”) and its descendant lineages have been detected in Scotland as of 11 September 2023. The current risk in Scotland is low, we continue to advise, to prevent the spread of coronavirus, to try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you have symptoms of a respiratory infection. Vaccination remains the best way to protect ourselves and we encourage all those eligible to take up their invitation when they are offered.
The Government will continue to work closely with Public Health Scotland and other partners to monitor, assess and be ready to respond to any new outbreaks of COVID-19.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 19 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the delivery of local authority autism strategies.
Answer
Scottish Government officials engage individually with local authorities and health and social care partnerships alongside accessing feedback on autism strategies via the Social Work Scotland Learning Disability and Autism Subgroup meetings and the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) programme of work.
Local strategies are based on The Scottish Government Learning/Intellectual Disabilities and Autism: Towards Transformation Plan.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the preparedness of NHS Scotland to manage any further significant increase in COVID-19 infections.
Answer
As part of our whole system planning to prepare for this coming Winter, we have been working collaboratively with COSLA, NHS Boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships and other partners to assess and promote whole system resilience across a range of pressures, including any significant increase in COVID-19 infection and hospitalisation. In response to learning lessons from last year, we have started this planning process much earlier and have hosted a Winter Summit for Health and Social Care Leaders this summer.
The Hospital Occupancy and Delayed Discharge Action Plan sets out to local systems the activity that will increase capacity and resilience to manage various pressures including increases in COVID-19 and other infections. Boards and HSCPs are returning a quarterly assessment to give assurance regarding their preparedness as we approach winter and the inevitable surges in illness we will see. As part of our Health and Social Care Winter Plan for 2023-24, we are also seeking assurance from local systems on their preparations through a Winter Checklist.
It will also be critical for the public to be aware and utilise the right care at the right time through the various pathways available to them including community pharmacy, NHS 24 and their own GP.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 20 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the justice secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding improving mental health services in prisons.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 20 September 2023
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider making adaptations to the Baby Box for mothers whose babies are born prematurely.
Answer
Many items within the Baby Box such as thermometers, play mat, changing mat, books, and the box itself are all suitable for a premature baby, and the clothing will be suitable as the baby grows. The Scottish Government seeks to deliver best value by purchasing the contents of the Baby Box in bulk, in line with Scottish birth rates. Costs would increase significantly if we moved to purchase smaller amounts of different items. Therefore in the current financial climate we do not plan to make any adaptions to the Baby Box. The Scottish Government is keen to offer financial support to parents or primary carers of babies who are born prematurely and have to receive inpatient care. All parents whose children have to stay overnight in hospital are eligible for financial support through the Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF).
